Quebec Autoroute 15

"Quebec Route 15" redirects here. For the pre-1970s route, see Quebec Route 138.

Autoroute 15 shield

Autoroute 15
Autoroute Décarie, Autoroute des Laurentides
Route information
Maintained by Ministère des Transports du Québec
Length: 164.0 km[1][2] (101.9 mi)
Existed: 1958 [2][3] – present
Major junctions
South end: I-87 / US 9 towards Champlain, New York
  A-30 / A-930 in Candiac
A-10 / A-20 in Brossard
A-10 / A-20 / A-40 (TCH) / A-720 in Montreal
A-440 in Laval
A-640 in Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse
A-50 in Mirabel
North end: Route 117 (TCH) / Route 329 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Location
Major cities: Candiac, La Prairie, Brossard, Montreal, Laval, Boisbriand, Blainville, Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Highway system

Quebec provincial highways

A-13A-19

Autoroute 15 (also called the Décarie Expressway (English) or Autoroute Décarie (French) between the Turcot and Décarie Interchanges in Montreal and the Laurentian Autoroute (English) or Autoroute des Laurentides (French) north of Autoroute 40) is a highway in western Quebec, Canada. It was, until the extension of Autoroute 25 was opened in 2011, the only constructed north-south autoroute to go out of Montreal on both sides. A-15 begins at the end of Interstate 87 at the United States border at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts with an eventual continuation beyond Mont-Tremblant. The total length of A-15 is currently 164 km (101.9 mi), including a short concurrency (4 km or 2.5 mi) with Autoroute 40 (Boulevard/Autoroute Métropolitan) that connects the two main sections. This is one of the few autoroutes in Quebec that does not have any spinoff highways.

Road description

Southern section

Autoroute 15 in Montreal, facing southwards at the Autoroute 20 junction (Exit 63)

The southern section of A-15 connects the south shore suburbs of Montreal and is also the primary trade corridor route between Montreal & New York City linking Quebec Autoroute 15 to Interstate 87 at the Canada-United States border at the Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing. This was the former Route 9, and connected with US 9 on the western shore of Lake Champlain. In Brossard, it joins up with A-10 and A-20 across the Champlain Bridge into Montreal. The A-10 splits off almost immediately after crossing the bridge to head into downtown Montreal at the Bonaventure Expressway and the A-20 splits off shortly after at the Turcot Interchange (échangeur Turcot), leaving the A-15 to continue northward as Autoroute Décarie until the Décarie Interchange (échangeur Décarie) with the A-40 at the point where it turns from the Trans-Canada into the Metropolitan Expressway.

The route is also connected to Autoroute 30 in Candiac which was completed to Autoroute 20 in 2012 providing a quicker access to the south shore of Montreal, to southern communities located alongside Autoroute 15 and to the US-Canadian border in Lacolle. It will also give a quicker access from there to areas west of Montreal and also Ottawa and Gatineau.

Autoroute Décarie

Autoroute 15 (Autoroute Décarie) in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, looking north.

The Autoroute Décarie is a sunken highway between the northbound and southbound lanes of Décarie Boulevard (hence the name); from boulevard Métropolitain at its northern end to Monkland Avenue and the Villa Maria Metro station at its southern end. It was built on a wide expanse of vacant land, donated to the City by the Décarie estate on the condition that only a streetcar line be established. The decommissioning of the streetcar system in 1959 left the right-of-way as an obvious choice for a highway, and so the Décarie Autoroute was dug there. South of Queen Mary Road, however, were a significant number of houses which were demolished. In order to avoid demolishing the Notre-Dame-de-Grâces church, the highway makes a slight westerly jog below Côte-Saint-Luc Road and runs through a short tunnel, before emerging between Addington and Botrel Streets and running down to Sherbrooke Street and Saint Jacques Street, where it spectacularly goes from below-ground to well above ground as it intersects with Autoroutes 20 and 720 in the infamous Turcot Interchange (dubbed "Spaghetti Junction" by train crews operating the former CN Rail Turcot Yard). Following the conversion from streetcar line to highway, the Décarie Estate unsuccessfully sued the city but was unable to prevail because they did not document their case well enough for the nevertheless sympathetic court.

This part of the highway was the site of a spectacular event on the 14th of July 1987. During the Montreal Flood of 1987, over 100 mm fell over the central part of the Montreal island and a large part of it ended up in the sunken highway, transforming it into a river. One elderly person died from drowning in an underpass while trapped in his car.

Decarie Boulevard itself continues; from Monkland Avenue south to Saint Jacques Street and McGill University Health Centre Glen Campus superhospital; and from Autoroute 40 north into Ville Saint-Laurent past Du College Station and Côte-Vertu Station/Norgate shopping centre.

