WINNIPEG — CAA Manitoba launched its fifth annual Worst Roads campaign Wednesday morning giving Manitoba drivers a chance to vote for the road, highway or street they dislike the most.
Last year, more than 61,000 Manitobans cast their vote and Provincial Road 280 between Thompson and Gillam took the title at the worst road in the province.
READ MORE: Provincial Road 280 takes lead in Manitoba’s worst road competition
Winnipeg’s St. James Street took second place after winning the campaign in both 2014 and 2012.
“Customers always have trouble getting into the lots, there’s always something happening to their cars. My delivery guys and my actual drivers that come in and drop stuff to us, always have trouble getting in and up and down this road,” said Jason Dunlop, sales manager at Nolan’s Furniture, which is located on St. James Street.
Other roads in the Polo Park area can also be found near the top of the list most years.
The city has spent $40 million over the last two years to improve roads in the area, including St. James.
That money was not just to fix the quality of the roadway, or potholes, but also to improve traffic flow.
Traffic congestion is one of the issues that plagues the Polo Park area, according to drivers.
“The challenges are that we have limited property space for the amount of traffic that’s going through the area,” said Brad Neirnick, manager of engineering with the city of Winnipeg.
However Neirnick said those challenges have been addressed by the construction work the city has completed in the Polo Park area over the last two years.
CAA Manitoba hopes this year’s campaign will focus on cycling safety, traffic congestion and light synchronization along with other problems drivers face.
Voting runs until April 6.
Top ten list of Worst Roads in 2015:
- Manitoba 280 – between Thompson and Gillam
- St. James Street – Winnipeg
- Ness Avenue – Winnipeg
- Empress Street- Winnipeg
- 1st Street – Winkler
- Manitoba 450 – Deloraine
- Pembina Highway – Winnipeg
- Scurfield Boulevard – Winnipeg
- Manitoba 274 – Gilbert Plains
- Archibald Street – Winnipeg