Driving on Manitoba highways like driving on train tracks: Trucker

WINNIPEG — Even cruising at average speed may be too dangerous on more than one Manitoba highway that has been ripped apart by potholes caused by warmer temperatures so far this year.

According to the Winnipeg free Press, the provincial government is warning drivers to slow down on three of the busiest highways in Manitoba: Trans-Canada Highway east between Highway 207 and Highway 12; Highway 75 south between Winnipeg and Emerson, and about 20 km on the south Perimeter west of Pembina Highway.

The highways — all of which have concrete pavement 50 years old beneath an asphalt layer that is 20 to 30 years old — have been battered by an unusually warmer winter, which has caused expanding cracks and deep holes in the pavement.

Long-haul trucker Andrew Cairns drives his rig from Toronto to Vancouver, return, every other week. He told the Free Press that a ride in his cab between Winnipeg and Steinbach felt like the equivalent of driving over railway tracks.

Cairns added the freight in his trailer has been damaged on every trip recently and there has been considerable wear and tear on the truck. H said he’s been forced to ease off the pedal to below 80 km/h on highways with limits of 100 km/h.

— from the Winnipeg Free Press