Worst Roads

The 2026 campaign ran from March 18 to April 13.

For the eleventh edition, the “Worst Roads” campaign allowed Quebec residents to report the roads they consider to be in the worst condition in the province. Regional rankings

Here are the provincial rankings

The last campaign in pictures

  • Chemin Cook
  • Chemin Pink
  • Chemin Notch
  • Chemin du Lac-Saint-François
  • Chemin du Contour-du-Lac-à-Beauce

The investment report

1. Chemin du Contour-du-Lac-à-Beauce
La Tuque (Mauricie)

  • Pavement repair on this 4km road in 2024 and 2025.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $160,000.
  • Replacement of the pavement is included in the municipality’s 2026–2028 three-year capital program. A sum of $50,000 has been earmarked.
  • This road is also part of the asset maintenance plan for the municipality’s local roads.
  • Awaiting a grant from the MTMD for further work.
  • Required investment: Undetermined.

2. Chemin Klock
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Repair of several sections between 2020 and 2025.
  • Only the section between Cook and Pink roads was not repaired, as this project was not prioritized following the latest assessment of the deterioration of the municipal road network carried out in 2023.
  • The next assessment is scheduled for 2026, after which the relevance of undertaking work on this section will be determined.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $2.7M since 2020.

3. Chemin Notch
Chelsea (Outaouais)

  • Manual and mechanical asphalt patching work carried out in 2025 to remedy pavement deformations, potholes, and major cracks.
  • A large-scale renovation is planned for 2029 and is included in the 2026–2030 five-year capital plan.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Investment required: $3,347,500.

4. Chemin Cook
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Mandate awarded in December 2024 for professional services to prepare plans and specifications, and supervise work on the section between Rue Perry and Rue Klock.
  • Preparatory studies for preliminary plans and specifications have been completed.
  • Preparation of final plans and specifications and environmental permit applications is underway.
  • A call for tenders for the services of a contractor is scheduled for spring 2026.
  • Work to be completed in summer 2026.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unspecified.

5. Chemin Pink
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Surface repairs, as well as asphalting and rut correction works, were carried out in 2024. 
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable. 

6. Rang Petit-Capsa
Pont-Rouge (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Plans and specifications completed.
  • Awaiting a grant from the MTMD to complete the repair work.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unspecified.

7. Chemin du Lac-Saint-François
Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

  • Preparatory work for the repair carried out between October and December 2025: Grading of ditches to improve drainage, backfilling, and corrective work on some of the more problematic areas.
  • Awaiting a grant from the MTMD to proceed with its full restoration.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $200,000.

8. Chemin Hamilton
Inverness (Centre-du-Québec)

  • In August 2025, the municipalities of Inverness and Saint-Pierre-Baptiste agreed to collaborate on the maintenance and repair of the joint section.
  • A request for financial assistance has been submitted to the MTMD.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unspecified.

9. Rue des Laurentides
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Two resurfacing initiatives targeting the most deteriorated sections carried out between July and November 2025.
  • Major work is planned over the next three years.
  • A call for tenders has been issued for the studies, design, plans and specifications, and supervision of the work.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unspecified.

10. Route Principale
Wentworth-Nord (Laurentides)

  • Several requests for repairs made by the municipality to the MTMD.
  • The MTMD intervenes as necessary to ensure road safety during specific interventions.
  • No road repair projects are scheduled by the MTMD.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unspecified.

1. Route 329
Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard (Laurentides)

  • Multiple manual patching operations on certain sections of the road and culvert restoration work carried out in 2024. 

  • Provincial jurisdiction. 

  • Total investment: Unavailable. 

  • With the aim of improving ride comfort, further mechanized patching work will be carried out as required. 

  • Maintenance agreement between the MTMD and the municipality. 

  • Road asphalting project in planning. 

  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

2. Chemin du Contour-du-Lac-à-Beauce
La Tuque (Mauricie)

  • Several attempts to reach the municipality in this regard have fallen on deaf ears. 
  • Municipal jurisdiction. 
  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

3. Chemin Pink
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Reconfiguration of a 0.6km stretch of the four-lane road and development of a 2km bicycle link in 2021 as part of a Canada-Quebec agreement. 
  • Rehabilitation work carried out in 2023 over a distance of 2.6km.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable. 

4. Chemin Notch
Chelsea (Outaouais)

  • Light maintenance work carried out in 2024.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable. 
  • According to the 2025–2029 capital program, rehabilitation work is scheduled to start in 2025 and be completed in 2027. 
  • Investment required: $3,347,500. 

5. Boulevard Albiny-Paquette
Mont-Laurier (Laurentides)

  • Surface repairs, as well as asphalting and rut correction works, were carried out in 2024. 
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable. 

