| Autoroutes of Quebec | |
|---|---|
   Highway shields for Autoroutes 5, 20 and 640 | |
 The current Autoroute network inQuebec | |
| System information | |
| Maintained byTransports Quebec (MTQ) | |
| Length | 2,417 km[1][2] (1,502 mi) |
| Formed | 1958 (1958) |
| System links | |
TheQuebec Autoroute System[a] is a network of freeways within the province ofQuebec, Canada, operating under the same principle of controlled access as theInterstate Highway System in theUnited States and the400-series highways in neighbouringOntario. The Autoroutes are the backbone of Quebec's highway system, spanning over 2,400 km (1,500 miles). Thespeed limit on the Autoroutes is generally 100 km/h (62 mph) in rural areas and 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph) in urban areas; most roads are made ofasphalt concrete.
The wordautoroute is a blend ofauto androute, equivalent to "freeway" or "motorway" inEnglish, and it became the equivalent of "expressway" inFrench. In the 1950s, when the first Autoroutes were being planned, the design documents called themautostrades from the Italian wordautostrada.[3]
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Autoroutes are identified by blue-and-red shields, similar to the American Interstate system. The red header of the shield contains a white image representing a highway overpass, and the blue lower portion of the shield contains the autoroute's number in white, along with afleur-de-lis, which is a provincial symbol ofQuebec.
Most autoroute and road traffic signs in the province are in French, though English is also used on federally-financed or -owned routes, such as theBonaventure Expressway inMontreal. To surmount the language barrier, however, most signs in Quebec use pictograms, and text is avoided in most cases, with the exceptions usually only being the names ofcontrol cities. Other exceptions that are posted in both languages is the illegal use ofradar detectors when entering the province that reads "Détecteurs de radar interdits/Radar detectors prohibited", as well as areas where roads can be slippery due to melting ice and snow, marked "Degel/Thaw".
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Autoroutes are divided into three types – principal routes, deviation routes, and collector routes – and are laid out and numbered in a fashion similar to theInterstate Highway System in theUnited States. The principal Autoroutes are the major highways of the province, and have single- or double-digit numbers. East-west Autoroutes running parallel to theSaint Lawrence River (for example,Autoroute 20 andAutoroute 40) are assigned even numbers, while north-south Autoroutes running perpendicular to the Saint Lawrence (such asAutoroute 5 andAutoroute 15) are given odd numbers. Deviation and collector Autoroutes both feature triple-digit numbers. Deviation routes arebypasses intended for truck traffic to circumvent urban areas, and are identified by an even number prefixing the number of the nearby Autoroute that it bypasses (for example,Autoroute 440 inLaval). Collector Autoroutes, by contrast, arespur routes into urban areas, and are identified by an odd number prefixing the number of the nearby Autoroute that it branches off of (such asAutoroute 720, a spur of Autoroute 20 into downtownMontreal).
Quebec's first Autoroute was theAutoroute des Laurentides (Laurentian Autoroute), which opened in 1959 as atoll road. This initiative to bring freeways into Quebec was started byMaurice Duplessis, whose government saw the construction of the Laurentian Autoroute (now A-15) fromMontreal toSaint-Jérôme and the first section of the Boulevard Métropolitain (A-40), which opened in 1960.
It was the Quebec Liberal government of the 1960s that saw the construction of further Autoroutes, with a grid numbering system and the introduction of the blue and red shield. The sign is inspired by the American Interstate sign. This was especially needed in light of the fact that many visitors would be flocking toMontreal by car forExpo 67. Montreal'sAutoroute Décarie (A-15) and theLouis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel were constructed for that very reason. TheAutoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est (Eastern Townships Autoroute -A-10) opened in 1964, and its continuation,A-55 betweenMagog and Rock Island, opened in 1967, connecting withInterstate 91. What are now the A-20 (part of theTrans-Canada Highway) and the A-15 to New York (connecting withInterstate 87), originally built in the 1940s, were upgraded to expressway standards. The A-20 also connects withHighway 401 in Ontario. A-40 was extended out toBerthierville, and later toTrois-Rivières in the 1970s. Others include Autoroutes25,30 (southern beltway),31,35 (eventually connecting toInterstate 89),Autoroute Laurentienne (73), and640 (an unfinished proposed northern beltway).
