The Ministère des Transports takes care of the maintenance of almost 2000 km of road along the coast, mainly 138 and 389. While Environment Canada announces the first broadside on Saturday, Transports Québec says it is ready to respond to any eventuality to ensure the safety of users .
The communications adviser for the Quebec Ministry of Transport, formerly Septilien Jean-Philippe Langlais, explains that 90% of winter maintenance work is done on contract by contractors or municipalities. All these contracts are valid from October 2nd to May 4th with the possibility of extension if necessary.
The government uses 170,000 tons of sand and stone abrasives as well as 30,000 tons of deicing salt on average each winter on the North Shore. The Québec 511 website and app are valuable tools for planning trips on the network. They provide continuous information about road conditions. The roads in the North Shore are evaluated daily, specifies the spokesman for Transports Quebec.
Jean-Philippe Langlois recalls that the department has installed windbreaks made of wooden pallets to prevent blowing snow between Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier. It has reviewed its practices for road closures during storms, again for safety precautions.
Environment Canada today issued a special weather report for Sept-Rivières, Minganie and the Lower North Shore. He predicts a low on Saturday that will bring significant amounts of snow, strong winds, blowing snow and even freezing rain.
