Bad roads cost Canadians $3 billion annually

[Summitric]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]March 30, 2021 by Christine Hogg[FONT=&quot][/FONT][h=1]Bad roads cost Canadians $3 billion annually, report says[/h][FONT=&quot]Canadians are paying $3 billion every year in higher vehicle operating costs due to poor road infrastructure, says a new study by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Canada’s roads are vital for commuters, business and connecting communities,” says Ian Jack, vice-president of public affairs, CAA National. “This study shows for the first time the hidden cost to drivers of below-average roads. And it demonstrates that governments would save money in the long run if they brought roads up to – not perfection – but a good standard. That should be attainable.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This study is the first in Canada to show the cost to vehicle owners of poor roads, rather than focusing on how much it costs to build or repair them. CAA’s analysis revealed the average Canadian driver incurs an extra $126 in costs annually due to the poor quality of roads – a total of $3 billion for drivers collectively. That cost comes in the form of more vehicle repairs, higher maintenance and other operating expenses.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“A vehicle is the second-largest expense for the average household,” states Jack. “And when Canadians are paying higher vehicle operating costs due to poor roads, that is money they no longer have to spend on everyday wants and needs.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The study uses self-reported data from provincial and municipal agencies, who indicated that close to half (43 per cent) of Canadian roads are rated below average. Using the most recent data available from Statistics Canada, the study calculates how much more drivers pay in maintenance and other costs when they drive on poor roads as compared to good roads. Good doesn’t mean brand new, just consistently well-maintained.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Repairing roads before they are allowed to deteriorate is a win-win proposition: it saves governments money and it saves drivers money,” says Jack. “The study finds that spending one dollar on pavement preservation eliminates or delays spending $6–$10 on costly repairs later.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The analysis in this report corresponds to a typical or “normal” year using the most recently available data. The report assumes a steady use of roads and kilometres driven by Canadians, as opposed to the unusual drop in traffic volumes that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.[/FONT]

 

[scotts]

I've been delivering a few Bulls the last couple weeks and am just speechless on how bad a lot of the roads around Alberta actually are, roads like 881 north of St Paul or most secondary Highways actually, are completely Destroyed!

 

[maxwell]

I've been delivering a few Bulls the last couple weeks and am just speechless on how bad a lot of the roads around Alberta actually are, roads like 881 north of St Paul or most secondary Highways actually, are completely Destroyed!

yea.....there is some BAD ones. Hwy 16 West is destroyed. A lot of secondary highways have gravel showing. they have been completely let go. What i cant figure out for the life of me is Kenny keeps spending on infrastructure. There are numerous highways slotted to be twinned or expanded this year. and don't get me wrong that's great and much needed but if we cant maintain our current inventory should we really be spending on new stuff?

 

[lilduke]

Fox shocks are awesome. Just sayin...

 

[06 Dragon]

Exactly let’s get some folks to work and repair our roads. But, let me think hmmmmm SNC Lavelin or WE probably don’t have road building or repair equipment.

 

[ferniesnow]

Exactly let’s get some folks to work and repair our roads. But, let me think hmmmmm SNC Lavelin or WE probably don’t have road building or repair equipment.

I had a chuckle going to work today on the TCH. There are a couple spots between Salmon Arm and Sicamous, that they only laid new pavement on one side of the road. One section has the west bound lane with new pavement on it and the east bound lane is still rough. The next section has the east bound land with new pavement and the west bound lane is still rough. The section of the road is in need of repair and instead of doing it right, they only did half the job. I have never seen that done before. For our major across Canada highway with the traffic it handles, I don't understand why it is in such bad shape.

 

[Caper11]

That should be reworded to, “bad road contractors cost Canadians 3 billion annually”.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Theres a stretch of road by Gibbons that would make a motocross track seem smooth in comparison...... its to the point now in a lot of spots there not Even bumps anymore, there jumps. Its F’in ridiculous considering how much money I unwillingly donate to our joke of a government. We joke about how when buying a used vehicle it used to be a selling point that it had “mostly hiway miles”. Now its a strike if it has high hi way kilometres. Lol. Oh, dont want that POS, its been pounded down the hiway all its life. Lmao! No joke though, the oilfield roads around here are in better condition than half our main hiways.

 

[Cdnfireman]

I had a chuckle going to work today on the TCH. There are a couple spots between Salmon Arm and Sicamous, that they only laid new pavement on one side of the road. One section has the west bound lane with new pavement on it and the east bound lane is still rough. The next section has the east bound land with new pavement and the west bound lane is still rough. The section of the road is in need of repair and instead of doing it right, they only did half the job. I have never seen that done before. For our major across Canada highway with the traffic it handles, I don't understand why it is in such bad shape.

The trans Canada through BC is a national disgrace. You’d think after 60 years they’d have a decent road but no.....

