(Quebec) The federal minister and deputy for the Capitale-Nationale region, Jean-Yves Duclos, remains cautious about the financing of the new version of the third link between Quebec and Lévis, about which we know very little so far.
While the Prime Minister, François Legault, said Wednesday that he did not see why the federal government would not finance 40% of the project, Mr. Duclos rather believes that things have to be done in the right order.
“We have to move forward in the right way. First of all, you have to know the route, the engineering conditions, the stations that there could be, the mode of transport, the costs, the schedule. You have to know all that to be able to send a request to the Canadian government, ”he said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Friday.
François Legault claimed twice this week that he had not seen the cost estimates for the project, although they exist.
In a document on the link project between the two shores dating from 2023, the costs of four scenarios were estimated. One of these scenarios is a tunnel dedicated to public transport (tramway or bus). However, these costs are redacted in the version that has been made public.
“It depends on the nature of these projects”
Jean-Yves Duclos recalls that his government has already responded to fund public transport projects.
“Since 2015, the Canadian government has always said very clearly — and we have demonstrated this with the investment for structuring transport in the Quebec City region — we are there for public transport projects. Now, which projects to finance? It depends on the nature of these projects,” he explains.
“Like everyone else, I want to know more,” he adds.
Last week, the federal minister said that the abandonment of the project for a third highway link between Quebec and Lévis was a “relief” for many.