“We just go back, we don’t improve”: the degradation of the roads accelerates in several regions of Quebec

The state of the roads deteriorates acceleratedly in several regions of Quebec, particularly in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Estrie and Chaudière-Appalaches, where there are the most roads in poor condition.

“It’s a disaster. Therefore, Year after year, we just go back, we don’t improve, ”says Sébastien d’Astous, mayor of Amos, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Its region made the headlines in the unveiling. Therefore, in 2023, of a report by the general auditor, stressing that her roads which fall under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) were the most dilapidated in the province.

However, the situation has seriously deteriorated since. Consequently, In 2022, the year on which the general auditor had been based, 65% of the roads were in poor condition. For example, In 2023, this proportion increased to 70%, according to the most recent MTMD data.

Among the regions where “we just go back, we the streets are the most damaged. For example, the Estrie won second place, ahead of boiler-appetizers, going from 60% to 63% of roads which are in poor condition. Furthermore, Boiler-Appalaches has hardly improved and it occupies third place with 62%.

Nids-de-Poule and holes on the 241 road near Bromont, in Estrie. This route is classified as “very bad condition” by the MTMD. Photo Martin Chevalier

On a Quebec level. the MTMD concludes a net “we just go back, we decline in the state of the roads in general. The province has 51% of roads in poor condition, 1% more than the previous year.

“Many nests-of-poule”

Among the worst roads in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, there is Route 101, which links Témiscaming to Rouyn-Noranda, Route 111, which links Amos and Val-d’Or, and “we just go back, we Route 113, which links Val-d’Or to Chibougamau.

According to the mayor of Astous. Quebecers who are tanned with dilapidated roads have not seen anything as long as they have not visited his region, where driving experience is often unpleasant.

“It’s convincing. It is a lot of nests-of-poule. ruts, there are sections so worn that they are difficult to be carrier, ”he describes.

The mayor of Amos, Sébastien d’Astous, in 2020. Archives photo. Émélie Rivard-Boudreau

According to him, the problem comes from both a lack of investments, but also from the “we just go back, we geological particularity of the sector.

“We also have a problem related to the clay belt here. We have a more problematic underground that makes it more difficult for the sustainability of asphaltage. ”

In a report he has just published. the Committee of Independent Experts of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility spoke about this gap between regions and flayed the Departmental General Directors (DGT) of the Ministry.

“Quebec taxpayers. network users should normally expect a relatively similar state from one region to another, which is not the case […] It seemed that some less efficient DGTs only managed in a hurry. did not really have a “match plan” to improve the situation. ”

Unattractive

Sébastien de Astous underlines that there are real economic consequences to leave the roads of a decrepir region. in particular by mining the capacity of workers and goods to move.

“There are also impacts “we just go back, we in terms of tourism. We try to enhance our region. bring people, but when they arrive and they realize that the streets are difficult to have, it is not interesting, ”he adds.