The company hired to clear snow on Highway 13 last winter did not use all of its available snowplows during the day and evening leading up to the massive pileup that left hundreds of people stranded for more than a dozen hours on March 14 into 15, so says a report released by Quebec's Transport Ministry.
In its third report quietly released over the summer, the Ministry said its contract with Roxboro Excavation states there should be no fewer than six snowplows on the road during a snow filled winter's day. On March 14, the Ministry said the private contractor only used three plows during the day and five during the evening.
Traffic was brought to a halt at about 7:00 P.M. The report states the sixth snowplow was not dispatched until 2:00 A.M.
The Ministry does not outright blame Roxboro Excavation, or state the company should have used more plows. The report only states the contract conditions were not met by the contractor.
Investigators noted it is impossible to know if the traffic jam would have been avoided had all snowplows been on the road, noting the additional trucks could have been caught in the historic amount of snow, much like the first of the plows to arrive at the scene.
A class action lawsuit against the Sûreté du Québec, Quebec's Transport and Public Safety Ministries and the City of Montreal is expected to have its first hearing later this month.