The Government of Canada confirms an agreement to acquire the Quebec Bridge and will invest $40 million per year, for 25 years, to maintain the infrastructure.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, made the announcement on Wednesday in Quebec, notably accompanied by the federal Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, and the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand.
To do this, Ottawa entered into an agreement to acquire the bridge from the Canadian National Railway Company (CN). The government paid the symbolic sum of one dollar to buy the bridge, Minister Rodriguez said at a press conference.
At a press conference, Mr. Rodriguez acknowledged that the negotiations with the CN had been long and sometimes arduous. The Quebec Bridge issue has been an issue for several decades in the region.
According to the government, the amounts invested will extend the life of the bridge, which was built in 1917 and which has been a national historic site of Canada since 1995.
The maintenance work will be used in particular for painting and the aesthetics of the bridge.
According to the government, more than 33,000 vehicles, including cars and trains, pass every day on this bridge, which links Lévis to Quebec.
To watch on video