Government submits third link project to environmental review
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
The Coalition Avenir Québec government is forging ahead with its plan to build a third link between Quebec City and Lévis.
Last week, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, the minister leading the project, announced the plan for a combination bridge and tunnel would be submitted for environmental analysis.
“This new step,” an Aug. 28 news release stated, “is a prerequisite for the impact study, the environmental analysis by the ministry of the environment, the fight against climate change, wildlife and parks (MELCCFP) as well as the work of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE).”
Guilbault added, “This procedure, which is crucial for the realization of the third link between Quebec City and Lévis, confirms that the project is progressing in a concrete, efficient, and responsible manner.”
In June, Guilbault announced the choice of a corridor for the third link, with the bridge connecting Autoroute 20 on the South Shore with Autoroute 40 on the North Shore. It would enter a tunnel somewhere along Boul. Champlain and emerge some three kilometres later to connect with either Boul. Pierre-Bertrand or Autoroute Robert-Bourassa.
As part of the environmental assessment process, there will be a 30-day online public consultation period organized by the environment ministry.
The ministry release said, “The various analyses carried out as part of the impact study will enable the ministry to optimize the project design to limit the impact on the environment and ensure bet- ter integration of the new inter-shore link into its host environment.”
In the wake of Guilbault’s announcement, the question arose about how much farther Guilbault herself will be pushing the third link process. As of this writing, there were reports Premier François Legault would be removing Guilbault, the MNA for the Louis-Hébert riding, as transport minister in an expected major cabinet shuffle.
Meanwhile, an intense program of drilling and soil testing is underway to provide data to determine which route the third link corridor would take on the north and south shores.
According to a report in the Journal de Québec, drilling has already been done in some 100 sites between Lévis and Quebec City with more in the works. The report said the government has already spent at least $33 million on the drilling program, not including the 50 sites being drilled this summer.