The 1970s also saw the completion of thePierre Laporte Bridge inQuebec City, connecting the south shore of theSaint Lawrence River to the north. In addition to this, theA-73 was extended toBeauce, the A-20 was extended toRivière-du-Loup, and the Chomedey Autoroute (A-13), theA-19 and theA-440 were constructed inLaval. Autoroutes were built (two sections ofA-440, andA-740) and a few more planned in theQuebec City region, creating a dense web, which led to significant sprawl. In 1976, theParti Québécois came to power, whose platform mandated an expansion of public transportation over the construction of more Autoroutes. Existing Autoroutes were extended (e.g., the A-40 was extended from Trois-Rivières to Quebec City) but no new Autoroutes were built.
The Autoroute des Laurentides, the Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est, the Autoroute de la Rive-Nord (North Shore Autoroute), and the A-13 were toll roads until the mid-1980s, when the toll barriers were removed and the province stopped collecting tolls from vehicles using the Autoroutes. The last toll booth was on the Champlain Bridge (A-10,A-15 and A-20). It was removed in 1990 because the Champlain Bridge is federal property and is thus not subject to provincial tolls.
In the 2000s, there were several high-profile failures and collapses around some Autoroutes, due to aging and crumbling infrastructure, including theBoulevard du Souvenir overpass collapse,De la Concorde overpass collapse, and most recently theVille-Marie tunnel collapse. An online poll by Léger Marketing conducted shortly after the Viger tunnel collapse found that 88 percent of Montrealers are "worried" about the state of roads, bridges and tunnels in the city, with more than half of respondents saying they are downright "scared" to drive under an overpass (58 percent), on a bridge (54 per cent), or through a tunnel (53 per cent).McGill University's Saeed Mirza stated that ill-advised design choices and poor-quality concrete were used in the construction rush ahead of Expo '67 and the 1976 Olympics. In particular, the concrete used was permeable with lack of proper drainage, and these allowed chlorides from de-icing salts to corrode the steel reinforcements.[4]
| Number | Length (km)[2][1] | Length (mi) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Local names | Formed[2] | Removed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A-5 | 34.0 | 21.1 | King Edward Avenue atOntario boundary inGatineau |   R-105 /R-366 inWakefield | Autoroute de la Gatineau | 01964-01-011964 | current | |
 A-6 | 55 | 34 | A-15 inLa Prairie | Route 235 inFarnham | Richelieu Autoroute, Autoroute Haut-Richelieu | — | — | A-6 was to roughly parallelRoute 104. The western half of the route was cancelled by the mid-1970s while the rest of the route was abandoned a few years later. |
 A-9 | 12 | 7.5 | A-40 inPointe-Fortune | A-50 inLachute | Pointe Fortune-Lachute Autoroute | — | — | A-9 was to provide a fixed crossing over theOttawa River but was cancelled.[citation needed] |
 A-10 | 145.1[5] | 90.2 |  R-136 inMontreal |   A-55 /A-610 inSherbrooke | Autoroute Bonaventure, Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est | 01962-01-011962 | current | |
 A-13 | 21.4 | 13.3 |  A-20 inLachine |  A-640 inBoisbriand | Autoroute Chomedey | 01975-01-011975 | current | |
  A-15 (TCH) | 164.0 | 101.9 |  I-87 atUnited States border atLacolle |   R-117 (TCH) inSainte-Agathe-des-Monts | Autoroute Décarie, Autoroute des Laurentides | 01958-01-011958 | current | Part of theTrans-Canada Highway betweenA-40 inMontreal and Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. |
