The Parti Québécois on Wednesday ridiculed the comments of experts on “seismic risks” which should justify the construction of a third link in the National Capital. The Minister of Public Security, for his part, reassured the population about the safety of the Pierre-Laporte bridge.
“I think we are not on the San Andreas Fault, here in Quebec,” mocked PQ MP Joël Arseneau. “We are in the final corner of the arguments which would militate in favor of a third link. »
In an open letter published Monday in The sun, engineer Daniel Toutant and engineering professor at Polytechnique Bruno Massicotte propose a new third link scenario that combines a bridge and a tunnel. They brandish the argument of the vulnerability of the Pierre-Laporte bridge in the face of an earthquake and make the third link project a “public security” issue.
A version almost identical to the scenario they are proposing has already been studied – and discarded – by the Ministry of Transport in 2021. Of the four proposals studied at the time, this one obtained the worst score.
According to Mr. Arseneau, the argument on seismic risks is “marginal”. “What is the risk between a major earthquake in the Quebec region and an asteroid hitting the old capital? I would like to have figures on this to know if we really need to invest in the third link with billions of dollars,” he said. “I would prefer that we invest in the safety of the bridges and that we maintain it properly,” he added.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, for his part affirmed that “there is no risk in crossing the bridge”.
The minister responsible for Infrastructure, Jonatan Julien, did the same. “The feedback we have and have always had from the Ministry of Transport is that the Pierre-Laporte Bridge is safe. I trust the experts, they are the ones who have the expertise,” he attested.
More details will follow.