6. Chemin de Mille-Isles
Mille-Isles (Laurentides)

  • Several attempts to reach the municipality in this regard have fallen on deaf ears.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

7. Chemin de Val-des-Lacs
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts et Val-des-Lacs (Laurentides)

  • In August 2024, the Val-des-Lacs municipality issued a public call for tenders for the rehabilitation (excavation, new pavement base, base compaction, single layer of asphalt mix, ditch cleaning, culvert replacement, etc.) of an 800-metre stretch of road.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

8. Chemin Édouard-Roy
Sherbrooke (Estrie)

  • Rehabilitation work (pulverizing and repaving the pavement) between 2165 Rue Édouard-Roy and Rue des Vents from July to September 2024. 
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $826,000. 

9. Chemin Klock
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Several rehabilitation projects have been carried out over the past five years. 
  • Rehabilitation of a 1.6km segment between Chemin Baillie and Chemin Cook in October 2023. 
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $1.35M. 
  • The section between Chemin Cook and Chemin Pink has not yet been rehabilitated. 

  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

10. Route 321 – Chemin de L’Ascension
L’Ascension (Laurentides)

  • Manual patching and ditch cleaning operations carried out in 2024.
  • Since this is a road subject to frost damage, it deteriorates under the effect of frost. The MTMD monitors the condition of the pavement and fills potholes with asphalt when circumstances require. 
  • Provincial jurisdiction. 
  • Total investment: Unavailable. 
  • The MTMD is working with the municipality to draw up a cooperation agreement in order to carry out a number of interventions, most notably on Principale Street in the village centre. 
  • Required investment: Unavailable. 

See the Worst Roads list by regions

1. Rue Georges
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • TMilling/paving of 1,100 metres between Chemin de Montréal West and 87 Rue Georges in summer 2023.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $804,815.
  • Milling/paving work over 2,600 metres between 109A Rue Georges and Rue Pierre-Laporte scheduled for summer 2024.
  • Required investment: not available.

2. Route 329 (MTMD)
Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard (Laurentides)

  • A culvert between Chemin du Cap and Chemin de Mont-Howard was replaced in summer 2023.
  • The municipality applied to MTMD to get just over 7km paved between the village centre of Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard and the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts municipal boundary.
  • MTMD is currently considering the application.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

3. Route des Fondateurs
Larouche (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)

  • Rehabilitation of a section of about 0.4km in summer 2023.
  • An application for a Local Road Assistance Program grant was submitted for the rehabilitation of a 4km section of road.
  • If the funding is approved, the work could be done in spring 2024.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

4. Chemin Cook
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Resurfacing of 2,670 metres between Chemin Klock and Chemin Vanier in summer 2023.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $957,642.
  • A call for tenders is to be made in 2024 for rehabilitation of a 2,150-metre section between Chemin Perry and Chemin Klock.
  • Milling/paving of this section is planned in 2025.
  • Required investment: not available.

5. Chemin Sainte-Foy
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Approximately 5.5km was paved in 2023 including 2,950 metres between Autoroute Duplessis and Autoroute Robert-Bourassa and 2,500 metres between Avenue Vimy and Avenue De Bourlamaque.
  • Work on other sections of this 11km road will be done in the next few years.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $2 million.

6. Route Madoc
Saguenay (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)

  • Upgrading will begin in 2024.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

7. Chemin du Contour-du-Lac-à Beauce
La Tuque (Mauricie)

  • Attempts to reach the municipality on this matter were not answered.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

8. Route 113 (MTMD)
Senneterre (Abitibi-Témiscamingue)

  • In 2023, culverts were redone between Senneterre (kilometre 73) and Lebel-sur-Quévillon (kilometre 87) and areas with surface disintegration were mechanically patched.
  • Major pavement rehabilitation planned on this section was rescheduled for 2024 because of forest fires.
  • Maintenance (milling and surfacing) was done between kilometre 24 and kilometre 36 in Senneterre.
  • More extensive rehabilitation is being planned for this section.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Investment required: $10 to $25 million.

9. Route de Saint-Achillée
Château-Richer (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Maintenance and repairs will be carried out in keeping with available budgets.
  • Grant funding will be necessary if more extensive work is to be done.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

10. Route 343 (MTMD)
Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare (Lanaudière)

  • Paving is scheduled to eliminate wheel ruts from the intersection of Route 348 and Rang Kildare to the village centre of Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare and from the Lac des Français area to the village centre of Sainte-Marceline-de-Kildare.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: not available.

1. Boulevard de la Gappe
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Roadway repaving completed in 2022.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $354,000.

2. Route du Vieux-Moulin
Saint-Isidore (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Repairs are needed over three kilometres.
  • The Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) has been approached by the municipality. The latter hopes for a positive and fast outcome.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

3. Boulevard du Curé-Labelle (Route 117)
Saint-Jérôme (Laurentides)

  • Concrete actions requested from the MTQ by the various administrations that have succeeded over the past 20 years.
  • The current administration hopes for a positive outcome.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

4. Chemin Cook
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • A major rehabilitation is planned for 2025–2026.
  • In the meantime, a palliative intervention is planned for the summer of 2023 between Chemin Klock and Chemin Vanier.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: $1.4M.