 A-16 | 9 | 5.6 | R-134 | A-30 inLongueuil | Autoroute Wilfrid-Laurier | — | — | Reserved for autoroute conversion of Boulevard Wilfrid-Laurier (Route 112 andRoute 116). |
 A-18 | — | — | A-55 nearVictoriaville | ProposedA-65 inPlessisville | Autoroute des Bois-Francs | — | — | Unbuilt. |
 A-19 | 10.1 | 6.3 |  A-40 (TCH) inMontreal |   A-440 /R-335 inLaval | Autoroute Papineau | 01970-01-011970 | current | Being extended to A-640 |
 A-20 (TCH) | 534.5 | 332.1 |  Highway 401 atOntario border atRivière-Beaudette |  R-132 inNotre-Dame-des-Neiges | Autoroute Jean-Lesage, Autoroute du Souvenir | 01964-01-011964 | current | Part of theTrans-Canada Highway betweenA-25 inLongueuil andA-85 inRivière-du-Loup. |
| A-20 | 45.2 | 28.1 | R-132 inRimouski | R-132 inMont-Joli | Autoroute Jean-Lesage | 01991-01-011991 | current | Future plans to connect to the western segment. |
 A-25 (TCH) | 52.1 | 32.4 | A-20 (TCH) inLongueuil |   R-125 /R-158 inSaint-Esprit | Autoroute Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine | 01967-01-011967 | current | Part of theTrans-Canada Highway betweenA-40 inMontreal and A-20 in Longueuil. |
 A-30 | 144.1 | 89.5 | A-40 (TCH) inVaudreuil-Dorion | R-132 inSorel-Tracy | Autoroute de l'Acier | 01968-01-011968 | current | |
| A-30 | 20.8 | 12.9 | R-132 inBécancour | R-132 inBécancour | Autoroute de l'Acier | 01975-01-011975 | current | No plans to connect to the western segment. |
 A-31 | 14.3 | 8.9 |  A-40 /R-131 inLavaltrie | R-131 /R-158 inJoliette | Autoroute Antonio-Barrette | 01966-01-011966 | current | |
 A-35 | 50.4 | 31.3 |  R-133 inSaint-Armand |  A-10 inChambly | Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts | 01966-01-011966 | current | Extended almost to theUnited States border andI-89 in 2025. |
 A-40 (TCH) | 347 | 216 |  Highway 417 /TCH atOntario border nearPointe-Fortune |   R-138 /R-368 nearBoischatel | Autoroute Félix-Leclerc, Autoroute Métropolitaine, Autoroute Transcanadienne | 01959-01-011959 | current | Part of theTrans-Canada Highway between Ontario andA-25 inMontreal. |
 A-50 | 159 | 99 | Rue Montcalm inGatineau | R-117 nearMirabel | Autoroute de l'Outaouais, Autoroute Maurice-Richard | 01975-01-011975 | current | |
 A-51 | 45 | 28 | Route 116 nearMelbourne | A-20 inDrummondville | 01974-01-011974 | 01982-01-011982 | RenamedA-55. | |
 A-55 | 247 | 153 |  I-91 atUnited States border atStanstead |  R-155 inShawinigan | Autoroute Joseph-Armand-Bombardier, Autoroute de l'énergie | 01964-01-011964 | current | |
 A-65 | — | — | Thetford Mines | A-20 inVilleroy | Autoroute de l'Amiante | — | — | Unbuilt. Possible extension toA-10 nearLambton. |
 A-70 | 31.56 | 19.61 |  R-170 inSaguenay (Jonquière) | R-170 inSaguenay (Aéroport Bagotville) | Autoroute du Saguenay, Autoroute Alma-La Baie | 01983-01-011983 | current | Autoroute 70 is being extended westward from Jonquière toAlma, and eastward from Aéroport CFB Bagotville toLa Baie. |
 A-73 | 135.0 | 83.9 |  R-204 inSaint-Georges |  R-175 inStoneham-et-Tewkesbury | Autoroute Robert-Cliche, Autoroute Laurentienne, Autoroute Henri-IV | 01963-01-011963 | current | |
 A-85 (TCH) | 92 | 57 |  Route 2 (TCH) atNew Brunswick border nearDégelis | A-20 (TCH) nearRivière-du-Loup | Autoroute Claude-Béchard | 02005-01-012005 | current | Part of theTrans-Canada Highway for its full length. Presently a 9 km (5.6 mi) gap between Demers andSaint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!; connection made viaRoute 185, which it will eventually replace. |
