HIGHWAY 73 TIMELINE

2000 : July 24 - Deposit of the Impact Study at the Environmental Evaluations Office

2002 : January 18 - Environmental impact assessment (St.Joseph-Beauceville)

2002 : February 6 - Decree received for prolongation of Autoroute 73 to Beauceville.

2002 : May – Project Notice - The option of extension of Highway 73 to St George is retained

2002 : September 30 -  Impact study announcement for the Beauceville-St.George segment.

2002 : October 22 - Deposit of a petition of 22,000 signatures and hundreds of letters of support from companies and towns of Beauce region asking the provincial government to take action at the federal level so that the A-73/173 corridor is recognized as a road link of national interest and to take action without delay to allow the extension of A-73 to St.George.

2003 : The City of St.Georges proposes to move the junction by the 57th street towards a future 74th street and to use the savings to extend A-73 to Route 204. The ministers mean their appreciation and their agreement a few weeks later

2004 : Work begins for the extension of Autoroute 73 from St.Joseph to Beauceville (10,4 KM).

2004 : Presentation of the alternative layout showing a junction using a new 74th street.

2004 : November - New presentation showing a link with Route 204.

2005 : April – Update of the 1992 Opportunity Study about the extension of Autoroute 73.

2005 : April 29 - Lapierre-Després agreement: 40 M$ for A-73 and 11.5 M$ for Route 173 (A Federal funding but Quebec Government will add the same amounts.)

2006 : February 14 - Bids call for the construction of the third and last phase of the prolongation of Highway 73 between St.Joseph and Beauceville.

2006 : February 21 to April 7 - Period of information and public consultations by the B.A.P.E.

2006 : August 10 - Environment Minister Claude Béchard sends a letter informing the City of St.George that B.A.P.E* public hearings will take place.

2006 : August 23 - Agreement of the municipal elected officials concerned to claim the implementation of the agreement on “CanadianBorder infrastructures fund” in Beauce within suitable times.

2006 : October 7 - Beginning of the B.A.P.E Public hearings(October 10-11-12: first part) and (November 7 to 9: second part) 

2006 : October 11 - Quebec Transportation Minister Michel Després claims on Radio-Canada television that: “the work of extending A-73 could be completed by 2010 as planned”.

2007 : January 26 - Quebec Environment Minister receives the B.A.P.E. report (Beauceville to 74th st.)

2007 : January 30  to March 16 - Period of information and public consultations by the B.A.P.E. for the extension project from 74th street to Route 204.

2007 : February 21 - Information meeting about the extension project between 74th Street & Route 204

2007 : March 27 - Public release of the B.A.P.E. report.

2007 : April 30 - CPTAQ issues a favorable preliminary orientation on the presented project under certain conditions.

2007 : June 14 - Appeal request by the Opponents of the CPTAQ favorable decision. CPTAQ meeting held in Quebec City.

2007 : July 13 - CPTAQ recognizes that the DOT-proposed highway path can be authorized.

2007 : November 15 - Opening of the new segment between St.Joseph and Beauceville (Golf Road).

2008 : February 21 - Quebec DOT releases road investments for 2008-2009: $20 million for A-73

2008 : March 11 - Environmental Analysis Report - (Project between 74th Street and Route 204) Conclusion: the project is justified and environmentally acceptable.

2008 : April 28 - The Tribunal Administratif du Québec (TAQ) hears the motion of people challenging the decision of the CPTAQ authorizing the extension of Highway 73 between Beauceville and St Georges.

2008 : Mai 28 - Decree 444-2008 approves the beginning of work between 74th street and Route 204 in St-Georges

2008 : July - TAQ accepts the plaintiffs' action, reverses the CPTAQ decision and ask CPTAQ to redo its work.  However, the TAQ may not grant the petitioners' request to substitute the chosen highway path with a different one released in 1988.

2008 : August - Route 173 widening is under way at the southern end of St.Georges. (4 lanes).

2008 : September 4 - Government of Canada announces it will invest $75 million to twin A-73 between Ste.Marie and St.Joseph where the highway only has two lanes (Super-2).  Construction could begin in 2009.

2009 : February 14 - Beauce-South Deputy is announcing a 13-million investment to begin construction between St.Georges and Notre-Dame-des-Pins

 2009 : May 20 - Opponents still challenge the decision of the CPTAQ and once again appeal to the Administrative Tribunal (TAQ).

 2009 : June 18 – Minister Julie Boulet gets a visit from several Beauce mayors and elected officers asking for a final decision on the Beauceville highway path.

 2009 : June 19 - Decree 608-2009 approves the beginning of work between Veilleux Road and 74th street in St-Georges.

 2009 : November: Tree clearing begins near Route 204 up to the Famine River.

 2009 : November 12 - The government imposes a Decree authorizing the extension of Highway 73 in the area where the corridor choice was still in dispute by opponents.  From this day, green light is given for the entire project.

 2010 : January 4 - Opponents challenge once again the selected project, and ask the Superior Court to overturn the decree.

