Do we really have the worst roads in Quebec? CAA-Quebec takes a closer look
Our roads are a wreck, and that’s great for our Worst Roads – All Stars campaign, which has already tallied 12,000 votes in just two weeks! But are we really right to complain so much about the state of our roads?
CAA-Quebec thinks that drivers and anyone else who uses the roads has a right to expect them to be safe and work as they were intended. The government invests massive amounts of money into road infrastructure, but there’s no denying it: the maintenance deficit is getting worse. It grew from $14.7 to $16.4 billion in 2019, according to the latest budget documents.
Maintenance costs are climbing
“Local road maintenance is an ongoing concern for municipal officials. It’s becoming more expensive, especially with climate change. Not only do we have catch-up work to do, but we also have to make sure the necessary funds are increased as a result,” says Jacques Demers, president of Fédération québécoise des municipalités. He points out that the Federation is involved in managing road assets and offers an engineering and infrastructure service that can help municipalities complete their projects faster.
Comparing apples to apples
“Road quality is very subjective,” says Samuel Yniesta, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Geological, and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. “They complain on the other side of the border too! And when people compare roads, they often look at ones that don’t get the same level of traffic,” he explains. He adds that tougher road surfaces do exist, but they are much more expensive. “What’s underneath the pavement is also important,” he notes.
Preventive maintenance is key
Prioritizing proper and thorough maintenance of the road infrastructure is a strategy that pays off. It costs 250 times more to lay a new road after 15 years of no maintenance than to perform regular preventive maintenance on the same road[1].
Gouin East Boulevard has taken the lead in the 2019 Worst Roads – All Stars edition, followed by Montée du Bois-franc, in Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, after 12,000 votes in the past two weeks. Calling all drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and truckers! Vote by May 24 for the worst of the worst and save Quebec’s roads!
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec is a not-for-profit organization that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services.
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[1] 2016 update by CAA-Quebec of 1996 data from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.