(Quebec) Opposed to a third highway link from the beginning, the mayor of Quebec Bruno Marchand salutes the “courage” of the Legault government to give up its electoral promise and to opt for a tunnel reserved for public transport.

He would like the mode of transport chosen to be the tram, the one that will circulate in Quebec and whose commissioning is planned for 2029.

He had a meeting with Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault on Tuesday afternoon about the government’s decision. “Great news! The examples around the world are convincing: connecting city centers by a structuring mode of public transport promotes the economic development of the two cities, ”wrote Bruno Marchand on Facebook.

He had always refused to give support to the third highway link; his opposition to the project was well known.

“I want to underline the courage shown by the minister in announcing her project,” wrote the mayor on Wednesday morning. He is guided by a vision of the future from which the region of Quebec will quickly benefit. It also bears witness to the leadership needed in a time of uncertainty related to the climate crisis. Public transit had to be part of the solution. I have always felt that the Minister listened to this subject. It was a logical choice: modern, ecological and economical. »

Geneviève Guilbault will present the new project on Thursday, at the same time as traffic studies showing a drop in traffic on the two Quebec-Lévis bridges after the pandemic and due to the rise of teleworking.

“In the meantime, I’m just going to be happy to see that the transportation options are multiplying even more in Quebec,” said Bruno Marchand. With the tramway project which continues to move forward and this new version of the third link, the citizens of Québec and Lévis will have more and more options for getting around and making informed choices, ecologically and economically, to move. We will continue to offer more and more transportation options to the citizens of Quebec: from walking to driving, cycling, bus and tram. »

The government’s decision fell while at the municipal council of Quebec, the agreement between the City and Alstom on the manufacture of tram cars at a cost of 569 million (maintenance represents a bill of 768 million in 30 years) was narrowly approved on Tuesday, 11 votes to 10. Bruno Marchand’s team is in the minority at City Hall.

The mayor of Lévis, Gilles Lehouillier, also learned of the government’s decision on Wednesday afternoon. He intends to react only Thursday. In the government, it is said that he was not jumping for joy, but that his reaction seemed manageable.