5. Avenue Sainte-Brigitte
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval (Capitale-Nationale)

  • The Municipality has planned a two-phase rehabilitation project.
  • The first phase, completed before the winter of 2022, consisted of paving repairs along the roadway edge at areas deemed “critical.”
  • The complete 3.4km rehabilitation, between Rue du Grand-Fond and Rue Saint-Louis, is planned for 2024–2025 provided the Municipality obtains the funding requested to mitigate the financial burden.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

6. Avenue Gourdeau
Saint-Agapit (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Work has been underway since 2019 to fully redo this public roadway.
  • 2019: repair works over 800m (cutting and filling, cleaning of ditches and installation of drains).
  • 2020: replacement of a 6-foot diameter culvert.
  • 2022: rehabilitation work on the remainder of the avenue (cutting and filling, cleaning of ditches and installation of drains).
  • 2023: paving work is planned for the spring.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $1.2M.

7. Avenue Saint-Sacrement
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • In 2022, surface projects were completed on this roadway to perform corrective maintenance.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable.

8. Avenue Taniata
Lévis (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Work was performed in June 2022 on various sections.
  • Paving between 3e and 4e Rue and between Rue Fontaine and Rue de la Rivière-Etchemin.
  • Rehabilitation of curbs, sidewalks and paving of the section located between Rue Fontaine and Rue Pierre-Beaumont.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable.

9. Chemin Sainte-Foy
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Spot interventions are undertaken between Avenue Saint-Sacrement and Avenue Cartier.
  • The City intends to repave the section between Avenue de Vimy and Avenue Bourlamaque.
  • A work analysis is underway for 2023 between Autoroute Duplessis and Autoroute Robert-Bourassa.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

10. Road 105
Gatineau (MTQ) (Outaouais))

  • Repair work will be performed in the spring of 2023.
  • 2023: Rehabilitation of 4.5km of roadway between Chemin de Point Comfort and the northern limit of Gracefield, drainage work and replacement of a culvert.
  • 2023–2024: asphalting of 4.2km of roadway in Kazabazua and 4km of roadway in Messines.
  • Ten additional intervention projects are planned on this road by 2027.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $22.1M.

1. Chemin de la Grande-Ligne
Carignan (Montérégie)

  • Paving work completed in November 2021 between Chemin Salaberry and Highway 35.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable.

2. Ferry Ramp
Matane (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

  • The issue was not the condition of the infrastructure, but rather the service disruptions caused by the work.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

3. Chemin du 3e-Rang-du-Bic
Rimouski (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

  • Rehabilitation of the eastern section (9.3 km) in 2020.
  • Complete reconstruction of a 3.8km segment of the western section, conditional on funding from the Local Road Assistance Program (PAVL).
  • Project to be submitted in September 2022 for work to be completed in summer 2023.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: $5,000,000.

4. Rue Main
Hudson (Montérégie)

  • Surface paving between Rue Cameron and Rue Oakland and between Rue Selkirk and Rue Oakland.
  • A second layer of asphalt will be laid in 2022 between Rue Cameron and Rue Beach to allow the new sewer line to stabilize.
  • Pavement marking between Rue Oakland and Rue Beach.
  • Finishing work along sidewalks.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.

5. Rue Seigneuriale
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Localized pavement maintenance work completed in summer 2021.
  • Rue Seigneuriale is considered to be in good to fair condition.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $27,000.

6. Chemin du Lac-Héroux
Saint-Boniface (Mauricie)

  • 9 km of unpaved road. Not many homes along the edge of the road.
  • Maintenance work is performed annually.
  • Given the situation and cost, paving is not envisaged.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

7. Boulevard de l’Ormière
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Localized pavement maintenance between the approaches to the Highway Félix-Leclerc overpass and the start of Boulevard Masson.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: $75,000.

8. Boulevard Jean-Talon Ouest
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • According to the City, there are no issues on Boulevard Jean-Talon Ouest.
  • Spot work was performed on Boulevard Jean-Talon Est in the summer of 2021. Its condition is described as poor.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable.

9. Avenue Taniata
Lévis (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Work is planned for 2022 between 3e Rue and 4e Rue and in 2023 between the Irving Gas Station and the Highway 20 overpass.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

9. Road 257
Scotstown (Estrie)

  • The Haut-Saint-François RCM repaved 39.3 km of Route 257 in the summer and fall of 2021 in the municipalities of La Patrie, Hampden, Scotstown, Lingwick, and Weedon.
  • Replacement of 50 culverts.
  • Crack sealing (0.8km).
  • Additional pavement layer (8.4km).
  • Resurfacing (10km).
  • Roadway rehabilitation (17.9km).
  • Roadway reconstruction (2.2km).
  • Pavement marking.
  • Provincial jurisdiction.
  • Total investment: Unavailable.

