Chapter V – Roads, sandpits and forest infrastructures
Division II – Roads
§1. General
Section 63
Where construction, improvement, repair, maintenance or closing work is carried out on a road or road segment, waste and other residual materials other than granular, organic or plant material must be collected and carried outside the forest to an appropriate site.
1
Objective
- To avoid contaminating the forest
Additional information
Examples of waste and residual materials include materials removed from bridges and culverts during road improvement, repair or closing work, and the tubes on which geotextile fabric is rolled.
Where improvement work is carried out on a road or road segment, the bridges, culverts, safety devices and road signs of the road must be modified if need be so as to comply with the characteristics of the new class of roads.
2
Objective
- To ensure the safety of forest road users
Additional information
When improvement work is carried out to widen a road, the bridges, culverts, safety devices and road signs must comply with the characteristics of the new road class. Thus, the roadway and the shoulders must also be widened at the level of the culvert, meaning that it may be required to replace the culvert by another one with a conduit of a sufficient length.
However, it is acceptable to maintain an existing conduit that is in good condition, that effectively ensures the free flow of water and that has a residual life of at least 5 years. Measures to ensure the safety of users, including the establishment and maintenance of adequate road signs, are required. The assessment of the need to replace the culvert is based on its condition at the time of the work. However, the person authorized to carry out road improvements must inform the management unit in charge 
(in French) that a conduit does not need to be replaced before proceeding with the work.
The following general criteria must be met:
- The maximum acceptable narrowing is based on the class of the road, the location of the crossing and site safety issues and approaches. The maximum narrowing is 25% of the width of the pavement and shoulders;
- Appropriate signs for the road type and site conditions must be in place and maintained;
- Other elements, such as improper end stabilization or scouring of watercourse, must however be corrected when the road is upgraded.
The following situations require a culvert to be replaced:
- Scouring or external runoff from conduit;
- Raising of one end of the culvert from the watercourse bed;
- Installation defects creating a specific problem (separation of collet(s), loss of material around the conduit, chimneys in embankment, etc.);
- Significant presence of cracks or abrasion;- Deformation greater than 10% of the diameter;
- Significant puncture or corrosion with anticipated puncture in less than 5 years.
It is recommended that arrangements be made with the management unit in charge before proceeding with the work to agree on whether or not a culvert should be replaced.
It is important to note that a culvert left in place in accordance with the above provisions shall, when the time will come for it to be replaced, be installed so as not to reduce the width of the road’s roadway surface and shoulders.