Northern section

After its concurrency with A-40, the northern section of A-15 is the main freeway route to the Laurentians until it downgrades to Route 117. It also links up to the northern suburbs of Montreal, as well as provides a connection to the A-440, A-640 and the A-50 in Mirabel. The first section from A-40 to Saint-Jérôme was opened in 1958 as a toll road, although the tolls were removed in 1985. This section was also the first to be designed as an autoroute in the province. It was named Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides during the 1960s.[4]

Over the next years, it was extended north to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts as a new connection to touristic and skiing destinations in the Laurentides including in Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Adèle, Mont-Gabriel and Estérel. In the future, it is possible that the A-15 may continue even farther north, past Mont-Tremblant, as Route 117 is already an at-grade expressway with a freeway bypass of Saint-Jovite completed, and the name Autoroute des Laurentides is also recognized on the freeway bypass (and exit numbers continue). This section is numbered separately from the southern section as if it were a different route. The northern route is also part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Exit list

Location Exit/
Sortie
Destinations Notes
Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle I-87 south (Adirondack Northway) / US 9 south New York, Albany, New York City United States border at Champlain, New York
1 Montée Glass, Montée Guay
6 Route 202 Hemmingford, Lacolle
11 Montée Henrysburg
13 Montée Murray Southbound exit only
Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington, Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur 21 Route 217 / Route 219 / Route 221 Napierville, Sherrington
Saint-Édouard 29 Saint-Édouard, Saint-Jacques
Saint-Mathieu 38 Saint-Mathieu, Saint-Philippe
Candiac 40 A-30 west Châteauguay, Honoré-Mercier bridge New exit opened in November 2010
42 A-930 east to A-30 east / Route 132 west Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Constant, Sorel-Tracy, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Southern end of Route 132 concurrency
44 Candiac, Boulevard Montcalm
45 Route 134 east (Boulevard Taschereau) La Prairie Northbound exit and southbound entrance
La Prairie 46 La Prairie, Boulevard Salaberry
47 Rue Saint-Henri Northbound exit and entrance
49 Rue du Quai Southbound exit and entrance, to Parc de la Marina
Brossard 50 Boulevard Matte
51 Boulevard Rivard Southbound exit is via exit 50
51 Rue Riviera Southbound exit and entrance
52 Boulevard Rome
53 A-20 east / Route 132 east Longueuil Northern end of Route 132 concurrency; southern end of A-20 concurrency
Boulevard Marie-Victorin Exits only
A-10 east to A-30 / I-89 Sherbrooke, Québec, Vermont Southern end of A-10 concurrency
Champlain Bridge over the St. Lawrence River
Montreal
57 Île de Sœurs Northbound only
57-N Chemin de la Pointe-Nord Road Southbound only
57-S Boulevard de l'Île des Sœurs blvd. Southbound only
58 A-10 west Montreal downtown Northern end of A-10 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
60 A-10 west downtown, Wellington Street, Verdun
61 Rue Atwater, Saint Patrick Street
62 Boulevard de La Vérendrye, Avenue de l'Église
63 A-20 west / A-720 east (Autoroute Ville-Marie) Montreal, Aéroport P.E. Trudeau, Pont Mercier, Toronto Northern end of A-20 concurrency; signed as exits 63-E (east) and 63-O (west) southbound
64 Route 138 (Rue Sherbrooke) / Rue Saint-Jacques
66 Chemin Côte-Saint-Luc, Chemin Queen-Mary, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
69 Rue Jean-Talon, Rue de la Savane, Avenue Van Horne, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
70-O A-40 (TCH) west to A-520 Aéroport P.E. Trudeau, Gatineau, Ottawa Southern end of A-40/TCH concurrency
67 (A-40) Route 117 north (Boulevard Marcel-Laurin) / Boulevard Décarie southbound exit and northbound entrance only
68 (A-40) Rue Stinson, Chemin Rockland, Boulevard de L'Acadie northbound exit and southbound entrance only
1-E A-40 (TCH) east / Boulevard de L'Acadie Québec Southern end of TCH concurrency. Northern end of A-40/TCH concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance only
2 Boulevard de la Côte-Vertu, Saint-Laurent Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
2 Rue Sauvé, Boulevard Henri-Bourassa, Boulevard de L'Acadie Northbound exit and entrance only
3 Boulevard Henri-Bourassa No northbound exit, southbound entrance and exit via Jules-Poitras Boulevard
4 Rue de Salaberry Signed as exits 4-E (east) and 4-O (west) southbound, no southbound entrance
Médéric Martin Bridge over the Rivière des Prairies
Laval
7 Boulevard Cartier, Boulevard de la Concorde, Boulevard Notre-Dame Northbound entrance and exit via Le Corbusier Boulevard
8 Boulevard Saint-Martin Southbound exit is via exit 10
10 A-440 (Autoroute Laval) / Boulevard le Carrefour
14 Route 117 (Boulevard Curé Labelle) / Boulevard Dagenais Ouest Signed as exits 14-N (north) and 14-S (south) southbound
16 Boulevard Sainte-Rose, Av. de la Renaissance
Gedeon Ouimet Bridge over the Rivière des Mille Îles
Boisbriand
19 Route 344 Boisbriand, Rosemère
Boisbriand, Sainte-Thérèse 20 A-640 to A-13 Repentigny, Québec, Boisbriand, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Thérèse Centre-ville, Aéroport P.E. Trudeau Signed as exits 20-E (east) and 20-O (west)
23 Mirabel (Saint-Augustin), Rue Saint-Charles, Sainte-Thérèse Centre-ville
Blainville 25 Blainville, Boulevard de la Seigneurie
Mirabel, Blainville 28 Mirabel, Chemin Notre-Dame, Blainville, Boulevard Michèle-Bohec
Mirabel 31 Mirabel, (Saint-Janvier), (Sainte-Monique)
35 A-50 / Route 117 Gatineau, Lachute, Aéroport Mirabel To route 117 and Mirabel (Saint-Janvier) via autoroute 50 east
39 Route 158, Route Sir-Willfrid-Laurier, Mirabel (Saint-Canut), Sainte-Sophie
Saint-Jérôme 41 Boulevard du Grand-Héron
43 Saint-Jérôme Centre-ville (43-E), Rue De Martigny Ouest, Saint-Colomban, Mille-Isles (43-O) Signed as exits 43-E (east) and 43-O (west)
45 Route 117 / Route 333 / Boulevard de La Salette Prévost, Saint-Hippolyte
51 Aire de Service La Porte du Nord (service centre)
Prévost 55 Prévost Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs 57 Route 117, Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs Northbound exit, northbound entrance and southbound entrance
58 Piedmont, Chemin Avila
Saint-Sauveur 60 Route 364 Saint-Sauveur, Morin-Heights, Piedmont, Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard
Sainte-Adèle 64 Chemin du Mont-Gabriel
67 Route 117 Sainte-Adèle Centre-ville Northbound exit and southbound entrance
69 Route 370 (Chemin Pierre-Péladeau) Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Estérel
72 Sainte-Adèle, Montée à Séraphin, Chemin du Mont-Sauvage Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Val-Morin 76 Route 117 Val-Morin, Val-David Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Val-David 80 Val-David, 7e Rang Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts 83 Route 329 south / Montée Alouette Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard Northbound exit and southbound entrance
86 Route 117 Val-David, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts Centre-ville
88 Rue Demontigny Northbound exit and southbound entrance
89 Route 117 south (Boulevard Morin) / Route 329 Saint-Donat, Lanaudière, St-Adolphe-d'Howard