10. Rue Évangéline
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • A section has been identified as being in poor condition but is not a City priority.
  • Municipal jurisdiction.
  • Required investment: Unavailable.

1. Boulevard Gouin East
Ville de Montréal (Montréal)

  • Redevelopment of the area between Autoroute 25 and Parc des Cageux
  • Bike lane and large pedestrian area installed
  • One-way section since summer 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Total investment: $5.7 million

2. Montée du Bois-Franc
Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard (Laurentides)

  • Major repairs in summer and fall 2019
  • Ditch profiling in summer 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Required investment: Unavailable

3. Chemin Craig
Lévis (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Work carried out over three years (2018–2020) on the section between the bike path near Route des Rivières and Chemin de la Coopérative
  • Culvert repairs at the border of the Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon sectors in fall 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Total investment: Over $1.5 million

4. Rue Newton
Boucherville (Montérégie)

  • Repairs announced in May 2019 (full inspection and resurfacing of the entire street)
  • No work in 2019 or 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Required investment: $7 million

5. Boulevard du Grand-Héron
Saint-Jérôme (Laurentides)

  • 600m section between Rue Maher and Rue Côté repaved in 2019
  • Section between Rue Valmont and Boulevard Jean-Baptiste-Rolland Ouest repaired in summer 2020
  • Municipal jurisdictionRequired investment: Unavailable

6. Road 389
Relie Baie-Comeau au Labrador (Côte-Nord)

  • Various works planned as part of the 2020–2022 road investments (redevelopment and paving of road sections, installation and repair of guardrails, granular resurfacing, bridge reconstruction, culvert replacement, and pavement rehabilitation).
  • Provincial jurisdiction
  • Required investment: Unavailable

7. Traverse de Laval
Lac-Beauport (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Work completed in fall 2020 (culvert repairs, repaving, development of a new city gateway, installation of a bike lane, and guardrail repairs)
  • Pavement to be marked in spring 2021
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Total investment: $4.14 million (including $2.9 million from Ministère des Transports du Québec)

8. Chemin Cadieux
L’Ange-Gardien (Outaouais)

  • Call for tenders launched in early 2020
  • Resurfacing and paving in summer 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Total investment: $592,000

9. Chemin Saint-Henri
Mascouche (Lanaudière)

  • Section between Rue Iberville and Rue Charbonneau repaved in summer 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Total investment: Unavailable

10. Rang Saint-Martin
Saguenay (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)

  • Emergency repairs carried out on a 1-km section in summer 2019
  • No work in 2020
  • Municipal jurisdiction
  • Required investment: Unavailable

1. Boulevard Gouin East
Ville de Montréal (Montréal)

  • Status of work: Planned
  • Work to be done: Repairs to the full 15km length of the boulevard, estimated at $80 million (revitalization of the boulevard, sidewalks and cycle path, burying of utility cables, upgrades to lighting, relocation of water lines, shoreline remediation)
  • Part of the City of Montreal arterial road system
  • Call for tenders scheduled for Winter 2018–2019
  • Repaving of 11 km in two phases (1st stretch of 7 km between 58e Avenue and Rue Sherbrooke East starting in Spring 2019; 2nd stretch of 4km between 58e Avenue and Avenue Ozias-Leduc in 2020)
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: Unavailable

2. Traverse de Laval
Lac-Beauport (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Status of work: Planned
  • Plans and specifications almost completed
  • Awaiting a subsidy from the MTQ (financial participation essential)
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: $3.4 million

3. Chemin Saint-Henri
Mascouche (Lanaudière)

  • Status of work: Planned
  • Repair work to an initial stretch in Summer 2019
  • Subsequent phase planned for 2020
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: Unavailable

4. Chemin de la Rivière-Châteauguay
Ormstown (Montérégie)

  • Status of work: Planned
  • Work to be done: Full reconstruction required
  • Awaiting a subsidy from the MTQ (financial participation essential)
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: Between $5 and $8 million

5. Road 389 (MTMD)
(Côte-Nord)

  • Status of work: Under way
  • Work to be done: Work included in the 2018–2020 provincial government improvement program (paving, replacement of culverts and bridges, bank stabilization, installation of guardrails, roadbed reloading)
  • Responsibility: Province
  • Total cost: $49 million
  • Route 389 Improvement Program: Development with a total budget of $468 million, $46 million of which has already been invested

6. Avenue Marcel-Villeneuve
Laval (Laval)

  • Status of work: Under way
  • Condition of road surface considered problematic by the city
  • Work to be done: Major repairs begun in June 2018 (improvements to the pavement surface, installation of water lines, paving of shoulders, upgrades to lighting, reshaping of ditches)
  • Subsequent phase planned through December 2019
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: Nearly $12 million

