Ottawa to Spend $1B in Acquiring Historic Quebec Bridge From CN

Ottawa has come to an agreement with the Canadian National Railway (CN) to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge and spend $40 million annually over 25 years to rehabilitate the structure. Speaking from Quebec City, Prime Minister Trudeau confirmed on May 15 prior media reports that the federal government had reached an agreement with CN. “Today, we are announcing an agreement with the Canadian National Railway, the current owner of the Quebec bridge, to repatriate this essential and historic infrastructure to the federal government and support its long-term viability,” Mr. Trudeau said. The bridge, which was privatized in 1993, has linked the banks of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Lévis, Que., for over 100 years. Originally built in 1917, it sees around 33,000 vehicle crossings per day and around 1,000 pedestrian and cyclist crossings in the warmer months of the year. It remains the longest span cantilever bridge ever built, with a total length of 987 metres....