Regional District Board gains Winter Road Maintenance primer from Ministry of Transportation and Highways

As we get into the winter driving season, how the Ministry of Transportation and Highways plans to approach the maintenance of the highways made for a topic at this month's Regional District session.\

The Regional District Board welcoming a representative from the Ministry who provided some notes on the action plan for 2023-24.

The opening providing an overview of the two service areas of our part of the northwest where the Ministry has contractors in place for winter maintenance.

From there a review of the classification of roads in the service areas, which determines the level of winter maintenance that is offered through the winter. As well as how the Maintenance Contractors adjust to changing conditions.

The Presentation to the Regional District Board ended with a review of some of the projects that the Ministry took on in 2023 across the Northwest and Haida Gwaii service regions. 

Winter Driving conditions always make for some lively discussion for Prince Rupert residents who travel inland through winter season for a range of reasons from medical needs, shopping, access to the Terrace airport or sports and school events.

The topic has often made for some comment at Prince Rupert City Council, so we may perhaps see a similar review coming up at a future Council session, where councillors could share some of those previous concerns from last winter.

More notes from Regional District can be reviewed here.

Items of note on Highway 16 and other routes across the region can be explored here.