The construction of a bridge over the Saguenay should also require digging tunnels to access the new infrastructure, which could increase the bill. But supporters of the creation of this road link hope that this aspect will not set back the government of Quebec, which should receive in 2024 the studies necessary to make a decision.
The bridge project aimed at connecting the North Shore to the Charlevoix region is still the subject of technical and economic studies whose conclusion, planned for 2023, was finally postponed until next year, the ministry specifies by email of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD).
These studies address in particular the problems of access to the bridge, according to what emerges from the email exchanges between the ministry employees involved in the matter and obtained by The duty under the Access to Information Act. These emails from recent months, which have been partly redacted, thus raise the question of the “routes” of the road to be built, but also a “report of the tunnels” which could well be necessary to access the future bridge.
It must be said that this new road link would probably be built in a mountainous region called “Cap de la Boule” and located upstream of Tadoussac, very close to the passage of Hydro-Québec electricity transmission lines. In this context, it is very possible that carrying out the project will involve digging one or more tunnels along the route of the new roads to be built to reach the bridge. These tunnels are extremely rare in Quebec, and there is currently only one on Route 138.
Future costs
In a written clarification in response to our questions, the MTMD confirms that it is analyzing this aspect as part of the studies commissioned by the Legault government to decide whether Quebec will move forward, or not, with the project.
“Given the topography of the area and the projected height of a bridge over the Saguenay River, the use of tunnels could prove necessary in order to optimize the road layout. These would be sections of tunnels that could be required for new roads that will lead to a possible bridge,” explains the ministry.
The MTMD adds that “it is currently too early to comment on the number of tunnels that may be necessary.” No cost estimate is therefore available at this time.
The most plausible crossing point for the future bridge, that of Cap de la Boule, has been the subject of various analyzes over the years. According to two scenarios studied at the request of the ministry, the aim was to build tunnels of 5.7 to 6.5 km. These would therefore be necessary on each bank of the Saguenay River.
In a study dating from 2015 and commissioned by the Société du pont sur le Saguenay, which is promoting the project, however, there is talk of a bridge approximately one kilometer long and a single tunnel measuring 600 meters.
Guillaume Tremblay, spokesperson for the Union 138 Coalition, which brings together stakeholders from Charlevoix and the North Shore, hopes that the current studies will provide a precise portrait of the situation, including the question of tunnels. access to the bridge. He also recognizes that this aspect could increase costs, but he hopes that this would not be a justification for abandoning the project.
According to him, there is no doubt that the road link project is technically possible, but also that it is necessary to ensure the long-term development of the North Shore. He emphasizes that the construction of this bridge would be beneficial for companies active in the exploitation and processing of resources, but also to facilitate the movement of tourists.
Mr. Tremblay adds that the removal of ferries shuttling between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac would reduce noise pollution in a significant area of critical habitat for the St. Lawrence beluga. These ships, he recalls, make approximately 40,000 crossings each year in this area located in the Saguenay-Saint-Laurent marine park.
Goodwill
Email exchanges between MTMD employees obtained by The duty also shows that the ministry carried out an evaluation last summer of “real crossing times” during a busy period, that is, between National Day and Labor Day.
“The actual time of a crossing is a problem repeatedly mentioned by certain stakeholders (Société du Pont and Coalition Union 138) during our meetings of the Project Liaison Committee. This is why we want to obtain a real portrait of the situation and be able to finally close the debate,” we read in an email dated May 2023.
In another email dated July 2023, we mention “around twenty days with high traffic” during the summer period. According to data from the Société des ferry du Québec, the number of crossings involving leaving vehicles at the dock is minimal. For the period 2021-2022, for example, vehicles were left at the dock during 678 of the 34,029 crossings.
The spokesperson for the Société du pont sur le Saguenay, Marc Gilbert, affirms, for his part, that the commissioning of larger capacity ferries in recent years has not improved the situation and that the absence of a road link is simply “dramatic” for the regional economy.
In Tadoussac, however, there is concern about the economic consequences that would result from a possible withdrawal of ferries. Mayor Richard Therrien recalls that the Ferry Company is an important employer for his municipality, particularly outside the summer tourist period.
He adds that the obligatory passage via Route 138, which runs along the village, also attracts short-term visitors. However, he says he “trusts” the government to make the best decision, in light of the results of current studies.
With Dave Christmas