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| Number | Length (km)[2][1] | Length (mi) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Local names | Formed[2] | Removed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A-410 | 12.9 | 8.0 |   R-108 /R-143 inSherbrooke | A-10 /A-55 in Sherbrooke | Autoroute Jacques-O'Bready, Autoroute de l'Université | 01971-01-011971 | current | |
 A-415 | 7 | 4.3 | A-15 inMontréal | A-19 (unbuilt section) in Montreal | Mount Royal Autoroute | — | — | Cancelled northern leg of a proposed downtown freeway loop. |
 A-430 | — | — | A-15 /A-30 inCandiac | A-30 inVarennes | — | — | Several kilometers ofRoute 132 north and south ofA-20 was designated A-430 on paper in the 1970s. | |
 A-440 | 18.2 | 11.3 |   A-13 /R-148 inLaval |  A-25 in Laval | Autoroute Jean-Noël-Lavoie, Autoroute Laval | 01974-01-011974 | current | |
| A-440 | 12.5 | 7.8 |  A-40 /A-73 inQuébec | A-40 in Québec | Autoroute Charest, Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency | 01962-01-011962 | current | Two segments with a 4 km (2.5 mi) gap through downtown Quebec City; connection made via Boulevard Charest. |
 A-520 | 7.8 | 4.8 | A-20 inDorval | A-40 (TCH) inMontréal | Autoroute Côte de Liesse | 01966-01-011966 | current | |
 A-530 | 12.9 | 8.0 |  R-132 /R-201 inSalaberry-de-Valleyfield |  A-30 in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield | 02012-01-012012 | current | Formerly part ofA-30. | |
 A-540 | 5.1 | 3.2 | A-73 /R-175 inQuébec | R-138 in Québec | Autoroute Duplessis | 01966-01-011966 | current | |
| A-540 | 4.9 | 3.0 | A-20 inVaudreuil-Dorion | A-40 in Vaudreuil-Dorion | 01967-01-011967 | 02012-01-012012 | RenamedA-30. | |
 A-550 | — | — | Ontario boundary inGatineau (Would continue asHighway 416 inOttawa) | A-50 inGatineau | Deschênes Autoroute, Britannia-Deschênes corridor | — | — | Gatineau bypass, including a new bridge across theOttawa River. |
 A-573 | 12.9 | 8.0 | A-40 /A-73 inQuébec |  R-369 in Québec | Autoroute Henri-IV | 01976-01-011976 | current | |
 A-610 | 10.3 | 6.4 | A-10 /A-55 inSherbrooke |  R-112 in Sherbrooke | Autoroute Louis-Bilodeau | 02006-01-012006 | current | Formerly part ofA-10. |
 A-640 | 53.2 | 33.1 |  R-344 inOka | R-344 inCharlemagne | Autoroute de contournement nord de Montréal | 01961-01-011961 | current | |
 A-720 | 8.1 | 5.0 | A-15 /A-20 inMontréal | Rue Notre-Dame in Montréal | Autoroute Ville-Marie | 01972-01-011972 | 02021-01-012021[6] | RenamedR-136. |
 A-730 | 4.2 | 2.6 | A-30 inSaint-Constant | R-132 in Saint-Constant | 02010-01-012010 | current | Formerly part ofA-30. | |
 A-740 | 7.4 | 4.6 | R-175 inQuebec | Boulevard Lebourgneuf in Québec | Autoroute Robert-Bourassa, Autoroute du Vallon | 01975-01-011975 | current | |
 A-755 | 10 | 6.2 | A-55 inTrois-Rivières | A-40 in Trois-Rivières | Autoroute de Francheville | 01977-01-011977 | 01990-01-01c. 1990 | RenamedA-40. |
 A-930 | 2.5 | 1.6 | A-30 inCandiac | R-132 in Candiac | 02011-01-012011 | current | Formerly part ofA-30. | |
 A-955 | 14.7 | 9.1 |  R-122 inSaint-Albert | A-20 (TCH) /A-55 inSainte-Eulalie | 01975-01-011975 | current | None of this highway is of freeway standard. | |
 A-973 | 3.6 | 2.2 | Rue du Chalutier / Rue du Prince-Édouard inQuebéc | A-40 /A-73 in Quebec | 01983-01-011983 | current | Cosigned withRoute 175 for its entire length. | |
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