The Auditor General of Québec issues the conclusions of her audit concerning the inspection of structures in the road network and the planning of their maintenance - Press Release no. 4

QUÉBEC, Nov. 27, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc makes public the report entitled Value-for-Money Audit (Fall 2015). In the chapter 5, she makes known the results from her work at the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ).

The data pertaining to work performed on each structure are still scattered. Despite the considerable progress made by the Department since 2007, it is not possible to quickly nor easily access all of the information it has.

The MTQ does not assess whether its intervention strategies for structures are effective neither does it determine the impact that allocated budgets will have on their condition.

Even though the Department has the information for each project, it does not monitor the completion rate of all scheduled projects nor does it assess the degree to which schedules and costs are complied with.

Preventive maintenance is limited. The MTQ has not developed a systematic plan for the preventive maintenance of structures that are in good condition, and its activities in that regard have decreased.

Although the condition of structures in the municipal network has improved since 2007, the MTQ's intervention strategies have not made it possible for it to reach the condition level of those in the primary road network. In 2014, 51.7% of municipal structures were in good condition, compared to 72.6% of structures in the other network.

The actions implemented by the Department to guide its inspection activities have led to significant improvements. In 2008, a new inspection program was put in place. Duly certified inspectors inspect all structures and report the results in a timely manner.

More than 10 years after the launch of the improvement approach for road project management, it is implemented inconsistently from one territorial directorate to the next. This results in a considerable lack of efficiency in the planning of interventions on structures.

The MTQ is significantly behind schedule with regard to the targets established for activities performed by internal resources. This situation creates, notably, a bottleneck in project preparation, making it difficult to schedule the work and complete it on time, due to the lack of projects ready for completion.

The Highlights are available at www.vgq.qc.ca. The full report is available only in French.

Source:

Lucie Roy, Director Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques Auditor General of Québec Tel.: [phone]

SOURCE Vérificateur Général du Québec

Source: Lucie Roy, Director, Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques, Auditor General of Québec, Tel.: [phone]