Route 117 (TCH) north (Route Transcanadienne)

Next exits belong to Route 117 (TCH)
Saint-Faustin–Lac-Carré 107* Rue Principale - Saint-Faustin–Lac-Carré, Lac-Supérieur
Mont-Tremblant 116* Route 327 Rue Léonard - Huberdeau, Lachute
117* Route 323 Chemin de Brébeuf - Montebello, Brébeuf
119* Mont-Tremblant, Montée Ryan To village and ski station
La Conception 126* La Conception, Rue des Tulipes
Labelle 140* Boulevard du Curé-Labelle Sud
143* Labelle, La Macaza
145* Boulevard du Curé-Labelle Nord North exit and entrance
Rivière-Rouge 162* Rivière-Rouge Centre-ville, La Macaza, Aéroport International La Macaza - Tremblant To L'Annonciation (sector of city of Rivière-Rouge)

Disasters

On June 18, 2000, the southern portion of the Boulevard du Souvenir overpass in Laval, which crosses Quebec Autoroute 15, collapsed into the roadway, killing one and injuring two when cars were crushed underneath the structure. Sixteen beams weighing about 70 tons each fell. The contractor was faulted for shoddy work.

The expressway has also seen flooding. On July 14, 1987, a sudden torrential downpour caused by an HP supercell thunderstorm dumped over 100 millimetres (4 inches) of rain in just over one hour across the city. The Décarie Expressway, which is below-grade, was heavily flooded and became a river. At some locations, the water reached a maximum of 3.6 metres in depth on the roadway. Over 300 vehicles were abandoned when they were submerged. Two people were killed by the storm.[5] One 80-year-old man on the Expressway drowned and another one was killed by electrical wires. On July 5, 2005, another torrential downpour flooded portions of the Expressway after several manhole covers blew open from the storm sewers below them being overloaded.[6]

See also

References

  1. Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
  2. 1 2 "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  3. 1958
  4. Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides
  5. Environment Canada - Water - Main page
  6. Canoe – Infos – Québec-Canada: 30 millimètres d’eau en deux minutes sur l’autoroute Décarie

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quebec Autoroute 15.
Wikinews has related news: Highway overpass collapses near Montreal
Preceded by
Route 117
Trans-Canada Highway
Autoroute 15
Succeeded by
Autoroute 40
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