Third link: Quebec launches international call for tender

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault will launch an international call for interest to build a third highway link between Quebec City and Lévis. (Jacques Boissinot, The Canadian Press)

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault wants to probe the international market for her mega-project to build a third highway link between Quebec City and Lévis.

An international call for tender will be launched, and the contract is expected to be signed in 2027, said representatives of her ministry at a technical briefing in Quebec City on Friday.

Last June, after much ambiguity, the Legault government relaunched its third highway project, even though the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — and just about every expert — advised against it.

At the time, Premier François Legault cited “economic security”; according to him, the Quebec City region needs another bridge to the east, near Île d'Orléans, to ensure the transportation of goods by truck should the Pierre-Laporte bridge close.

On Friday, the Ministère des Transports did not rule out anything, including the possibility of building the future infrastructure downtown and including reserved lanes for public transit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 11, 2024.