(Quebec) The leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) Éric Duhaime gathered the media Monday in Quebec to present his model of a third highway link between the two banks of the river, which would pass through Île d’Orléans.
Éric Duhaime made his announcement at the start of a week which promises to be busy in terms of transport in the capital, since CDPQ-Infra must unveil its report on mobility in Quebec.
“The third link was the question of the ballot box in the last elections in the National Capital,” insisted Mr. Duhaime.
His proposal? A new bridge between Île d’Orléans and the South Shore of Quebec, which would notably pass through the Prévost road to join the new island bridge towards the North Shore. Prévost Road, bordered by several residences and having two lanes, would therefore accommodate thousands of new cars per day and heavy trucks.
“We are not encroaching on the agricultural domain,” assured Mr. Duhaime, who noted that he will begin a tour to convince elected officials and the population. “I intend to go to Île d’Orléans. »
The bridge proposed by the PCQ, estimated at $2 billion, would have a capacity of 24,000 vehicles per day.
Duhaime’s conservatives, who failed to elect deputies in the October 2022 elections, came very close in the Quebec region, and particularly in Beauce.
Already, the PCQ called for building a highway that passes through Île d’Orléans. He clarified his project on Monday, which will tie into the island’s new bridge which is due to be inaugurated in 2028.
The Quebec government recently unveiled details of a new bridge intended to replace the one that currently connects the island to the mainland. It must cost 1.86 billion, which is disproportionate given the 7,000 inhabitants of Île d’Orléans, accuses Éric Duhaime.
Remember that the CAQ government announced in 2019 that it would favor a third link to the east. A year later, Quebec lined up behind a city center to city center scenario. Then in April 2023, like a thunderclap, the CAQ gave up on a new highway link between the banks, brandishing the absence of data to justify such a project estimated at $10 billion.
CDPQ-Infra should normally examine the need for this work in the study published this week.