The Quebec government launched an international call for interest on June 25, 2026, to develop the third link between Quebec City and Lévis [2].
This initiative represents a critical step in resolving a long-standing infrastructure debate regarding the movement of people and goods across the St. Lawrence River. By seeking international expertise, the province aims to identify partners capable of delivering a complex engineering project that impacts regional transit and economic growth.
Benoît Charette, the minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, is leading the effort through his ministry. The project focuses on creating a new connection, either a tunnel or a bridge, to the east of the existing crossings [1]. This new link is intended to improve safety and facilitate the economic development of the Quebec-Lévis region [4].
The government has established a 45-day window for interested parties to respond to the call [1]. This period allows global firms to signal their capability and interest in the project's specific requirements. While the call for interest is now active, the financial details remain pending. The government said that the total costs for the project will not be known until 2027 [3].
Local officials in Lévis said that the call for interest has been well received [5]. The project remains a focal point for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), as the administration seeks to secure a viable partner for the crossing before the next phase of planning begins. The process is designed to filter for the most qualified international firms before moving toward a formal procurement phase.
Because the project involves crossing the St. Lawrence River, it requires significant technical specifications to manage environmental impacts and geological constraints. The 45-day timeline is the first formal step in a multi-year process to modernize the corridor [1].
“The government has established a 45-day window for interested parties to respond to the call.”
The launch of this international call for interest signals that the Quebec government is moving from the conceptual phase to the operational phase of the third link. By delaying the cost disclosure until 2027, the administration avoids immediate fiscal scrutiny while gauging market appetite. The outcome of this 45-day window will determine if there is sufficient global interest to justify the project's scale and complexity.