 

[E-Zmoke]

I had a chuckle going to work today on the TCH. There are a couple spots between Salmon Arm and Sicamous, that they only laid new pavement on one side of the road. One section has the west bound lane with new pavement on it and the east bound lane is still rough. The next section has the east bound land with new pavement and the west bound lane is still rough. The section of the road is in need of repair and instead of doing it right, they only did half the job. I have never seen that done before. For our major across Canada highway with the traffic it handles, I don't understand why it is in such bad shape.

That section was funded/fixed by aim roads who contracted the left lane out and attempted to fix the potholes themselves on the other side. It was a temporary fix until the ministry could put out a bid tender for a permanent fix. Aim roads holds the maintenance contract for that section of highway and was required to do something as It was in desperate need of being fixed. They did not have the funds to mill/grind the whole section up and pave it properly so they only paid us to do the one side. It was a joke...however the ministry just posted a bid tender for 117kms of repairs around salmon arm area.

 

[E-Zmoke]

That should be reworded to, “bad road contractors cost Canadians 3 billion annually”.

It’s not so much the contractors, we are bound to only do what the contract entitles us to fix. If the ministry of transportation pays the contractors to only grind up the top 25mm out and put back 25mm of top lift your going to get a **** job that will get pounded out faster then it took to do the work. If they fund us to mill out 150mm down to the base and we do the job right and put back in 3 separate lifts and 6” of top-lift back on top then your going to get a nice smooth road that will last years and years. The paving jobs are getting less and every year and the contracts are smaller and smaller and corners are being cut not by the contractors but by the government who wants to do it as cheap as possible. You pay for what you get...

 

[maxwell]

It’s not so much the contractors, we are bound to only do what the contract entitles us to fix. If the ministry of transportation pays the contractors to only grind up the top 25mm out and put back 25mm of top lift your going to get a **** job that will get pounded out faster then it took to do the work. If they fund us to mill out 150mm down to the base and we do the job right and put back in 3 separate lifts and 6” of top-lift back on top then your going to get a nice smooth road that will last years and years. The paving jobs are getting less and every year and the contracts are smaller and smaller and corners are being cut not by the contractors but by the government who wants to do it as cheap as possible. You pay for what you get...

Agreed, seeing the same here in Alberta. Now I’m curious if you did the 25mm grind more frequently(maintenance) I’m sure the product would be a lot better than letting the road degrade right down to the base and then patch it lol

 

[E-Zmoke]

Agreed, seeing the same here in Alberta. Now I’m curious if you did the 25mm grind more frequently(maintenance) I’m sure the product would be a lot better than letting the road degrade right down to the base and then patch it lol

No because most of the roads are completely ****ed underneath the 25mm and were never paved properly to begin with. Now a days we have fancy machines with electronics and can pave two lanes at the same time. Back in the day when these roads were originally paved they were all done old school by hand manual pavers that did not hold a grade. Cutting the top 25mm is a band aid. The roads need base work done. Bottom lift/level coursed proper base and a medium base for longevity and then final product is a smooth as glass top lift finish. Once this is done then yes grind up the top 25mm and repair the top section but then who pays for that? Repairs/maintenance is on the contractor who holds the maintenance contract. Ie: Argo/Aim and those contracts don’t facilitate for proper paving maintenance so then it falls back on the ministry of transportation to do major repairs and large scale paving projects

 

[E-Zmoke]

Agreed, seeing the same here in Alberta. Now I’m curious if you did the 25mm grind more frequently(maintenance) I’m sure the product would be a lot better than letting the road degrade right down to the base and then patch it lol

You should work for the government because that is the way they think and that is why our roads are as bad as they are lmfao

 

[E-Zmoke]

 

[E-Zmoke]

This is what 85 million in re surfacing gets you last year for 2020 then people complain and wonder why our roads suck so bad? 85 million in road repairs!??? C’MON This number needs to be more like 200 or 300 million per year and then some even at 500 million per year you would never even come close to actually maintaining the roads.

Highway 3 near Castlegar – sealcoating approximately 25 kilometres of Highway 3, Bombi Pass between the Ootischenia weigh scales and Beaver Creek bridge;

Highway 5 near Barriere - resurfacing approximately 16 kilometres of Highway 5 from McLure Ferry Road to Louis Creek Bridge;

Highway 97A and side roads near Salmon Arm – approximately 13 kilometres of resurfacing on Highway 97A from Enderby to Grindrod, along with portions of Mabel Lake Road, Trinity Valley Road and Springbend Road; and side roads

Creston – approximately 24 kilometres of side road resurfacing in the Lister area, as well as some of Highway 21, including patch paving for five kilometres near the Canada-U.S. border.

