Ontario Provincial Standards Information

Ontario Provincial Standards for Roads and Public Works (OPS) is owned jointly by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Municipal Engineers Association. Of equal importance is the involvement and support of many other organizations representing contractors, consulting engineers, manufacturers, and their associations. OPS 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 construction standards development, now characterized by consistently well built, cost-effective, safe, and dependable highways and roads in the province. The Ontario Provincial Standards Unit, part of the ministry's Design and Contract Standards Office of the Provincial Highways Management Division, manages the development and production of construction drawings, construction and material specifications, and contract tendering documents for road works. Additionally, the unit has responsibility for channelling Ontario road products evaluation through external agencies and liaising with an external sources registry holder.