The City of Thompson, Manitoba, has launched its 2026 Road Renewal Project, with crews already on site this month to start resurfacing streets across the community. A city notice posted June 7 marks the start of this year’s major road work, following the closure of Thompson Drive South on Saturday, June 6, for curb removal between Cree Road and Wolf Street. The project is part of an ongoing push to upgrade roads throughout the northern hub that serves up to 65,000 people from the surrounding region.
A joint $33.3 million investment from the federal and provincial governments, announced in July 2021, is funding the renewal of roughly 20 kilometres of road in Thompson. That money, which includes $20 million from Ottawa and $13.3 million from Manitoba, is flowing through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. It is a key piece of Thompson’s $87 million five-year roads and sewer plan, which entered its third year in 2024 and has already tackled sections of Westwood Drive, Mallard, Pintail and Sandpiper Crescents, Seal Road, Thompson Drive, and Juniper Drive.
The Province of Manitoba has said that 2026 projects will strengthen roads in the north. The exact list of streets to be repaved this season was not detailed in the city’s latest public notice, but the work on Thompson Drive South offers a preview of what residents can expect. City of Thompson officials are asking drivers to plan for detours and slower travel in active construction zones as the crews move through different neighbourhoods over the summer months.
The road work is happening alongside other major builds in Thompson, including a new aquatic centre expected to open in July 2026 and recent airport upgrades finished in August 2025. Mayor Colleen Smook has pointed to a wave of investment worth close to $300 million across the city, something she says reflects Thompson’s role as the “Hub of the North.”
Any resident looking for updates or wanting to report concerns can contact the city at 204-677-7910 or visit the news and notices page on the municipal website.
