Find contact information for contractors responsible for clearing Ontario highways in the winter and specialized materials, equipment and technology used.
Drive safely this winter
- Check out Ontario 511, a pre-trip planning tool that lets drivers know about events that may impact their travel on provincial highways. It can be used to view road conditions on 549 highway cameras or as reported by our field staff, forecasted driving conditions which display how weather may impact driving, or weather forecasts and radar from Environment Canada.
- Ontario 511 also offers Track My Plow which allows you to plan ahead and see where along your route you might come across a snowplow or salt truck, and which part of your route has already been cleared.
- Register with Ontario 511 and create route notifications to receive texts or emails about traffic events and slowdowns along your regular routes.
- Check weather and road conditions, register for updates about road closures, and Track My Plow to track the progress of snowplows and winter maintenance vehicles at Ontario.ca/511.
- Find general information on how to get ready for winter safe driving including winter tires, driving in winter weather and tips for commercial drivers.
- Get general winter safe driving shareable resources.
Contractors responsible for clearing Ontario highways in the winter
The Ministry of Transportation has 24 contracts in place to provide winter maintenance services.
Southern Ontario Maintenance Contractors
Southern Ontario Maintenance Contract Areas Map - (PDF - 2.22 MB)
| Contract Area | Contractor Name | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Bancroft | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-877-979-0998 |
| Carleton Place | Ministry of Transportation | 1-888-362-1770 |
| Chatham | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-866-259-8932 |
| Durham | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-877-513-4667 |
| Hamilton | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-877-513-4667 |
| Huntsville | Fowler Construction Company Ltd. | 1-866-527-8216 |
| Kingston East | C-Highway Maintenance Contracting Inc. | 1-866-685-2770 |
| Kingston West | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-877-979-0998 |
| London | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-855-557-8478 |
| Niagara | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-877-513-4667 |
| Ottawa | Ferrovial Services | 1-888-554-5344 |
| Owen Sound | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-888-222-2640 |
| Peel/Halton East | Ferrovial Services | 1-833-222-0023 |
| Peel/Halton West | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-877-905-7770 |
| Simcoe | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-866-618-0825 |
| Toronto | Ministry of Transportation | 1-888-444-0456 |
| York | Ferrovial Services | 1-833-222-0024 |
| Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway | Windsor Essex Mobility Group (WEMG) | 1-844-570-9999 |
| Express Toll Route 407 | 407 ETR | 1-888-407-0407 |
| Hwy 407 East Extension, Hwy 412 | 407 East Development Group (407 EDG) | 1-855-463-3109 |
Northern Ontario Maintenance Contractors
Northern Ontario Maintenance Contract Areas Map - (PDF - 620 KB)
| Contract Area | Contractor Name | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Kenora | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-844-362-6615 |
| New Liskeard/Cochrane | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-877-236-4667 |
| North Bay | Ferrovial Services | 1-866-840-2232 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | Ferrovial Services | 1-855-250-7575 |
| Sudbury | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-844-362-6615 |
| Thunder Bay East | Emcon Services Inc. | 1-888-636-8704 |
| Thunder Bay West | Integrated Maintenance and Operations Services (IMOS) | 1-855-680-0861 |
How Ontario highways are cleared in winter
When a winter storm starts, winter maintenance vehicles are active on the roads 24/7 until bare pavement is reached.
Salt spreading begins within 30 minutes after a storm starts, helping to melt snow and ice and preventing it from sticking to the highway. Salting also makes plowing more effective.
Meeting our bare pavement standard for highways
After a storm, the target timeframe to restore bare pavement varies depending on winter traffic, volume and highway type. Some highways with low traffic remain snow packed for most of the winter. The Ministry of Transportation’s goal is to achieve the bare pavement standard 90 per cent of the time, across the province each winter.
Bare pavement standard target by highway class:
Highway class |
Examples |
Southern Ontario (vehicles per day) |
Northern Ontario (vehicles per day) |
Bare Pavement Standard |
Freeway/Urban Highway (Class 1) |
Highway 401 Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) Highway 11 four-lane sections |
More than 10,000 | More than 10,000 | Bare pavement within eight hours of the end of a winter storm. |
Major Highway (Class 2) |
Highway 17, Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario |
2,001-10,000 | 1,501-10,000 | Bare pavement within 16 hours of the end of a winter storm. |
Intermediate Highway (Class 3) |
Highway 35 |
1,001-2,000 | 801-1,500 | Bare pavement within 24 hours of the end of a winter storm. |
Minor Highway (Class 4) |
Highway 516 |
501-1,000 | 401-800 | Centre bare pavement within 24 hours of the end of a winter storm; fully bare pavement when conditions permit. (Centre bare means a 2.5m strip in the middle of the road.) |
Local Highway (Class 5) |
Highways 502 |
Fewer than 500 | Fewer than 400 | Snow packed driving surface within 24 hours of the end of a winter storm. Excess snow is plowed off and sand is applied where required to improve friction. |
Materials and equipment used for clearing Ontario highways in winter
There's no "one size fits all" response to winter storms. The winter maintenance equipment and materials used depends on weather conditions (temperature, precipitation type, duration and intensity, cloudiness, humidity, wind), highway conditions and traffic levels.
That's why maintenance crews continually monitor weather and highway conditions. They patrol the highways and use advanced systems for predicting and monitoring weather and highway conditions so they can prepare the right equipment and materials before a storm, adjust their activities as conditions change.
Materials
Sand
Sand is used to provide traction on slippery surfaces, especially when it is too cold for salt to be effective. It may be used at higher temperatures if traction is needed immediately, particularly on hills, curves, bridges and intersections, and on snow-packed highways.
Both are spread on the highway using a truck that carries the material in a hopper. On two-lane highways salt is directed through a chute and generally placed in a narrow strip along the centre of the highway. On multi-lane highways, spinners are used to spread salt across one or more lanes at a time.
Salt
Salt is less effective at temperatures below -12° C, especially if there is no sunlight, which means bare pavement can be difficult to achieve in extremely low temperatures.
Anti-icing liquid
Anti-icing liquid can be sprayed on a highway before a storm to prevent snow and ice from forming and sticking to the highway. It can be placed along a section of highway or at specific locations prone to icing, such as bridge decks. Anti-icing liquid is only applied at specific temperatures and weather conditions.
Pre-wetted salt
Pre-wetted salt is regular road salt with anti-icing liquid applied before it is spread on the highway.
This helps the salt stick to the highway surface and helps melt ice and snow more quickly to reduce the total amount of salt needed.
Equipment
Plows
A standard snowplow truck has a blade mounted on the front and may also have a side blade or "wing". A combination truck has a spreader mounted on a standard snowplow truck and is capable of both plowing and spreading. A tow-plow is a regular plow blade mounted on a trailer and pulled by a combination truck. The trailer is moved over to the right to clear the next lane.
Technology
Road Weather Information Systems (RWS)
RWIS meteorological sensors and video camera collect and relay data to patrol rooms.
Liquid spray system
A liquid anti-icing spray system has a 5670 litre tank. With separate nozzle controls, up to 3 lanes at a time can be sprayed with a liquid anti-icing agent.
