Del Duca vows action on shoddy winter road maintenance

Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca said the government will take “swift action” to make improvements to Ontario's winter road maintenance after a damning report on the issue from Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk.

In a 43-page report released Wednesday, Lysyk said Ontario’s motorists have faced less safe winter highway conditions since 2009, when the Liberals changed the way they contracted out winter road maintenance in an attempt to save money.

Contracts were awarded primarily to the lowest bidders, Lysyk wrote, but in many cases, they did not have sufficient equipment to do the work.

“We are also taking swift action on the Auditor’s recommendations, with several to be in place by the start of next winter,” Del Duca said in a letter to the editor sent to NorthernLife.ca.

“As a ministry, we have a lot of work to do. But, so do our contractors. I will be meeting with them in person to determine how we can work together to improve this program and their performance.

“Further, I will provide an action plan within 60 days that outlines plans to further strengthen and improve winter maintenance to ensure that we are doing everything possible to provide Ontarians with safe highway conditions. I have also asked the Auditor General to provide a follow up review of the winter maintenance program at the end of the next winter season to review our progress.”

Del Duca said the province has added more than 100 pieces of equipment, strengthened oversight, enhanced plowing of truck-climbing and passing lanes, and freeway ramps and shoulders, and tendered an improved contract.

“Despite the improvements we have made – the additional equipment, additional oversight and organizational changes – the current system of winter highway maintenance needs to be better,” the letter said.