Saturday, June 14, 2025
The Government of Quebec announced the corridor selected for the third link between Quebec City and Lévis, an important step in the project’s progress.
This corridor will enable the best project to be carried out for both regions, in addition to meeting the needs and expectations of the population, entrepreneurs and elected officials, who have been calling for a new link for several years to support the economic development of their regions.
“By selecting this corridor, we are taking a decisive step toward the completion of the third link, and making another strong gesture for the economic future of Eastern Quebec. Because this project goes far beyond a road axis: it is a strategic lever to secure the transportation of goods, ensure the fluidity of trade, support our businesses and strengthen the economic and logistical resilience of Quebec, starting with the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. Each completed step demonstrates our determination to deliver a project eagerly awaited by our citizens, businesses, elected officials and the economic community. We are doing all this work for them. We are taking action,” said Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
Among the potential corridors rigorously analyzed by the Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility, the selected corridor is the one whose connection point to the upper network on the Quebec side will be the Félix-Leclerc Expressway (A-40), either via the Robert-Bourassa Expressway (A-740) or via Pierre-Bertrand Boulevard (R-358). On the Lévis side, the connection point will be the Jean-Lesage Expressway (A-20), along the Chemin des Îles axis.
This corridor stands out because it meets the major objectives of the project, particularly in terms of economic development, commercial security, freight transport, traffic flow and public transport.
In addition, it will facilitate access to industrial hubs, commercial zones, and port facilities in the Quebec City region and Eastern Quebec, enabling the development of these sectors. In addition to securing the transportation of goods, an essential aspect for our SMEs, it will improve traffic flow on the roads, an important issue for workers and all citizens. Other advantages: it will be able to meet the growing demand for public transportation and integrate easily with existing networks.
“Each new step taken for the third link concretizes our desire to carry out this structuring project for Chaudière-Appalaches, the National Capital, as well as for Eastern Quebec. The population rightly expects us to ensure regional economic security and to facilitate travel between the two shores, whether for people or goods. All the MNAs for Chaudière-Appalaches will continue to work tirelessly to complete the third link. We are doing this for very obvious reasons: to improve the daily lives of our citizens, and to ensure the economic development of our region,” said Bernard Drainville, Minister of Education and Minister responsible for the Chaudière – Appalaches region.
The various studies, particularly engineering studies, prior to the collaborative design phase are continuing. Similarly, field inventories and geotechnical drilling will be conducted to characterize the corridor. All of these activities will help define the route and the basic requirements of the project. The next step will be the submission, around mid-2025, of the preliminary project notice to the BAPE (National Environmental Protection Agency).
“The third link concretely responds to the needs long expressed by the population. The corridor announced today is the best project: it will promote economic growth, support our businesses and improve the quality of life of the citizens of the Capitale-Nationale by offering them other mobility options,” said Jonathan Julien, Minister responsible for Infrastructure and Minister responsible for the National Capital Region.
Featured image: (Government of Quebec)
