LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — The Lac-Mégantic bypass will not be completed by its 2023 target date after the Canadian government extended the period for negotiations with landowners, Omar Alghabra, Canada’s transport minister, has announced.
In a March 24 statement, Alghabra said the negotiation period has been extended until Aug. 12, 2022, at the request of the communities of Lac-Mégantic, Nantes, and Frontenac.
“This three-month extension will allow affected landowners to have more time to properly analyze their offer to purchase, to obtain expert advice and reports related to the evaluation and sale of their property, if required, and will allow for constructive discussions during negotiations,” he said in the statement. “… This will push the completion of the bypass beyond 2023 given the construction seasons in Quebec.”
The 8-mile bypass of the Canadian Pacific line through the three communities will require the purchase of 80 parcels of land belonging to 44 owners, Transport Canada said last year [see “Land negotiations begin …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 8, 2021].
“Respect for the communities of Lac-Mégantic and the surrounding area is at the heart of our priorities,” the statement concludes. “We remain attentive to their needs, and we will continue to work with all our partners to complete this project.”
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