Highway 1, 93/95 near Radium Hot Springs and Golden (23 kilometres) – hot-in-place resurfacing from Windermere to Radium and in the Golden area;

Highway 3A near Nelson (20 kilometres) – resurfacing from Kootenay Lake Bridge to Taghum Bridge and side roads;

Highway 5 near Merritt (10 kilometres) – resurfacing from Great Bear Snowshed to Dry Gulch Bridge;

Highway 20 near Williams Lake (28 kilometres) – sealcoating from the Sheep Creek Brake Check to Hodgson Road;

Highway 95A near Cranbrook (18 kilometres) – resurfacing from Cranbrook to Marysville including some side roads;

Highway 97 near Quesnel (33 kilometres) – intermittent resurfacing between McLeese Lake and Dale Lake;

Highway 97 near Vernon (10 kilometres) – highway resurfacing from north of 43rd Avenue to College Way and along Old Kamloops Road; and

Highway 97C near Merritt (12 kilometres) – mill-and-fill resurfacing from the Highway 5A Junction (Aspen Grove) to Pothole Creek Bridge.

 

[fredw]

This is what 85 million in re surfacing gets you last year for 2020 then people complain and wonder why our roads suck so bad? 85 million in road repairs!??? C’MON This number needs to be more like 200 or 300 million per year and then some even at 500 million per year you would never even come close to actually maintaining the roads.

Highway 3 near Castlegar – sealcoating approximately 25 kilometres of Highway 3, Bombi Pass between the Ootischenia weigh scales and Beaver Creek bridge;

Highway 5 near Barriere - resurfacing approximately 16 kilometres of Highway 5 from McLure Ferry Road to Louis Creek Bridge;

Highway 97A and side roads near Salmon Arm – approximately 13 kilometres of resurfacing on Highway 97A from Enderby to Grindrod, along with portions of Mabel Lake Road, Trinity Valley Road and Springbend Road; and side roads

Creston – approximately 24 kilometres of side road resurfacing in the Lister area, as well as some of Highway 21, including patch paving for five kilometres near the Canada-U.S. border.

Highway 1, 93/95 near Radium Hot Springs and Golden (23 kilometres) – hot-in-place resurfacing from Windermere to Radium and in the Golden area;

Highway 3A near Nelson (20 kilometres) – resurfacing from Kootenay Lake Bridge to Taghum Bridge and side roads;

Highway 5 near Merritt (10 kilometres) – resurfacing from Great Bear Snowshed to Dry Gulch Bridge;

Highway 20 near Williams Lake (28 kilometres) – sealcoating from the Sheep Creek Brake Check to Hodgson Road;

Highway 95A near Cranbrook (18 kilometres) – resurfacing from Cranbrook to Marysville including some side roads;

Highway 97 near Quesnel (33 kilometres) – intermittent resurfacing between McLeese Lake and Dale Lake;

Highway 97 near Vernon (10 kilometres) – highway resurfacing from north of 43rd Avenue to College Way and along Old Kamloops Road; and

Highway 97C near Merritt (12 kilometres) – mill-and-fill resurfacing from the Highway 5A Junction (Aspen Grove) to Pothole Creek Bridge.

Very well said, should be 5
Times that budget..

 

[LennyR]

First things first, Stop giving contracts to contractors who have proven time and again they can’t build a road properly. Why some of the repeat road builders are ever given another contract baffles me . And I’ve heard the “ no one will bid on it “ argument before , and the main reason for that I believe is because “everyone” already knows who’s gonna get the job. Government nepotism or buddy system or favouritism , who knows , but next big job to fix the last screwed up 2 season old hiway , yup , same guys who built it a year and half ago !
Let’s shed some stupid red tape, union job site bull$hit, 5 office idiots who need to approve everything to feel important and let people who actually have proven they know what they’re doing , make things better .
I think in the real world , 85 million $ is a lot of money if you eliminate governmental idiocy .

 

[Cdnfireman]

Its the same in every industry.... if you want the job done properly, ask the guys that do it for a living how to do it so that it lasts. the engineer in the office has only the book knowledge, not the real world skills....

 

[Caper11]

It’s not so much the contractors, we are bound to only do what the contract entitles us to fix. If the ministry of transportation pays the contractors to only grind up the top 25mm out and put back 25mm of top lift your going to get a **** job that will get pounded out faster then it took to do the work. If they fund us to mill out 150mm down to the base and we do the job right and put back in 3 separate lifts and 6” of top-lift back on top then your going to get a nice smooth road that will last years and years. The paving jobs are getting less and every year and the contracts are smaller and smaller and corners are being cut not by the contractors but by the government who wants to do it as cheap as possible. You pay for what you get...

No disrespect, I was actually referring to Albertas lack of road maintenance. I actually think BC roads are far superior. That new black top from a BC border on the TCH west of jasper is mint.
That was the first time I seen a setup like that, it milled and resurfaced at the sametime. Very efficient setup.