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Winter road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north.
Winter roads have a crucial role in enabling goods to be brought into communities without permanent road access. In many of these communities, air transportation is used at other times of the year to bring in goods including food and supplies, but this can be prohibitively costly for bulky goods such as building supplies and heavy equipment.
In general, these roads are built in areas where construction of year-round roads is expensive due to many river crossings, and the presence of boggy muskeg land. When frozen in winter, these obstacles are easier to cross. These frozen highways are more economical than a full highway, and have less impact on the environment.
Winter roads are extensively used in the oil patch for drilling in remote locations in Alberta and British Columbia during the winter, and for access to remote communities, including Indian reserves, in the northernmost parts of many Canadian provinces.
Depending on the region, winter roads last anywhere from a few weeks to several months before they become impassable. The roads are normally the domain of large trucks, although cars are occasionally seen. Recommended travel speeds on winter roads are very low (approximately 15 km/h for semi-trailers) due to their rough condition and the potential for damage to portions over ice.
- Government of Manitoba Transportation and Government Services - Winter Roads
- Northwest Territories Highways Reports
| Types of road | |
|---|---|
| High-speed access via interchanges |
Autobahn • Autopista • Autoroute • Autostrada • Auto-estrada • Freeway • Lebuhraya • Motorway |
| High-speed other types of access |
2+1 road • Divided highway • Expressway • Farm to Market Road • Highway • Parkway • Super two |
| Low speed | Arterial road • Boulevard • Frontage road • Road • Street |
| Low speed low traffic | Alley • Cul-de-sac • Driveway • Lane |
| Other | Dual carriageway • Interchange • Range road • Roundabout • Toll road |
| Surface types | Asphalt concrete • Brick • Cobblestone • Concrete • Corduroy road • Dirt road • Gravel road • Ice road • Macadam • Oiled road • Plank road • Tarmac • Winter road |