Third link: Lehouillier ignores expert warnings

News 2 May, 2017

Called to comment on an article in the Journal de Québec citing that a third link would not solve traffic problems in the region, Lévis Mayor Gilles Lehouillier attempted to show the economic benefits of the project, Wear with conviction.

Thus, despite testimony from 12 North American experts who all claim in today’s edition of the Quebec City daily newspaper that a third link would not improve the state of traffic in the region, Did not flinch and argued that he still believed in the various benefits of such a project.

“That’s their point of view. What we have seen are quotes from experts who express themselves, but there will be other experts who will also speak. For me, the expertise is the Department of Transport that has to develop it. I reiterate that it is not only the problem of road congestion that is related to the third link, “replied Mr. Lehouillier.

In this sense, the first magistrate is not concerned to see a professional consensus being drawn against a project of a third link between Lévis and Quebec.

“We’ve been talking about a third link for years. The Ministry of Transportation had already configured highways in the east of the city to receive such a link. So, we do not think we should put the lid on the pot. We must go to the bottom of the debate, “said the mayor of Lévis, who is campaigning for new feasibility studies on the issue.

In doing so, the elected municipal official goes against the warnings formulated by the urban planning and development experts consulted by Le Journal de Québec and continues to affirm that a third link will relieve traffic congestion In the Greater Quebec City area.

“Who has shown that there will be so much traffic congestion? I am convinced that the opposite is going to happen. We will still reduce [road congestion]. The bridges have already been rendered beyond their capacity for several years. So from the moment we have gone beyond the current capacity of the bridges, I think we should consider a third link, “he said.

Beyond traffic congestion, Gilles Lehouillier also stressed once again that the construction of a new link between the two banks would boost industrial development to the east of the city, as well as the region of Nice hunt.

“It’s a development tool that’s going to be quite exceptional. […] we’ll have take into account course of traffic congestion, but at the same time that if we want to place our great region in the era of the 21 th century, it will have some point that one Gives much more interesting interlinks of what we have now, “he said.