CAA-Quebec Awards | Boulevard de la Gappe in Gatino was crowned “Quebec’s Worst Road” in 2022.

Audrey Pilan Topkara
Press

Second and third place went to Du Vieux-Moulin in Saint-Isidore, Boulevard du Cure-Labelle (Route 117) in Chowder-Appalaches and Saint-Jerome in Laurentians (Route 117).

“What makes this year special with Boulevard de la Gappe in Gatino is that before we start our campaign The Worst roadsThere are denunciations in the media, “said Nicholas Ryan, CAA’s Quebec Director for Public Affairs. Press.

“Beyond road comfort, there is the question of road safety. A damaged road will inevitably become dangerous and even cause injuries or deaths, ”he stressed.

In early March, Gatino Meyer, France Belizele, posted on her Facebook page that the road condition in Boulevard de la Gappe was “lamentable”.

“Additional repairs have their limitations, but with Freeze-thaw, you have to be a little more patient. Ville de Gatineau is carrying out long-term repair work planned for the department to intervene as soon as possible. Security features have been temporarily added. In the meantime, be careful. ”

Mr. will be following up with municipalities on taxonomy, especially on the question of work and its progress. Ryan added.

The annual list is completed by Cook Road (Autouis) in Gatino, Saint-Brigitte Avenue (National Capital) in Saint-Brigitte-de-Laval, and Guardo Avenue in Saint-Agapit (Chowder-Appalaches), Avenue Saint-Sacrament (Capitale-National) in Quebec, Avenue Toniata (Chowder-Appalaches) in Lewis, Camin Saint-Foy in Quebec and Route 105 in Gatino.

For the seventh year, nearly 9,000 votes were received from motorists, truckers, cyclists and pedestrians from April 26 to May 26, 2022 as part of the campaign. Worst roads From CAA-Quebec.

The CAA-Quebec has also compiled a region-wise list of worst roads.

Highlight: No road in Montreal is part of this year’s ranking. According to the CAA-Quebec Director of Public Affairs, the cause can be traced to teleworking that was implemented during the epidemic.

“Since the epidemic, we have seen fewer people moving to downtown. The offices are a bit deserted, ”he explained. Fewer people are driving to the office, so there are inevitably fewer complaints about the condition of the roads in the metropolis.

In 2019, the Boulevard Goin Est in Montreal was named “Quebec’s Worst Road”.

Investments are required

Nicholas Ryan laments the lack of investment in road infrastructure in Quebec for the past 50 years. Another factor to consider in the equation is that a harsh Quebec winter accelerates pavement deterioration, thereby favoring the formation of potholes.

According to data from the Minister des Transports du Quebec (MTQ), investments in pavement care will reach approximately $ 740 million in 2019-2020.

Still, according to MTQ, investments in the maintenance of superior network structures across Quebec will exceed $ 823 million in 2019-2020. Over the period 2020-2022, $ 1.8 billion will be invested in construction management projects.

However, are the highways in Quebec worse than in other parts of Canada? A study^{Conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) published in March 2021 confirms yes.}

Quebec taxpayers pay nearly $ 1.4 billion each year due to poor road conditions. While Quebec motorists pay about $ 258 a year, Canadian motorists pay an average of $ 126 a year to compensate for the poor condition of the roads.

Guy Dore, a full-time professor in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Laval University, still believes there are realistic solutions to improve the condition of roads in Quebec. “It simply came to our notice then. You have to invest in the network and do the job well, ”he said Press.

The needs of the aging road network are enormous, but he acknowledges that current budgets are generally not enough to solve the problem. “You don’t just have to put in a lot of money, you also have to work better, so use the right techniques, the right materials and the right workers. It’s a total challenge, ”he summed up.