Here are a few photos from logging road 0212, between R-167 (the junction is located @ kilometre 85 of route 167) and Opitciwan
Atikamekw community.
The road is co-maintained by Ministère des Ressources naturelles and logging companies, as it gives access to an isolated community ― logging roads are usually maintained by the companies only. They go through impressive clearcuts, which are not visible from highways (can't see/can't hurt...). Warning signage found along these roads is rudimentary, although directionnal MGSs can be found at major intersections, pointing either towards Opitciwan or Saint-Félicien. Since the road is not subject to provincial standards, important warnings (keep left, announce your position, CB channel 9, etc.) are notified to drivers with white-on-blue text signs, as opposed to ideogrammatical signage usually found in the province. Speed limit is 60 km/h between km 0 and 104, then 70 km/h up to km 161. It drops to 50 km/h approaching the core of the community and then to 30 km/h in the village (i cannot find my "Maximum 30 Petokemari" bilingual sign photo).
Interesting tidbit : stop signs in Opitciwan are unilingual french, which is usually not the case in most Aboriginal communities in Québec where bilingual, nay trilingual signs are found.
If you plan on travelling logging roads in Québec, let me advise to always carry proper UHF radiocommunication equipment. Not announcing your position on logging roads, even at daytime, is putting your life in danger, with the risk of facing a truck unaware of your existence. There is little to no traffic on these roads and no wireless network nor emergency phone is available, so planning such communication equipment is a strict minimum.
Please excuse the poor quality of some shots. Vibrations due to road condition and rain made photography quite hard. I decided to share anyways, I think this is of some interest.
French-Atikamekw bilingual sign. Pronounce /o.bit.ˈtʃu.wɑn/ or /o.bɛd.ˈdʒi.wɑn/. Yeah, like this.
Junction 0212 and 0203 @ kilometre 4, near Abitibi-Bowater logging camp. Note the complete absence of shields, even though some Wikipedia articles make usage of
such a shield ― never saw that. Nonetheless, I saw some 2-digits provincial-route-alike green shields bearing numbers I can't match with any maps, past or present ; I know logging road numbering is quite changing, and are solely for adminstrative purpose, for the account of either the Ministère or logging companies. Do not expect to see
these.
Looking east @ kilometre 4.
Looking west @ approx. kilometre 34.
Nice descending curve. Looking west @ approx. kilometre 35.
One of eight 1-lane bridge along 0212. This one is located @ approx. kilometre 50, over unnamed river. Drivers are required to announce their position at least 1 kilometre before crossing bridges. The sign you see right-hand is standard for "Yield to Oncoming Traffic" in Québec.
Traces of human settlement. Junction 0212 and 1046 @ kilometre 92. From here in a 4-kilometre radius, 0212 dips into Hudson Bay watershed and Baie-James municipality. The remainder is located in unorganized territory or in city of La Tuque, on Saint-Laurent watershed.
Dirt road. Route 0212, approaching Ruisseau Mathieu @ approx. kilometre 147.
No limits. Route 1046 over Seskatciwan Sipi (Toussaint River), 6.5 kilometres north of Opitciwan.
Some rough backroad I enjoyed driving in traditional Atikamekw homeland.
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Topic: Quebec's Highways (Read 202583 times)