Premier Wab Kinew Allocates $95 Million to Pave and Rebuild Critical Highway 6 Northern Corridor

THOMPSON, MB — Premier Wab Kinew and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced the approval of a $95 million capital investment package to reconstruct, widen, and repave 80 kilometers of provincial Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 6 between Ponton and Thompson.

Modernizing Northern Manitoba's Critical Supply Lifeline

The civil engineering contracts provide deep sub-base stabilization, asphalt resurfacing, widened paved shoulders, and four new passing relief lanes along the single primary highway linking Northern Manitoba’s mining, forestry, and Indigenous communities to Winnipeg. The upgrades eliminate severe frost heaves and potholes caused by changing permafrost subgrades, ensuring safe travel for heavy mining trucks, food transport haulers, and emergency medical ambulances.

Premier Kinew stated that Northern Manitoba drives provincial economic wealth, affirming that northern families and industrial workers deserve modern, safe highway infrastructure.

Northern Municipalities and Indigenous Trucking Support

City of Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook commended the long-awaited capital funding, citing significant reductions in vehicle maintenance costs for northern residents.

Northern Indigenous commercial transport operators praised the widened shoulders for improving winter driving safety.

Construction Phase Rollout

Highway sub-base stabilization work will commence in September 2026, with full paving completion scheduled for late 2027.