The CAQ will give the green light to the 3rd highway link

The Coalition Avenir Québec does not intend to abandon the third link project despite minimal mobility gains highlighted by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. According to our information, Prime Minister François Legault will announce Thursday that he will entrust the mandate to carry out the project to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

The argument of economic security, mentioned Tuesday by Minister Geneviève Guilbault, would be the main justification for moving forward with this project that the CAQ has been promising since 2018.

The corridor to the east, studied by CDPQ Infra in its report on mobility, would now be the one favored by the government for the construction of a new bridge. In this scenario, the infrastructure would be located somewhere between the tip of Île d’Orléans and the port of Quebec.

The mayor of Lévis “extremely disappointed” with the report

Earlier in the day, the mayor of Lévis had also invited the Legault government to respect its commitment to build a third road link, even if CDPQ Infra concludes that this would not have a significant impact on mobility. . Failing to adopt a firm position in favor of the project, the CAQ risks losing MPs, predicts Gilles Lehouillier.

While traveling outside the country, the mayor interrupted his vacation Wednesday afternoon to comment remotely on the content of the report CDPQ Infra on mobility in the greater Quebec region.

Unsurprisingly, the recommendations made by the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec did not resonate with him, particularly the one aimed at dedicating a possible third link to public transport.

Disappointment

Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed.affirmed Gilles Lehouillier from the outset, who however refuses to throw in the towel.

CDPQ Infra may have concluded that mobility gains alone cannot justify the construction of a new road link, the issue of economic security remains, argues Gilles Lehouillier.

A possible closure of the Pierre-Laporte bridge, the only link that allows inter-river transport of goods, would have disastrous consequences for the economy, maintains the mayor. He was also quick to point out that the mandate of CDPQ Infra does not include economic considerations.

Gilles Lehouillier seems to have been reassured to have seen the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, qualify asirresponsiblethe fact of having only one inter-river link allowing the transport of goods in Eastern Quebec.

Moment of truth

According to the mayor, the support of elected officials from the greater Quebec region for the third link project forced the minister to make such an exit, otherwise the unity of the CAQ delegation risked suffering.

I am convinced that the caucuses of the Chaudière-Appalaches and Capitale-Nationale regions are keen on the highway link and I think that the minister had no other choice but to make this declaration at the risk of even finding herself […] with resignationssaid Mr. Lehouillier.

This is the moment of truth. The government must finally indicate the path it intends to follow in relation to the motorway link.

Beyond the elected officials of his party, Prime Minister François Legault must take into account the support for the third road link within the population, believes the mayor. He maintains that two out of three citizens in the metropolitan community of Quebec are in favor of the project.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Greater Lévis (CCIGL) also welcomed with disappointment the conclusions of CDPQ Infra with regard to the third link.

The President and CEO of CCIGLMarie-Josée Morency, highlighted the resemblance between the link proposed by the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement and the latest version of the Québec-Lévis tunnel proposed by the CAQwhich, she recalls, has been strongly criticized.

We ask to be convinced that this is the best solution to improve public transport between the two shores. reacted Ms. Morency.

Backtracking

Reading the recommendations contained in the report, she has the impression that the government is preparing to return to square one.

We understand, following the submission of the report, that we have made no gains and that we have still lost a lot of time. This is very disappointing and very irritating. The aspect of citizen and economic security was put forward, but no route studied could be validateddeplores the businesswoman.

However, when we listen to the population, when we listen to our entrepreneurs, who live and understand the needs on the ground, this link remains a necessity.

The President and CEO nevertheless wanted to highlight the proposals of CDPQ Infra aimed at modernizing the public transportation network on the South Shore.

SRB on boulevard Guillaume-Couture and on route des Rivières is seen positively by the CCIGLbut the implementation remains in the hands of the competent authorities to ensure that it meets the needs and verifies the efficiency of the proposed routes”,”text”:”The provision of two new SRB lines on Boulevard Guillaume-Couture and on the Route des Rivières is seen positively by the CCIGL, but the implementation remains in the hands of the competent authorities to ensure that it meets the needs and verifies the efficiency of the proposed routes”}}”>The contribution of two new lines of SRB on boulevard Guillaume-Couture and on route des Rivières is seen positively by the CCIGLbut the implementation remains in the jurisdiction of the competent authorities to ensure that it meets the needs and verify the efficiency of the proposed routesshe qualified.

For its part, the Eastern Coalition reiterated its conviction that only a new road link to the east will resolve the mobility problem in the greater Quebec region.

The Coalition, which brings together around thirty municipalities located on both sides of the St. Lawrence River as well as several economic development organizations, invited the Legault government to examine seriously the options for an eastern link presented by CDPQ Below.

Long-term vision

A link to the east that would allow the transportation of goods would secure the supply chain for businesses throughout Eastern Quebec. We hope that the Quebec government will see the advantages of structuring mobility once and for all in a larger, longer-term regional perspective.declared in a press release the mayor of Saint-Vallier and director of Bellechasse Economic Development, Alain Vallières.

The mayor of Thetford Mines and president of the regional table of municipal elected officials of Chaudière-Appalaches, Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, for his part deplored that CDPQ Infra does not have not considered relevant to meet with your organization during its consultations on mobility.

We invited ourselves and it became clear that the people at the Caisse only focused on the metropolitan community of Quebec, as if nothing existed beyond this border. I hope the government will listen more and consider options in the eastindicated Mr. Brousseau.