Coalition No to third link Is indignant at the words of the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, who takes people “for suitcases” by “instrumentalizing” the obstacles to come in the 2030s on the Laporte bridge to justify the Quebec-Lévis tunnel project.
• Read also: Years of major hindrances to be expected on the Pierre-Laporte bridge
The various environmental groups that form this coalition – with the support of citizen organizations and some neighborhood councils – released a press release on Saturday, reacting to the remarks of the minister’s office this week.
The aging Pierre-Laporte Bridge will be subject to increased maintenance work over the next few years, culminating in the complete replacement of the bridge deck in 2037, a major project that will have a considerable impact on inter-river travel. .
A tunnel to relieve traffic
“This information confirms the importance of the Quebec-Lévis tunnel project to ensure the fluidity of traffic and the economic vitality of the greater Capitale-Nationale region,” said Minister Bonnardel’s office.
“The commissioning of the Québec-Lévis tunnel, scheduled for the early 2030s, will allow […] to reduce the repercussions of these major works by offering a new possibility to cross from one shore to the other,” added the MTQ.
“Telling us that the third link is going to be a solution for the work on the Pierre-Laporte bridge deck in 2037 is really taking people for granted and looking for every possible pretext to justify a project that does not is not. It’s like wanting to buy a new tank when the tires on yours need to be changed! replied Étienne Grandmont, from Accès transports viables, member of the coalition.
Build on the links already in place
The coalition asserts that “the maintenance and optimization of existing infrastructure must take precedence over the addition of new roads or motorways to avoid aggravating congestion by induced traffic”. The other infrastructures, such as the Québec-Lévis crossing and the Québec bridge, need love “as of today and not in 2030 or 2037”, insists Sarah V. Doyon, of Trajectoire Québec.
“It’s interesting to see that the government is planning asphalting work for 2037, while it is still not able to say how we will achieve our GHG reduction targets by 2030,” said added Marc-André Viau of Équiterre. We invite the government to prioritize the adaptation of existing infrastructures to the impact of climate change rather than engulf ten billion in a superfluous project. »
“Is there a way to improve mobility in a sustainable way between the two shores? Certainly, but by persisting in a motorway tunnel and excluding any study of alternative solutions, the government is preventing a real debate,” laments Charles Bonhomme, of the David Suzuki Foundation.