CAA Manitoba unveils province’s worst roads

CAA Manitoba has released its list of the worst roads accross the province, and Winnipeg has cracked the worst 10 list five times.

Various regions accross the province reportedly nominate and vote on the worst roads, and after all the votes were tallied, Provincial Trunk Highway 34 was named the worst road in Manitoba for a second straight year.

CAA says the biggest complaints continue to be potholes, uneven surfaces, poor maintenance, and in some cases heavy congestion.

Five roads within Winnipeg made the list. Saskatchewan Avenue featured on the list for an eighth consecutive year. It was the only road in Winnipeg that made the list in 2025.

Kenaston/Route 90 was voted third worst. Gateway Road was listed as the sixth worst and was followed by Leila Avenue. St. Mary’s Road rounded out the worst ten.

CAA says Kenaston made the list not just for rough conditions, but also for the congestion and traffic headaches drivers deal with every day.

“All the potholes and lines across and big bumps, and it is definitely Kenaston Boulevard,” said one Winnipegger CityNews spoke to.

Another driver said, “I completely avoid Kenniston at all costs. I always take Waverly. It’s quicker, there’s less congestion for the cars, and there’s fewer potholes.”

While another driver said, “I find Pembina worse because construction. My biggest thing is construction. But yeah, Kenniston too, exactly. It doesn’t matter where you go.”

Leila Avenue may not look as rough as some of the other roads on this year’s list, but CAA says ongoing wear, patchwork repairs, and uneven stretches are some of the reasons it continues drawing complaints from drivers.

“Lila and Sinclair, especially last year, awful, awful area. It was like you’re driving on the moon pretty much, like all these craters everywhere. It was just, it was a disaster, and I’m surprised more people didn’t have damage to their vehicles,” said another Winnipeg motorist.

While rough roads can be frustrating for drivers, longtime Winnipeg motorcyclists Gary and Lynn Ross say potholes and uneven pavement can be even more dangerous on two wheels. The couple has been riding for decades and say rough roads are one of the reasons they often try to avoid riding through the city.

“Construction potholes, there’s many things that we have to watch out for. We have to do the defensive driving on a motorcycle,” said Lynn Ross.

Gary added, “We find the city roads very bad, so as a result we try to stay out of the city and ride on the highways where it’s much smoother and much better. Especially St. Mary’s Road up to the north here is really, really bad.”

Despite rough roads, the couple says riding still gives them one of the best ways to experience Manitoba, though they hope both roads and driver awareness continue improving.

As for the rest of the province’s worst roads, Provincial Road 307 was second, Richmond Avenue in Brandon was fifth, 1st Street also in Brandon was eighth, and Provincial Road 422 was ninth.

-With files from Mitchell Ringos