The third highway link between Quebec and Lévis will save motorists a meager five minutes, in addition to increasing congestion. An expert explains why adding a bridge will not solve traffic problems in the National Capital and its surroundings.
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“For motorists who use the existing bridges, the reduction in travel time from Lévis to Quebec would be on average five minutes,” concludes the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in its report on the third link project that the government by François Legault is committed to building.
These small gains could also quickly disappear, specifies the professor in the department of Geography at Laval University, Marie-Hélène Vandersmissen.
“This third link will end on a motorway infrastructure and they are already congested during rush hour. This is why the time savings will be almost zero. They estimated it at five minutes, but it could very well decrease to almost nothing over the years,” she says.
More roads, more congestion
The Caisse’s conclusions are consistent with what almost all mobility experts say: the more roads we add, the more people there will be to use them.
“It’s the same all over the world. When you add road lanes in urban areas, congestion returns to the infrastructure quite quickly, explains Mme Vandersmissen. This can also be seen on cycle paths. As soon as we add trails, the number of cyclists increases.”
This phenomenon, called induced traffic, has already been observed in Quebec, during the widening of the Henri-IV highway.
Photo Agence QMI, Guy Martel
By November 2023, just two years after the work was completed, the number of cars traveling north had increased by 6,300 per day compared to 2017. Traffic jams were also back.
More roads, more travel
A third link will also encourage motorists who currently avoid using bridges to escape traffic to change their habits, underlines Marie-Hélène Vandersmissen.
“We can think of people who telework, even if they don’t like it. To people who avoid rush hour by getting up at 5 a.m. to go to work. To the people who are holding back from moving to the other side,” she lists.
All these people could change their habits and travel by car more often and for longer.
Some public transport users could also be tempted to abandon it.
“People who take the bus even if they live in less well-served areas could see an opportunity to travel by car to be more comfortable,” indicates the specialist.
More roads, more sprawl
The establishment of new road links also contributes to urban sprawl, by promoting the development of residential areas and new businesses.
The construction of the Pierre-Laporte bridge in Quebec is a good example. After its inauguration, families settled in new residential developments on the South Shore, particularly in Saint-Nicolas, Charny and Saint-Jean-Chrysostome.
Archive photo
Result: automobile congestion has increased in these sectors.
“It’s not a car war”
Even if she questions the merits of adding a link between Quebec and Lévis, Marie-Hélène Vandersmissen assures that she is not indifferent to the fate of motorists who encounter traffic jams on a daily basis.
“It is certain that when we are stuck in traffic, intuitively, we imagine that an additional lane will solve the problem, but we will never get there that way,” she insists.
The expert also recognizes that there is a lack of efficient and comfortable public transportation options and that the car is sometimes the only way to get around.
“The car is super useful, but it may not be the best option for getting around during rush hour. It’s not a war on cars, it’s simply a question of finding alternatives and it’s up to the government to think about it,” she concludes.
