Quebec City Mayor Rejects Intuition-Based Support for Third Link Bridge

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said he will not support the construction of a third link bridge based solely on intuition ^[1].

The dispute highlights a growing tension between municipal leadership and provincial authorities over how to address congestion across the St. Lawrence River. While the bridge is intended to ease traffic, the method of justifying the project has become a point of political contention.

Marchand said that he refuses to rely on a "ressenti," or feeling, to determine the viability of the project ^[1]. He said that infrastructure decisions of this magnitude should be based on concrete data and rigorous analysis ^[1]. By demanding a data-driven approach, the mayor is challenging the current justification for the bridge's placement and necessity.

However, the provincial government continues to signal its commitment to the project. Premier François Legault said the minister is currently reviewing the route ^[2]. This suggests that despite the mayor's hesitation, the provincial administration is still actively planning the link's trajectory.

Further confirmation of this stance came from Christine Fréchette, who said the government will move forward with a third link to the east ^[3]. This creates a direct conflict between the municipal requirement for evidence and the provincial drive to execute the project.

The project aims to connect Quebec City and Levis, but the lack of consensus on the route and the evidence supporting it has pushed the planning process back to the drawing board ^[2]. Marchand said that without solid evidence, he does not intend to back the bridge ^[1].