7. Route de la Rivière
Grande-Vallée (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

  • Status of work: Planned
  • Work to be done: Discussions under way with MTQ for a major repair project (repairs to culverts and paving)
  • Work requiring a $5.8 million investment by the MTQ (financial participation essential)
  • Filling of potholes
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: $20,000 (potholes only)

8. Chemin de la Réserve
Shawinigan (Mauricie)

  • Status of work: Completed
  • Work performed: Paving of 900m stretch of road within Shawinigan territory performed in summer 2018
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: Unavailable

9. Highway 30 (MTMD)
(Montérégie)

  • Status of work: Under way
  • Reconstruction of road surface between km 133 and km 137 begun in 2015 and completed in 2017
  • Reconstruction of road surface between km 127 and km 133 begun in 2018
  • Reconstruction of road surface between km 137 and km 142.5 and of Maurice-Martel Bridge slab: in planning stages
  • Various resurfacing work on the stretch between Autoroute 20 and Sorel-Tracy scheduled as part of MTQ improvement program
  • Responsibility: Province
  • Total cost: Nearly $27 million up to now

10. Boulevard Saint-Joseph
Gatineau (Outaouais)

  • Status of work: Under way
  • Work to be done: Complete redesign of the boulevard (replacement of sewer and water lines, roadbed reconstruction, paving, construction of sidewalks and cycle path)
  • Major repairs begun in October 2018 between Rue Dumas and Boulevard Montclair (to be completed Spring 2019)
  • Subsequent phases planned through 2022
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: $78 million

1. Chemin Kilmar*
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge (Laurentides)

  • Cost of full reconstruction estimated at $20 million in 2015
  • Reconstruction of road bed on problematic stretches and spreading of gravel estimated at $4.5 million in 2017
  • Awaiting agreement with the MTQ, financial participation essential
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Investment needed: $1 million (short term)

2. Chemin Newton
Mascouche (Lanaudière)

  • Renewal of asphalt surface in summer 2017 between Rue Trudel and Rue des Laurentides
  • Other phases planned up to 2026
  • Responsibility: MunicipalityTotal cost: $1.4 million (including work completed on a portion of Chemin Saint-Pierre)

3. Boulevard Gouin East*
Montréal (Montréal)

  • More than 1,500 potholes filled in spring 2017 along Boulevard Gouin, from east to west
  • Renewal of asphalt surface in summer 2017 between Avenue Saint-Julien and Avenue L’Archevêque
  • Revitalization work to be planned over a 3-to-5-year horizon 
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: unavailable

4. Rue Principale
Sainte-Julie (Montérégie)

  • Work included in the city’s action plan 
  • Awaiting a subsidy from the MTQ
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Investment needed: unavailable

5. Montée du Bois-Franc*
Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard (Laurentides)

  • Road surface and culverts restored along a 700m to 1km stretch in fall 2017
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: $243,000

6. Avenue D'Estimauville
Quebec City (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Repaving between Boulevard Monseigneur-Gauthier and Rue Alexandra done in June 2017
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Total cost: $254,882.54

7. Chemin Saint–Thomas*
Sainte-Thècle (Mauricie)

  • Repairs to a further stretch in fall 2017
  • Awaiting a subsidy from the MTQ (Financial participation essential)
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Investment needed: $100,000

8. James Bay Road
Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (Nord-du-Québec)

  • Rehabilitation of a section in 2015
  • Repairs to another section in 2016
  • Replacement of around 60 culverts in 2016
  • Shared jurisdiction between municipality and provincial government
  • Total investment: $10.3 million to date

9. Traverse de Laval
Lac-Beauport (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Renewal work planned for 2018
  • Awaiting a subsidy from the MTQ (financial participation essential)
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Investment needed: $1.5 million

10. Route du Portage
La Martre (Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

  • Road surface caved in after passage of Hurricane Arthur in June 2014
  • Road considered non-existent by the municipality
  • Matter is currently before the courts 
  • Responsibility: Municipality
  • Investment needed: unavailable

1. Route de Marcil
Port-Daniel–Gascons (Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

  • Spreading of gravel and grading on several occasions
  • Major work planned between 2017 and 2020
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: unavailable

2. Montée du Bois-Franc
Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard (Laurentides)

  • Report drawn up on the condition of the road
  • Identification of problematic sections and call for tenders to come
  • Work scheduled for spring and summer 201
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: unavailable

3. Rue Day
Paspébiac (Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

  • Awaiting response
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: unavailable

4. Rang Saint-Michel
Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Renewal of 0.8km stretch in 2015
  • Repairs to 1.2km in 2016
  • Paving of road in 2017
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: $900,000

5. Chemin Ville-Marie
Lévis (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Renewal of various sections in 2016, 2017 and 2018
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: $400,000

