Bitume Québec urges the Que. government and its Minister of Finance to improve road investments
by CM Staff
For Bitume Québec president Tytus Zurawski, it is important for government authorities to show foresight and, in the process, invest more to halt the wear and premature deterioration of pavements.
Bitume Québec president Tytus Zurawski and vice-president Serge Lefebvre have revised the recent report by the Auditor General of Québec (AGQ) on the state of Quebec’s road network, which indicates that, at the current rate of progress, it will take at least 25 years to rehabilitate the 8,075 kilometers of pavement that have reached the end of their useful life, out of a total of 32,000. (CNW Group/Bitume Québec)
MONTREAL — Bitume Québec called on the Quebec government and Minister of Finance, Éric Girard, to show vision and boldness in future road investments, given the recent Report of the Auditor General of Quebec (VGQ). This report, according to the Auditor General, can have repercussions on the general condition of pavements and the sustainability of the upper road network, recognizing that pavements are vulnerable to climate change and that 50% of this network is in poor condition.
For Bitume Québec president Tytus Zurawski, it is important for government authorities to show foresight and, in the process, invest more to halt the wear and premature deterioration of pavements whose health index is still under downward pressure.
Despite the substantial sums devoted to pavement conservation, “these investments are less than the increase in the deterioration of road conditions”, notes the VGQ report. For Bitume Québec, the situation could become even more dramatic if the current level of investment remains unchanged: the road network’s asset maintenance deficit will increase significantly, and future generations risk having to bear the cost of interventions that could also result in a considerable increase in the cost of work to restore the condition of Quebec’s roads. Bitume Québec deeply deplores the fact that this pavement asset maintenance deficit (AMD) has risen dangerously, from $7 billion to $10 billion ($10B) from 2018 to 2022, widening the deterioration gap ever wider. 8,000 kilometers of pavement have already reached the end of their service life, which has increased by 8.9% out of a total of 31,000 km for the entire network.”
Mr. Zurawski concluded by saying he hopes the Legault government would realize that our national road network is the backbone of Quebec’s economy and regional growth.
