Extension of route 73: economic impact violent to Beauceville

Photo By Nicolas Lachance
Traders Beauceville have lost a lot of clients who had the habit of stopping before you go in Maine. In the photo, the one of them, Étienne Boucher, owner of the Convenience store in Irving.

Nicolas Lachance

Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 00:00

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Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 00:00

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Traders Beauceville suffered sharp effects of the extension of highway 73, during the vacation of the building, while their sales have declined more than 20 % this year.

The construction holidays have done wrong to the merchants of Beauceville. Already, since the extension of highway 73 to Saint-Georges last fall, the economic impact was felt. But, the last two weeks have been painful.

“Our usual customers had left the city and tourists do not pass by here. Before, the tourists will offset a little bit, ” said Stephen Boucher, the owner of the Convenience store in Irving.

“It is clear that we see less of the world. There are a lot of people who travelled by the Maine and the people there, we had not seen them. It hurt us. Yes, there is a decrease in ridership. Not to mention the steady decline since the opening of the road. “

In order to survive and attract new customers, the contractor has installed a car wash.

“You have to differentiate themselves with new services and products. If I want new clients, I have to rip them to the competition. I still have a good local clientele, but this is not the Klondike “, he said.

20% less

Same sound of bell to the Convenience store Eko. The owner Céline Veilleux has also seen its sales reduced during the two weeks of construction.

“Automatically, you do not have any tourist. They run right over the top. You don’t have your local more “, said Ms. Veilleux. “With the highway, compared to last year, we can say that we made a turnover 20 % lower during the holidays. It seems to be. It may be that it is 15 % or 25 %, but it is widespread in the city. “

Local Customers

For restaurant owners, the local client saves the part, and continues to fill the coffers.

“It has felt a bit on our lunches and dinners. But this is not so bad, because our customers are loyal, ” said Nancy Boucher of the Restaurant Normandie.

The impact would be very big among the owners of fast-food chains such as Tim Hortons. The employees of the restaurant did not have the right to speak to the journalist. However, under the guise of anonymity, they said that the sales decline was obvious since the extension of route 73 to the west of the city and that tourists have not been at an appointment during the holidays.

Construction in several stages

• Autoroute Robert-Cliche (73) : 88 km highway linking Lévis, Saint-Georges.
• The first stretch of the highway, with a length of 34 km, was opened to traffic between Lévis and Scott in 1977.
• With the years of 34.8 km of highway have been added between route 276 in Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce and the route du Golf in Beauceville, and the stretch between the route of the Pine trees and the road 204.
• Then, on September 30, 2016, the last stretch between the road to the Golf course and the road of Pins is opened to traffic.

Source : Ministry of Transport

The digital display will appear on the 73 by the spring of next year

So that the traffic returns to Beauceville, the Chamber of commerce, and individuals will invest thousands of dollars with the municipality to install a digital screen advertising the new route 73.

The mayor of Beauceville admits that the situation is worrying since the opening of the new route 73 to Beauceville. The absence of passers-by and tourists and hurt the economy of the municipality.

“I have some concern that we will be able to do to correct the situation and encourage people to walk the valley in the Beauce region and leave a little for us “, stressed the mayor Luc in Provence.

The municipality has therefore decided to partner with the Chamber of commerce and private investors, by investing in a broad panel digital advertising to convince passers-by to stop in Beauceville during their journey.

“We’re going to remedy that. We are going to put a sign, ” said Francis Veilleux, president of the Chambre de commerce de Beauceville. The goal will be to inform motorists of the presence of a coffee shop, a grocery store or a gas station a few kilometers from the motorway exit.

“For the moment, you pass on the highway and it is as if there was no gas station in Beauceville. It doesn’t work, ” said the businessman. They go straight and remain on the highway. “

Off-MTQ

Initially, the ministry of Transportation of Quebec (MTQ) has refused to install the signs because of the too great distance that separates the spur of the municipality. “Our businesses, with the act government, were farther than 5.2 km. It has caused us a problem, ” explained Mr. Veilleux.

By chance, a promoter is shown to accommodate the sign on his land. The project will be expensive, admits the president of the Chamber. “But, everything is approved according to the standards of the department,” said Mr. Veilleux, who ensures that the display will solve part of the problem.