PR 304 to Berens River All Season Road

Lake Winnipeg's east side is a provincial jewel, with vast stands of boreal forest, an abundance of wildlife and a vibrant traditional culture. Despite these assets, the lack of permanent road connectivity resulted in detrimental societal and economic impacts.

Recognizing the benefits of reliable access, KGS Group teamed with other firms to oversee the construction of 158-km in new all-season roadway including nine individual river crossings connecting to both Bloodvein and Berens River First Nations. Over a 6-year duration, KGS Group met numerous challenges including wide-ranging terrain, seasonal-access restrictions, limited accommodations, rigorous safety requirements, complex assignment sequencing, robust environmental protection measures and timely public liaison.

Unique technical highlights of this project that KGS Group contributed to include:

• construction of Manitoba's first open-bottom, multi-plate arch culvert with MSE wall structure to protect fish habitat
• coordination of external Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) for road aggregate production and tree clearing
• application of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) studies to determine subsurface conditions
• application of sonar mapping to determine and qualify bridge pier and abutment locations
• application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) studies to optimize final roadway alignments