Winter ecoroad

The following three criteria govern the implementation of this type of winter maintenance approach.

The safety of all road users is a priority in the implementation of any winter ecoroad. The following aspects are therefore taken into consideration to ensure that it is safe:

• Average daily winter traffic volume and vehicle types
• Overall route
• Type of traffic (local or through)
• Presence of sharp curves or steep slopes
• Posted speed limit
• Established level of service in winter
• Number of traffic lanes
• Number of intersections and their configuration
• Number of accesses
• Accident statistics

Before establishing a winter ecoroad, the municipality concerned is notified in advance. This allows us to share the reasons for establishing a new winter ecoroad, as well as all the relevant details to ensure a successful transition.

Would you like to adopt a winter ecoroad approach in your area? Contact the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable.

The main objective of a winter ecoroad is to reduce the environmental impact of road salts, particularly in vulnerable areas. These are areas where the use of road salts could cause serious or irreversible damage to the environment.

Drinking water source

Applying road salts near a source of drinking water (surface water or groundwater) can increase chloride concentrations and even make the water unusable. For a groundwater recharge area, the presence of road salts can greatly increase the chloride concentrations, to the point of presenting a risk of serious or irreversible damage to the environment.

Wetland (pond, marsh, swamp or bog)

In a wetland, the presence of road salts can greatly increase chloride concentrations, to the point of presenting a risk of serious or irreversible damage to the environment and affecting soil quality and vegetation composition.

Aquatic environment

The presence of road salts in water bodies could significantly increase chloride concentrations, to the point of presenting a risk of serious or irreversible damage to the environment. These water bodies include:

• small lakes of medium depth or characterized by a low-dilution capacity and a long residence time of the introduced substances
• waterways suffering from the cumulative effects of dense road networks
• areas where the introduction of road salts could harm fish or degrade fish habitat, including ditches and intermittent streams

Wildlife or plant habitat

The presence of road salts in these areas can play a role in degrading habitat that is considered essential to the survival or recovery of a plant or wildlife species that is listed as threatened or vulnerable.

Land of interest

Areas with native or agricultural vegetation sensitive to road salts or retained for special purposes (windbreaks, noise barriers, etc.).