6. Boulevard Gouin East
Montréal (Montréal)

  • Renewal of road surface, some sections, in 2016
  • Other work during the coming years
  • Major revitalization project within a 3- to 5-year timeframe
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: unavailable

7. Route Fraser
Beauceville (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Renewal of 4.5km stretch in 2016
  • Financial assistance request submitted for work on another section
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: $900,000 to date

8. Route de la Baie-James
Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (Nord-du-Québec)

  • Renewal of a section in 2015
  • Renewal of a further section in 2016
  • Replacement of about 60 culverts in 2016
  • Responsibility: shared between municipality and provincial government
  • Total cost: $10.3 million to date

9. Chemin Kilmar*
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge (Laurentides)

  • Reconstruction of various sections in 2015
  • Full renewal planned
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: $2.9 million to date

10. Chemin Saint-Thomas
Sainte-Thècle (Mauricie)

  • Renewal of a section in 2015
  • Repairs to a further section in 2016
  • Responsibility: municipality
  • Total cost: $105,000

*Note that Chemin Kilmar appears on the list for the second year in a row. Although major work was done on various stretches of the road in 2015, other sections are in need of extensive repairs.

1. Traverse de Laval
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval et Lac-Beauport (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Elected officials are debating the issue
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: nil

2. Boulevard Laure
Sept-Îles (Côte-Nord)

  • Major repair work in summer 2015
  • Synchronization of traffic lights
  • Jurisdiction : Provincial
  • Total investment: $1.2 M

3. Ch. du Lac-Bécancour
Thetford Mines (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Major reconstruction over 2km in 2015
  • Repair of a .5km stretch in 2016
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: $400,000

4. Chemin Kilmar
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge (Laurentides)

  • 2 curves redesigned and rebuilt
  • Other work under study
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: $2.9 M

5. Road 389
Fermont (Côte-Nord)

  • Several sections under study
  • Jurisdiction : Provincial
  • Total investment: $468 M

6. 8e Rang
Saint-Nérée-de-Bellechasse (Chaudière-Appalaches)

  • Repair work over 5km
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: $1.3 M

7. Boulevard Henri-Bourassa
Québec (Capitale-Nationale)

  • Repair and maintenance of 3 sections
  • Upgrade of traffic lights
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: $3.6 M

8. Chemin de la Rivière-Châteauguay
Ormstown (Montérégie)

  • Awaiting reply
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: unavailable

9. Rue du Panache
Orford (Estrie)

  • Maintenance of gravel road
  • Study for paving 90km
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: unavailable

10. Avenue Papineau
Montréal (Montréal)

  • Work completed between Sherbrooke and Ontario streets
  • Work planned in 2016 and 2017 for 3 other sections
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: work in progress, more information coming soon.

11. (ex-aequo) Rue de la Savane
Montréal (Montréal)

  • Road reconstruction planned for 2016
  • Jurisdiction : Municipal
  • Total investment: work in progress, more information coming soon.

11. (ex-aequo) Route 105
Chelsea (Outaouais)

  • Repair work over 5km in fall of 2015
  • Other work planned for spring of 2016
  • Jurisdiction : Provincial
  • Total investment: work in progress, more information coming soon.

The state of roads in Quebec: What the experts say

You’ve probably already wondered about the state of our roads in Quebec. Why do they seem to be in worse shape than the roads in the United States or other provinces? Why does it feel like all the money invested in maintaining them just isn’t enough?

CAA-Quebec talked to some experts to get answers to these questions.

Alan Carter is a professor and head of the Pavement and Bituminous Materials Laboratory at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). Guy Doré is a full professor in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Université Laval. They’ve got answers to all our questions!

The general condition of the roads

Alan Carter: Not exactly. While road conditions can differ from one province to another, the overall situation is quite similar. Generally speaking, between 15 and 25 percent of the roads are in bad or very bad shape. The numbers are certainly too high, but they’re going down. It’s important to mention, however, that it’s hard to produce a comprehensive analysis of Canada’s roads, since we don’t have a database for that information, and the quality criteria vary from one province to the next.

Guy Doré: The few studies on the subject place Quebec at the back of the pack when compared with other provinces. But we need to be careful with these statistics because the provinces and territories don’t all use the same criteria to evaluate and report on road conditions.1

Alan Carter: My understanding is that they have better road maintenance.

Guy Doré: The comparison is highly skewed, though, because Quebecers travel on local and regional roadways before crossing the border to the U.S. or Ontario, where they immediately begin driving on Interstates or major highways. And also bear in mind that the U.S. Interstate network is heavily financed by the federal government.

Alan Carter: Our highways are in better repair than our municipal roads because of a serious lack of funding for the latter. Plus, in some municipalities there may be a lack of knowledge regarding how to optimize pavement quality and lifespan.

