(Quebec) Thirty years after selling it to Canadian National (CN), the federal government finally reached an agreement with the railway company to take back the Quebec Bridge, one of the two road links that connect Lévis to the capital .
“After a lot of hard work, the Canadian government has indeed reached a historic agreement with CN for the purchase of the Quebec Bridge. Details will follow in the coming days, but this is excellent news for the people of Quebec,” confirmed Minister of Public Services and Supply Jean-Yves Duclos in a brief press release on Thursday.
98.5 broke the news on Thursday. However, the official announcement should take place in the coming days. The terms will then be known. One thing is certain, this agreement puts an end to decades of delay.
“A little long… Remove the “a little”,” the mayor of Quebec responded point-blank to a journalist who asked him if this file had been “a little long” to resolve.
Bruno Marchand now dreams that the repair of the bridge will begin as quickly as possible, and even that its lighting will be studied. “The (goal) is the renovations, it’s the lighting, it’s making it into something beautiful. If you pass by there later, you will see that it is solid there, but that its beauty leaves something to be desired. It’s time ! », Reacted Bruno Marchand.
The bridge built in 1917 is in very poor condition. The Quebec Journal revealed four years ago that repainting the bridge could cost 559 million. The bill has likely only increased since then.
Who will pay the bill? The question remains unresolved since the federal government transferred the work to CN in 1993. The company, Ottawa and Quebec could not agree on cost sharing.
The purchase of the work by the federal government could help resolve the impasse. Remember that this bridge is mixed use: trains and 30,000 vehicles pass through it per day on average.
Canada’s Transport Minister confirmed the agreement Thursday without elaborating. Pablo Rodriguez, however, indicated that it made it possible to “move forward with the repair of the Quebec bridge”.
The work is essential in the Quebec region, where debates on the need for a third link rage. The Pierre-Laporte Bridge, located next to the Quebec Bridge, is at full capacity and would not be able to accommodate vehicles using the neighboring bridge during peak hours in the event of a service outage.
The Bloc Québécois was delighted with the news. “It was high time for Ottawa to take action on this issue! The federal government must now renovate the Quebec Bridge, carry out the painting work and put our “first link” back on its feet,” declared Julie Vignola, MP for Beauport-Limoilou, in a press release, adding that “the infrastructure, a true historical jewel , must be transferred to the government of Quebec.
reference: www.lapresse.ca