About 40% of highways, roads in rough shape: CIRC
The latest ‘report card’ on Canada’s roads is out, detailing just how bad our infrastructure deficit is in Canada.
The 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card, a joint project of 8 associations, was released this week. It compiles asset condition and longevity across 7 categories of infrastructure. It found in publicly owned (but non-municipal) assets, that 39% of roads and 38.7% of bridges/tunnels are in “very poor” to “fair” condition. Fair condition means the asset is deteriorating and requires attention.
The collector and arterial roads owned by governments other than municipalities are in worse shape than highways.
Similarly, 40% of municipal roads were in fair or worse condition; 30% of watermains and sewers were in fair or worse condition.
The overall ratings of infrastructure assets in both the roads and the bridges categories have deteriorated since the last report was issued in 2016.
The report card does not break out data by municipality or region.
The national overview is good to know, because Canadians need to make infrastructure investment a priority, MHCA President Chris Lorenc said.
“But what we need now – and what the MHCA is pursuing – is the view at the local level, because that’s where policy and advocacy can really make a difference,” Lorenc noted. “These infrastructure assets are critical to moving people to work and school, and getting products on the road to Canadian or global trade markets.”
To read the full report click here.
