Opponents of extending Highway 20 to Rimouski have formed a new coalition to continue to put spokes on the wheel of the CAQ government’s promises.
This project has been promised twice rather than once by Prime Minister François Legault.
Activists believe that extending the 20 between Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and Le Bic would not only destroy Bas-du-Fleuve’s beautiful countryside, but would also ruin the lives of several maple syrup producers and producers in the area.
Sebastien Rioux, opponent
“According to the three proposed routes [par le ministère des Transports], there are between 15 and 20 sugar bushes that are threatened. Either they would be split in two or they would close completely,” regrets Sébastien Rioux, spokesman for the opponent.
“And we’re not even talking about other farmland or other businesses that might be threatened by this passage,” he adds.
Mr. Rioux also protested the discourse of elected municipal and provincial officials speaking on economic development to support the project.
“They say: If we don’t make the road, we will die. Honestly, can we talk a little intelligent and rack our brains? How many companies are we willing to kill to favor others? asks the resident of Trois-Pistoles.
In addition, the last election campaign left its mark on opponents. Even Québec Solidaire had spoken out in favor of upgrading Highway 20, while Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois repeatedly emphasized that building new roads should not be a priority, especially for the third link.
According to opponents, the new section of the 20 in the direction of Rimouski, which is only planned to have two lanes, will by no means solve all the problems. Especially since it would practically be a copy-paste on the current Route 132, which runs along the river.
“I find it easy to say that it will solve all the problems of transport, economic development and security. Coudonc, is it a magical route you want to do there? » Picture Sebastien Rioux.
new coalition
He points out that the region, which includes the town of Rimouski, which now has more than 50,000 inhabitants, has developed very well, without the share desired by all the mayors and prefects of the region, except for Philippe Guilbert, mayor of Trois -Pistoles.
With the return of the project to the Quebec Infrastructure Plan by the government in March 2022, the activists of the group “Le pont de la 20, ça passe pas standing” that has existed for several years decided to form a new coalition.
This new entity will bring together citizens from all communities along the route. Today, members will work on a schedule of upcoming actions. They want to revive the debate about the need to build a new highway.
Extension of federal highway 20
SECTION TO DO
- Between Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and the Le Bic sector (Rimouski). The cost of this 47 km section was not disclosed.
- Bridge Rivière-Trois-Pistoles. Estimate 2016: $175 million
COMPLETED SECTIONS
- Cacouna in L’Isle-Verte (11 km) inaugurated in 2011: $69 million
- Isle-Verte in Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (15 km) inaugurated in 2015: $145 million
- Le Bic in Mont-Joli (45 km), inaugurated from 1991 to 2008: $170 million
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