Guy Doré: Our municipal roads are generally in worse shape than our highways. Among the main factors separating the two systems are the frequent excavation work for the installation and maintenance of underground utilities (sewer, aqueduct, gas, etc.) and the intense traffic created by city buses and heavy commercial vehicles. And rural roads are often severely under-maintained.

Bad roads

Alan Carter: The effect of freeze-thaw cycles, frequent in Quebec, accelerates road degradation. Potholes appear after the water has entered the pavement structure. Any crack on the road surface – due to the pavement’s age and condition, poor design/construction, or subpar material choice – will allow the water to infiltrate and create potholes.

Guy Doré: In the spring, all the conditions come together to create potholes in our already damaged roads: freeze and thaw cycles push the pavement up, there’s a lot of subsurface water, and there are cars on the road.2

Alan Carter: It’s essential to ensure road-user safety and slow down road degradation.

Guy Doré: It’s also a short-term fix to ease traffic flow.

Alan Carter: Our highways have fewer wheel ruts than they used to. There are two types: those due to a structural problem and those due to shoddy materials or roadwork.

Guy Doré: Wheel ruts that appear soon after construction are the result of poor bituminous mix design or subpar work—i.e., low-quality construction, especially in terms of compacting. But this is rare because rutting usually forms at the end of a road’s lifespan (20 to 30 years), as part of its normal aging.

On the other hand, it’s a growing problem today caused by the increasing use of studded tires.3

Causes of road deterioration

Alan Carter: A combination of climate and heavy-truck traffic. In reality, cars and abrasives have little impact on the road infrastructure. Our studies show that the real culprit is the freeze-thaw cycles.

Guy Doré: Municipal roads are generally more affected by the climate, especially the freeze-thaw cycle. Highways and national roads are further stressed by heavy trucks. Soil types are another important factor: The more susceptible to frost and water, the more damage they will cause.

Alan Carter: Maintenance work itself does little damage. But some snow removal techniques can cause surface wear. Direct contact between snow-plow blades and the road surface can accelerate road degradation.

Guy Doré: Snow removal also exposes the road surface to the effects of frost, allowing it to enter the ground underneath. De-icing salts can also cause damage when they penetrate through cracks into the pavement foundation.

Alan Carter: A great deal! We must take into account not just soil stiffness but also its susceptibility to frost. In Quebec, the thickness of pavement structures is highly influenced by the depth of frost penetration and soil type.

Guy Doré: Yes, Some frost-and-water-susceptible soils will cause further damage. Others, mechanically weak or compressible, will worsen the damage caused by heavy vehicles.

Alan Carter: It depends. A number of roads built in the 1950s and 1960s with a 15-year lifespan in mind still exist. They have since been upgraded, but not designed to support further traffic increase.

Guy Doré: When roads are built, the engineers generally plan for an increase in traffic in their calculations. But that’s hard to determine with any real precision.

Pavement markings

Alan Carter: There are several types of markings, though none of them are permanent. The painted markings must be visible without being slippery.4

Guy Doré: One major reason is the use of road-surface abrasives and studded tires.

Maintenance, repair and reconstruction

Alan Carter: Of course we can! But very few new roads are being built in Quebec. We mostly repair existing ones, sometimes rebuilding the top layers. Obviously, in-depth reconstruction – involving thicker layers and using good materials – can produce longer-lasting roads.

Guy Doré: Solutions for building durable roads are well known, but such a network would be out of reach.

Alan Carter: The quality used here is equivalent to that used elsewhere. We have excellent aggregates in Quebec, and the bitumen-selection criteria are the same throughout North America. So yes, it’s possible to build longer-lasting roadways, that is, if we’re willing to pay more. But since each case is unique, it would be preferable to assess the respective life cycles to optimize investments.

Guy Doré: Roadway designers look to maximize performance within the imposed constraints, the most important of which are the construction budget followed by maintenance costs.5

Alan Carter: Well-built concrete pavements can be durable. But repairs are difficult, especially in a city setting. There’s no universal solution. Concrete may be ideal in one place, asphalt in another. Sometimes both materials can be combined.

Guy Doré: Both concrete and asphalt mixes are quality materials. They must be used appropriately and correctly.6

Alan Carter: The use of recycled materials is an interesting option – technically, financially and environmentally speaking. We’re talking about products like glass, recycled plastics, asphalt shingles, fibres, lignin, additives for asphalt warm mixes, anti-stripping agents, and the like.

Guy Doré: There are a number of promising technologies (recycled glass, foam glass, etc.) that could wind up being good alternatives.7

Investments and economic recovery

Alan Carter: Yes. Infrastructure building, maintenance and repair are all indispensable engines for economic recovery. The longer we wait to update our infrastructure, the higher the costs will rise. It may seem costly in the short term, but the investment will pay off in the long term.

Guy Doré: Definitely.

Alan Carter: We need to invest even more to avoid further road degradation. Current investments are barely enough to maintain the status quo at best.8

Guy Doré: No, as road conditions worsen, we have no choice but to invest further and do better.

