“I want to reassure people: the Pierre-Laporte bridge is here to last. […] We are correct with the Pierre-Laporte bridge for the coming decades. »
Published at 1:50 a.m.
Updated at 6:00 a.m.
Who reassures Quebecers that there is no need to build a new Quebec-Lévis bridge for freight trucks?
Incredible, but true, it’s Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
The minister made these statements in April 2023, when the government decided to abandon the 3e motorway link.
Quebec (again) changed its mind on this issue last week, announcing its intention to build a 3e Quebec-Lévis link. The government recognizes that traffic does not justify the project. However, he puts forward a new reason: “economic security”.
Currently, only the Pierre-Laporte bridge allows the passage of goods trucks between the two banks east of Trois-Rivières. Quebec considers that a new link is needed allowing the passage of these trucks in the name of “economic security” of eastern Quebec, if something happens to the Pierre-Laporte bridge, which will be 54 years old this fall.
Bridges are typically built to last between 75 and 100 years1. The Quebec Bridge is 104 years old and is still good for decades.
So, is it a good idea to spend billions on a new bridge in the name of “economic security”?
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Minister Geneviève Guilbault, at the time of the announcement of the abandonment of 3e link, in April 2023
See what Minister Guilbault had to say about the safety and lifespan of bridges in Quebec in April 2023, when explaining the abandonment of the 3e motorway link:
At the moment, we are putting a lot of money into maintaining the Pierre-Laporte bridge. […] We have a very rigorous inspection and maintenance system […] and we will be able to maintain it for a few more decades.
Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of Transport, in April 2023
“At the same time, one day, we will probably no longer be here, you and I, but one day, this bridge will no longer work, that’s true. One day, we will have to make a new replacement link, at least, for the Pierre-Laporte bridge. »
Asked about the transport of goods on the Pierre-Laporte bridge, the minister replied: “At the moment, we are correct with the Pierre-Laporte bridge for the coming decades. We are renovating the Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel for another 40, 50 years. With today’s technology and means, you are able to increase the lifespan of bridges, without them becoming eternal. »
That day, she also said: “In any case, heavy vehicles were already ruled out for the future motorway tunnel. There were significant security issues, very significant costs. So, there wouldn’t have been any trucks anyway. »
A year later, the Legault government reversed course and announced that it would build a 3e link.
Here is what the government leaders said last Thursday:
Prime Minister François Legault: “CDPQ Infra tells us that there is not sufficient traffic or time savings. But the report [de CDPQ Infra] reminds us that the Pierre-Laporte bridge is the only highway link east of Trois-Rivières that can accept truck loads. Remember that there are 10,500 trucks per day that pass over the Pierre-Laporte bridge. We also remember that the Pierre-Laporte bridge was built 54 years ago. And therefore, there is an economic risk. […] Several groups and citizens also mentioned this risk. »
Contrary to what Mr. Legault says, CDPQ Infra does not conclude that there is an economic risk, but indicates that groups in Quebec have mentioned to him their “concern” that any reduction in capacity on the Pierre-Laporte bridge would have negative consequences. impacts on the “economic vitality” of regions.
CDPQ Infra has not studied this issue, which goes beyond its mandate. And specifies that among the concerned groups, some suggest building new infrastructure, others, “securing and optimizing existing infrastructure”.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Press conference by the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, and Prime Minister François Legault following the CDPQ Infra report on mobility in Quebec
Minister Geneviève Guilbault: “There is a question of economic and commercial security. […] There is no other solution than the Laviolette bridge if the Pierre-Laporte bridge were to possibly close for a long time, which is not impossible. We don’t want it, it’s not supposed to happen because we have a plan […] very scrupulous maintenance, but if that ever happened, it would be hellish and catastrophic. »
The minister also recalls that we are currently “living” the “sagas” of the La Fontaine tunnel, the Île-aux-Tourtes bridges and the Île d’Orléans.
Changing your mind, in itself, is not a fault. But anyone who repeatedly flip-flops undermines his credibility.
So what happened between 2023 and 2024?
Has there been any evidence that the condition of the bridges in Quebec is deteriorating more quickly? No.
Has the lifespan of bridges in Quebec suddenly decreased? No.
On the other hand, between April 2023 and June 2024, the CAQ fell from around 40% to 24% in voting intentions. The majority of its deputies in the Quebec-Lévis region would lose their seats if elections took place tomorrow. And the 3e link is popular with many voters in this region.
The “economic security” of 3e link is a bogus argument, which Geneviève Guilbault herself demolished in April 2023.
Spending billions on a new bridge in the name of “economic security” when the two bridges in Quebec meet current needs is the equivalent of throwing our public funds in the trash.
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