 2010 : January 6 - The Mayors of St. Simon, St. George, Beauceville and Notre-Dame-des-Pins, in addition to the three prefects Beauce ask the government to take action to avoid further delays in the implementation of highway 73.

 2010 : January 29 - The twinning of Highway 73 between Ste.Marie and Beauceville will begin in summer 2010

 2010 : February 23 - St-Georges will extend 25th avenue up to the future 74th street (future access road to highway 73) 

 2010 : February 24 - Quebec DOT unveils 2010-2011 investments: $79 millions for extension of Autoroute 73

 2010 : February 26 - $31 millions will go to Autoroute 73's widening from Beauceville to Calway Road in St-Joseph.

 2010 : April 29 - BML Construction wins the 42 M$ bid to begin construction of Autoroute 73 in Saint-Georges in summer 2010

2010 : June 18 - Ground breaking ceremony of Autoroute 73 extension in St.Georges

2010 : June 29 - Decree #464-2010 authorizes the start of construction of the segment "Beauceville Notre-Dame-des-Pins.”

2010 : August 2 - The work of twinning of Highway 73 begins at St-Joseph (Road to open in November 2011)

2010 : November 3 - Decree #464-2010 is canceled by Judge Paul Corriveau. (Beauceville to Notre-Dame-des-Pins)

2010 : November 28 – Hundreds of people walk in the streets of St-Georges to protest against the slow pace of the project.

2011 : March 14 - The MTQ will invest $68 million for Highway 73 between 90th Street and the future 74th Street, building 74th Street itself and an interchange.

 2011 : March 24 - The Quebec Government will adopt a Special Law to authorize the final part of Autoroute 73 in Beauceville.

2011 : May - PQ  party calls for the withdrawal of the Special Law.

2011 : May – A parliamentary commission is held on Bill 2.

 2011 : June 8 - The Quebec Government adopts a Special Law to authorize the final part of Autoroute 73 in Beauceville.

2011 : July 8 - The third contract of Autoroute 73 extension in St.Georges is awarded to Roxboro Excavation Inc. 

2011 : July 29 - The contract for twinning Autoroute 73 between St.Joseph and Valley-Junction is awarded. 

2011 : October 28 - A new overpass opens to traffic on 90th street

2011 : October 31 - A new 4-lane divided highway stretch opens between Beauceville and Calway Road in St-Joseph.

2011 : November 2 - The MTQ going to tender for the surveying of the highway twinning between Saints-Anges and St.Marie.

2012 : March 12 - Robert Dutil announces 101 M$ for the extension and twinning of Autoroute 73 - to be completed in 2014.

2012 : May 24 - Couillard Construction  wins the bid to construct Autoroute 73 between St.Georges and Notre-Dame des Pins.

2012 : July - Phase 1 of the extension of the extension of Highway 73 to Route 204 is completed.

2012 : September - Phase 2 of the extension of Highway 73 to Route 204 is completed.

2013 : March 27 – Quebec DOT announces a 150 million budget for Autoroute 73 (2013-2015)

2013 : April 19 – One of three tender is announced to construct Autoroute 73 in Beauceville.

2013 : May 3 - Minister Agnes Maltais announces that the twinning and extension of Autoroute 73 will be completed in 2015.

2013 : July 25 – Release of a tender for the highway twinning between St.Marie and Saints-Anges

2013 : July 30 - Release of a second tender for the construction of 73 to Beauceville.

2013 :  November 21 - Opening of the 4.3 kilometer segment of Autoroute 73 in St-Georges (74th street to Route 204 – Exit 48 to Exit 43)

2014 :  July 3 - The opponent group (against the selected highway path in Beauceville) loose in Superior Court.

2014 :  August - The leader of the opponent group does not file another appeal.

2015 :  July - The last land parcels needed for the extension project in Beauceville are released and the work begins.

2015 :  October 23 - Opening of the new 4-lane divided roadway in Ste-Marie - End if the highway twinning project.

2015 :  November 11 - Opening of the new stretch of Highway 73 between St-Georges and Notre-Dame-des-Pins.

2016 :  August - End of the landscaping and new paving on the older roadway in Ste-Marie.

2016 :  September 30th - Opening of the final 4-lane stretch of Highway 73 in Beauceville.  Autoroute 73 is now complete from St-Georges to Quebec City!

* B.A.P.E = Bureau des Auduences Publiques sur l'Environnement. (Bureau of Public Hearings on Environment) It informs and consults the public on questions related to the quality of the environment assigned to it by the Minister of Environment. In so doing, it helps guide government decision-making in a sustainable development perspective, a perspective comprising the biophysical, social and economic aspects.

*CPTAQ = Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec . (Quebec's Commission for the protection of agricultural land )

* TAQ = Tribunal Administratif du Québec. (Quebec's Administrative Tribunal) It's a “one-stop service”, allowing citizens to solve their disputes with the government in several sectors of activity more easily.

* MTQ = Ministere des Transport du Quebec (Quebec Ministry of Transport)  (Quebec DOT)

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