CAA-Quebec has released its annual worst-roads list, and these were the top 10, as voted by drivers: Nicolas Ryan, director of public affairs with CAA-Quebec, notes that over the last two or three years, there has been a push in the Outaouais region to put an emphasis on the state of the roads there. “We were surprised not seeing more votes this year in Montreal,” said Ryan, adding that CAA-Quebec started receiving reports as early as January about bad roads as the snow melted. “When we look at the data starting Jan. 1 to April 30, it’s actually +26 per cent of flat tire services for the Montreal Island only, so we do feel that was the epicentre of flat tires this year.” He underlines the fact that the worst roads list is citizen-voted and not an objective study. “There’s no one definition for what a worst road is,” Ryan explains. “Everyone knows potholes. Everyone knows how dangerous they can be, but through the years, we’ve asked people: if you feel a road is dangerous, if you feel the lighting is not good, the paint on the ground is not good, submit it to us.” He notes that the goal of the campaign is to push for better infrastructure and funding on the municipal and provincial levels. “We’re giving the citizens a voice in that debate. People who pay taxes feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth whenever they’re rolling on the roads across the province,” said Ryan. By the regions CAA-Quebec also released its regional worst roads lists, with these streets the most voted in Montreal: In the Montérégie, these roads made the list: In Laval, the worst roads were: Quebec’s Transport Ministry explains that the province’s road network comprises more than 31,000 km, including 6,000 km of highway and 9,000 km of road. “Quebec’s major road network consists of nearly 5,700 structures, whose average age is 41 years,” it said, adding that “from 2009 to 2022, the number of such structures in good condition increased from 61.8 per cent to 77.6 per cent.” The ministry notes that it invests an average of $10 million a year in pothole repairs, using 15,000 tonnes of asphalt to patch pavements. “Over the 2024–2026 period, $1.5 billion will be invested in projects aimed at ensuring that roadways remain in good condition,” it said, stating that most of the infrastructure was built in the 1960s and 1970s and “regardless of the administration in place, Quebec has experienced a deficit in investment and maintenance of its network.” The 2026 campaign - CAA-Quebec’s 11th edition - ran from March 18 to April 13. Check out the full list here.
