QUEBEC CITY, QUE.—Three levels of governments promised to invest $100 million to paint the rusting Pont du Québec bridge if Canadian National (CN) Railway matches the contribution, but the company says it is not their responsibility.
"I am pleased to be joined by the Government of Quebec and the cities of Québec and Lévis, which will also be contributing to the financing of the painting of the Québec Bridge, a symbol of the Québec area’s heritage," said Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs in a press release.
"We are all hoping to finalize the financing package by calling on CN to step up. In addition to fulfilling its responsibilities to ensure the bridge’s safety, as it does year after year, CN must join in the effort to paint the bridge as promised in 1997 and thus right a past wrong."
The municipal, provincial and federal governments announced a major commitment on Nov. 28 to paint the Québec Bridge. The Government of Canada will invest $75 million, the Government of Quebec, $23.5 million, the City of Québec, $1 million, and the City of Lévis, $500,000.
However, the total cost of the project is estimated to be $200 million and government representatives are calling on CN to complete the financing package.
In response, CN said it is still ready to do whatever necessary to facilitate the painting as long as the three levels of government are ready to finance it.
"In view of sound fund management, the next step would require a detailed engineering study be carried out to properly determine the boundaries of such a program and to estimate the total costs in a responsible manner," said CN in a statement. "CN will make its experts available to the public authorities to allow the study to be carried out by the engineering firm of their choice."
According to CN, the company has made significant investments to ensure the safety and useful life of the Quebec Bridge since becoming the structure’s owner.
CN has committed in partnership with the Quebec government to invest up to $95 million over the next 10 years.
The company said this major program comprises several new important measures to protect the integrity of the structure for the future, which include eliminating problems caused by the Quebec transportation department.
CN argues that the transportation department needs to improve long-standing practices to contain the snow and de-icing salt on the bridge deck and simplify their removal, which includes shields, waterproofing the roadway deck and the drain system for the deck.
Snow needs to be removed from the roadway deck to prevent de-icing salt from damaging the bridge. In addition, less corrosive and more environmentally friendly de-icing products need to be used and the bridge should be cleaned once a year to prevent de-icing salt from building up and causing corrosion.
"Should there need to be a public debate on the future of the Quebec Bridge, we hope such a debate will focus on the facts," said CN in the statement. "One essential fact: the Superior Court of Québec concluded unambiguously that CN has no obligation to paint the bridge. We hope that the people in the greater Quebec City area will have a better understanding of our position on this matter. Our position is clear and based on responsible management."
The Québec Bridge is a national historic site of Canada, which is a road, rail and pedestrian bridge spanning the St. Lawrence and connecting Quebec City to Lévis. The main purpose of the steel cantilever bridge is traffic for Highway 175, which is 35,000 vehicles a day.
CN started painting the bridge about a decade ago but stopped when it ran out of money. A recent court decision in favour of CN ruled the company wasn’t responsible for finishing the paint job. The riveted steel truss structure was built in 1919 and is still the longest cantilever road bridge in the world.
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