Alan Carter: Yes and no. The principle of the lowest compliant bidder can work for smaller jobs, as long as you have the right requirements in place. But it keeps companies from innovating and testing new materials and techniques that could improve our roads.

Guy Doré: Several innovative management models merit consideration. But it’s very hard to change the way we do things. The “lowest bidder” model can work if compliance is established based on strict requirements.

Guy Doré: A road network that they can afford. Quebec is a vast territory, with a relatively small population and a harsh climate. Each new road reduces our ability to properly maintain the existing network. Users should adopt reasonable expectations, all the while insisting that resources be devoted to upgrading and preserving the existing network.

How much has been invested in the road network, and for what purpose?

In 2022–2023, a total of $759.4 million was invested to preserve the Quebec road network. This investment made it possible to carry out work on 1,478 km of pavement in 2022, including 897 km of repair work to correct pavement deficiencies, 314 km of palliative work to temporarily restore severely deteriorated pavements to good condition, and 267 km of preventive work to preserve pavements in good condition and thus extend their useful life.

Also in 2022–2023, to preserve structures of the major road network, investments amounted to more than $1,189.1 million for all of Quebec, plus $122.6 million for municipal bridges managed by Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD).

MTMD explains

1. According to Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable du Québec (MTMD), the road network comprises more than 31,000 km, including 6,000 km of highways and 9,000 km of national roads. This network extends over a huge territory, for a limited population pool.

Particular attention is paid to high-volume roads with rutting phenomena (grooves worn into the pavement).

Quebec’s major road network consists of nearly 5,700 structures, whose average age is 41 years. From 2009 to 2022, the number of such structures in good condition increased from 61.8% to 77.6%.

MTMD would like to point out that producing a comparative analysis based on data from different bodies is problematic, since these bodies don’t use the same definitions.

2. On average, MTMD invests nearly $10 million each year in pothole repairs and uses nearly 15,000 tonnes of asphalt to patch pavements.

3. Unlike drivers in Southern Ontario, drivers in Quebec are allowed to use studded tires to reduce the risks of accidents in the winter conditions encountered in Quebec. This type of tire most likely contributes to the faster degradation of road surfaces. MTMD is currently carrying out a research project to determine the impact of studded tires on pavements.

4. Each year, MTMD refreshes approximately 85,000 km of road markings with water-based paint. For new asphalt or concrete pavements, MTMD uses epoxy resin products to mark around 4,000 km of lines. After October 15 and for palliative work in winter, less than 1,000 km of lines are painted with alkyd paint.

The glass microbeads added to marking products act as small mirrors that reflect the light from the headlights back to the driver’s eye, making the lines brighter. Since the beads are scraped off by snowplows, roads have to be repainted after the thaw.

Thanks to the technique of applying the marking product in an inlay (groove), it is protected from snow removal operations and vehicle traffic, thereby increasing its long-term durability. However, this technique is used only when the average annual daily traffic (AADT) is greater than 50,000 vehicles/day.

5. MTMD has developed a pavement preservation response planning strategy designed to maximize the long-term benefits of its investments. The challenge is to invest in the right road, at the right time, with the right technique through optimal response planning and to avoid the “worst first” reflex.

6. To determine which type of pavement (asphalt or concrete) represents the best long-term investment, MTMD relies on the ministerial guideline for choosing pavement types. The best long-term investment is based on economic, social, and environmental analyses. Certain criteria such as cost trends affecting the return on investment, traffic conditions, improved knowledge or expertise, or consideration of the effect of pavement types on the environment are therefore all taken into account in the final choice.

7. The recycling and reuse of road surfacing materials is a subject of great interest to MTMD. There is no doubt that recycling these materials has many environmental and financial benefits. However, in a context of sustainable development, this practice must not be at the expense of the quality and durability of new road surfaces. Provisions are already included in MTMD’s contract documents to allow the use of these materials in the manufacture of hot mix asphalt, in cold-in-place recycling and in-place asphalt recycling techniques, and as granular materials.

8. Over the 2024–2026 period , $1.5 billion will be invested in projects aimed at ensuring that roadways remain in good condition. MTMD is basing its response planning on modern principles of sound road asset management. It is based on five complementary components:

  • Immediately initiate work on pavements whose condition could compromise safety.

  • Carry out preventive work aimed at preserving pavements in good condition and extending their useful life through cost-effective interventions.

  • Carry out minor rehabilitation work with a high benefit-cost ratio, depending on the remaining life of pavements.

  • Carry out major rehabilitation work with a high benefit-cost ratio, depending on the remaining life of pavements.

  • Limit work that responds to other considerations and imponderables through interventions that do not fit into the other components.

Most of MTMD’s road infrastructure was built in the 1960s and 1970s. For many years, regardless of the administration in place, Quebec has experienced a deficit in investment and maintenance of its network.