Ontario Provincial Standards for Roads and Public Works (OPS)
Notice to
users of the Ontario Provincial Standards:
The April 2007 updates for all four volumes of the Ontario Provincial Standards have been published electronically and are currently available on the MTO Library website. Online access to the current standards, archived standards, and publication Revision Information Sheets are available free of charge at the site.
The OPS specifications and drawings are available in hard-copy format from ServiceOntario Publications. Updates and OPS manuals are available for a cost-recovery fee.
The four OPS volumes of standards are available on CD in PDF format. The OPS drawings, published in Volumes 3 and 4, are available in AutoCAD format on a separate CD. These CDs are available from ServiceOntario Publications for a cost-recovery fee.
Organization
Ontario Provincial Standards for Roads and Public Works (OPS) is owned jointly by the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO) and the Municipal Engineers Association (MEA). Of equal importance is the involvement and support of many other organizations representing contractors, consulting engineers, manufacturers, and their associations.
Ontario Provincial Standards have been in use since 1984. Alliances between the noted organizations and the OPS Advisory Board have allowed OPS to evolve into an excellent model of roads and public works standards development that is now characterized by consistently well-built, cost-effective, safe, and dependable highways and roads in the province.
The mandate of the OPS organization is to develop and maintain consistent cost-effective methods to improve the administration of road building in Ontario by providing:
- a comprehensive set of standard specifications and drawings;
- source lists for products, services, and technical solutions;
- a standard master tender items list.
Under the general direction of the OPS Advisory Board, the OPS Products Management Committee (PMC) and the OPS Standards Management Committee (SMC) provide, maintain, and enhance these services for use by road and public works owners, contractors, and consultants in Ontario.
Development and revision of standards and the Ontario Infrastructure Business Code (OIBC) are the responsibility of the SMC. It oversees all aspects of the Ontario Provincial Standards and OIBC, including the activities of the OPS Specialty Committees.
The PMC oversees the evaluation, classification, and recording of information as related to products, services, and technical solutions for the organization. They review information for inclusion on The Road Authority (TRA), ministry's DSM*, and municipal product lists while proactively identifying the need for new and innovative products and processes.
The OPS Section of the Highway Design Office manages the development and production of standard drawings and construction and material specifications and contract tendering documents for road works. Additionally, the section has responsibility for the channelling of Ontario road products evaluation through external agencies and liaising with an external sources registry holder.
Related Link*
- Municipal Engineers Association (MEA):
Ontario Provincial Standards
for Roads and Public Works (OPS)
