Winter Road Maintenance at the Ministère des Transports du Québec

Québec's road network is complex and highly used due to the province's vast territory and diversified economy. The ministère des Transports du Québec faces many challenges, not only because of Québec's harsh climate, but also because the Ministère must ensure the mobility of the daily users of its 30,500-kilometre network. There are different levels of network maintenance service. Various management methods are used to ensure efficient maintenance, while taking into account that an important part of the network maintenance work is entrusted to the private sector. It is therefore important to assess compliance of the services provided by the private sector with expected network maintenance levels to ensure quality service. In addition, the Ministère is implementing measures aimed at ensuring safe winter operations on the network and improving the road safety record. Annual advertising campaigns are also aimed at raising road users' awareness and informing them of tools that can help them better plan their trips. Aware of the negative impacts of de-icing salts on the environment, the Ministère is putting effort into more efficient road salt management. As a matter of fact, operational management tools have been made available to the teams in charge of the network's maintenance to better plan operations. The Ministère believes that imagination and research are key to improving the efficiency of the transportation system, in spite of the challenges posed by Québec's harsh climate.