Ottawa has come to an agreement with the Canadian National Railway (CN) to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge and spend $40 million annually over 25 years to rehabilitate the structure.
Speaking from Quebec City, Prime Minister Trudeau confirmed on May 15 prior media reports that the federal government had reached an agreement with CN.
“Today, we are announcing an agreement with the Canadian National Railway, the current owner of the Quebec bridge, to repatriate this essential and historic infrastructure to the federal government and support its long-term viability,” Mr. Trudeau said.
The bridge, which was privatized in 1993, has linked the banks of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Lévis, Que., for over 100 years. Originally built in 1917, it sees around 33,000 vehicle crossings per day and around 1,000 pedestrian and cyclist crossings in the warmer months of the year. It remains the longest span cantilever bridge ever built, with a total length of 987 metres.
“The Québec Bridge is a feat of civil and architectural engineering in our country. By repatriating the bridge, we will not only ensure the sustainability of this critical and major infrastructure for the region, but we are also giving control back to the people of Québec,” Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, said in a release.
While Ottawa will own the bridge, the deal says CN and the Quebec government will retain responsibility and ownership of the rails and roadway on the span.
Despite the backing of the provincial government, the project has never materialized. Opponents of the project argued that there was not enough traffic in the area to justify the tunnel project and that there would be negative environmental impacts, such as an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
