General Winter Road Permit Conditions

NOTE: PERMIT REQUIRED – contact Permit Services at 204-945-3961 or 1-877-812-0009 to request a permit for winter road travel.

  1. Permit is valid during the “OPEN PERIOD” of the Winter Road System. Travel is not permitted on any closed winter road or for temperatures of -5oC or milder. Prior to all travel on the Winter Road System, carriers must consult Manitoba Weather Conditions at http://weather.gc.ca/forecast/canada/index_e.html?id=MB and Manitoba Road Conditions on the website at https://www.manitoba511.ca/en/ or by calling Highway Information Services at 204-945-3704 or Toll Free 1-877-627-6237. Dispatch reports are also available by contacting Manitoba Permit Services at 204-945-3961 or at 1-877-812-0009 or via email at permitservices@gov.mb.ca.
  2. The maximum-posted weight must not be exceeded.
  3. Under subsection 87(1) of the Highway Traffic Act, authorization is hereby granted to allow RTAC vehicles registered in the name of the permit holder, increased axle unit and gross vehicle weight in accordance with allowances on RTAC routes on the following routes for access to remote northern communities via the Winter Road System:
    PR 304 from PTH 11 to Rice River Road for a distance of 82 Kms
    PR 234 from PTH 8 to Matheson Island
    PR 280 from its junction with PR 391 to Gillam
    PR 394 from PR 391 to the Manitoba - Saskatchewan Border
    PR 373 from its junction with PTH 6 to Norway House
    PR 391 from its junction with PTH 6 to Lynn Lake
    Increased weights, in accordance to the maximum permissible gross axle and vehicle weights for RTAC routes (Subsection 1(1), Schedule D, M.R. 155/2018), on the above listed highways are valid until the closure of the Winter Road system, despite Spring Road Restrictions that may be in effect. The permit holder must be able to produce all documentation to support the origin and/or destination of the load upon request. The origin and/or destination must clearly indicate the name of the remote town/community.
  4. All vehicles must be driven with extreme caution at all time.
  5. When traveling in the same direction on ice roads, all vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight over 7,000 kg must be spaced 1km apart and should not pass each other. Travel just right of the centre of the roadway, however, when approaching oncoming vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight over 7,000 kg on ice roads, reduce speed and yield centerline to the heavier vehicle when it is safe to do so. Vehicles must not travel within 5 meters of the snow storage bank or edge of the ice road.
  6. When traveling on land roads and meeting another vehicle, a driver must reduce their speed and yield centerline to the heaviest vehicle, when it is safe to do so.
  7. All vehicles must not exceed the maximum speed of 40km/h when travelling on a land road.
  8. Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight over 7,000 kg, must not exceed 15 km/h when travelling on any ice road. Speed must be reduced when approaching the shoreline.
  9. Stopping, parking, unloading, or storing freight is prohibited on all winter roads.
  10. Carriers are responsible for the transport of the load to and/or from destination and must immediately clean up and remove any debris resulting from the transport of any such load.
  11. Citizen band radios or VHF FM radios are required. On CB channel one or VHF FM channel LADD1 (154.1 MHz); drivers must announce/transmit their identification, location and direction of travel at each kilometre marker. For example: Fuel tanker, northbound, at KM 50.
  12. Any accidents involving injury and/or dangerous goods must be reported immediately to Manitoba Conservation, Environmental Accident Reporting Line at 204-944-4888 and the local RCMP office. Assistance and cleanup in the event of an accident is the responsibility of the carrier. An emergency contact list is available at https://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/winter/accident.html
  13. All carriers transporting goods/services on the Winter Road System are required to submit the “Winter Road Freight Haul Sheet near the end of the winter road season. Failure to submit this form may result in the cancellation and/or suspension of all future permit privileges. The form, “Winter Road Freight Haul Sheet, is available online at https://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/winter/pdf/freight.pdf (PDF, 9 KB)
  14. Annual permits issued by Manitoba Infrastructure for travel on RTAC, A1 and B1 Class Highways are not valid on the Winter Road System or any All Season Access Road. For the movement of overdimensional and/or overweight freight, a ONE MOVE permit must be obtain from the Permit Services Office.
  15. Term Winter Road permits are valid for truck and truck tractors and/or if used in combination with a single trailer or semitrailer only. This does not include any truck or truck tractor equipped with a tridem drive axle and/or tandem steer axle. (See below for ONE MOVE Permit requirements.)
  16. In addition to obtaining a Term Winter Road Permit for travel, a ONE MOVE PERMIT must be obtained for the following vehicles and/or loads:
      1. All vehicles equipped with a tandem steer axle
      2. All vehicles equipped with a tridem drive axle
      3. All b-train configuration (or configurations of more than one (1) trailer)
      4. All loads exceeding legal dimensions as prescribed in Manitoba Regulation 155/2018; (width exceeds 2.6 m, height exceeds 4.15 m, length exceeds 23.0 m for a truck tractor semitrailer, 12.5 metres for a straight truck.
      5. All loads exceeding the posted weight of the Winter Road being travelled and/or have axle weights exceeding legal weights as prescribed in Manitoba Regulation 155/2018.