Quebecers are worried about the state of the province’s infrastructure and want to see a better maintenance plan put into place, according to a new Léger survey for the Quebec Order of Engineers (OIQ). In fact, the majority of those polled - 82 per cent - said they believe the “state of public infrastructure is a major issue for the upcoming Quebec election.” “Quebec is at a pivotal moment,” the OIQ insisted. “The situation calls for a profound and rapid change in our practices. It is not merely a matter of investing more, but of making better decisions, and planning and executing projects more efficiently.” In the last year, almost half (46 per cent) of Quebecers surveyed said they or someone they know have personally experienced consequences due to a lack of public infrastructure maintenance, whether it be related to a building, the 31,130 km of roads or 101,060 km of underground water infrastructure. Examples of this include personal injuries or vehicle damage due to poor sidewalk or road conditions, problems accessing a hospital, health care clinic or school because of closures, repairs or deteriorating facilities, and impacts related to water services. The proportion of those affected is higher among households with children (63 per cent). With the provincial election campaign around the corner, 71 per cent of Quebecers said they want the political parties to share how they plan to prioritize maintaining the existing infrastructure over the creation of new projects. ‘Serious’ shortcomings The OIQ pointed out that the Quebec Infrastructure Plan (PQI), which outlines infrastructure investments over 10 years, “has serious shortcomings, as does the related documentation.” The PQI, according to the Order, does not “provide an accurate picture of the investments that will need to be made over the 10-year period it covers.” It pointed to issues such as underestimated investments, inconsistent methodologies and municipalities that are not given enough power to assess and share the needs of their communities. “The public currently does not have access to a complete picture of the state of infrastructure,” the Order noted. “It must be made aware of the difficult choices that will need to be made.” It offered some strategies, including the creation of an independent bureau “to ensure that public organizations produce objective and transparent data” and shifting accountability “from a top-down approach to a retrospective audit of the proper use of public funds, based on performance indicators.” “Centralized decision-making can lead to poor project prioritization and lengthy, inefficient processes,” it argued. The Order said it also wants to see changes in how projects are awarded - “collaboratively” and with a focus on sustainability. “Awarding contracts to the lowest compliant bidder undermines the quality of interventions, innovation and cost control,” it stated. “Current regulatory constraints reduce an organization’s flexibility and limit experimentation with approaches tailored to the specific characteristics of each project.” The Léger survey, conducted on behalf of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), took place from Aug. 7 to 9, 2026. A total of 1,017 Quebec residents, aged 18 and older, completed the questionnaire in French or English. For reference, the maximum margin of error for a probabilistic sample of 1,017 respondents would be ±3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The Quebec election is slated for Oct. 5.
