Autoroutes of Quebec

Autoroutes of Quebec

Autoroute 5 shield Autoroute 20 shield Autoroute 410 shield

Highway shields for Autoroutes 5, 20 and 410

The current Autoroute network in Quebec
System information
Maintained by Transports Quebec (MTQ)
Length: 2,298.5 km[1][2] (1,428.2 mi)
Formed: 1960 (1960)
System links
Quebec provincial highways
Autoroute 40 at Des Sources Boulevard in Dorval/Pointe-Claire, looking east into Dorval

The Autoroute system is a network of expressways within the province of Quebec, Canada, operating under the same principle of controlled access as the Interstate Highway System in the United States and the 400-series highways in neighbouring Ontario. The Autoroutes are the backbone of Quebec's highway system, spanning almost 2,300 km (1,429 mi). The speed 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.

The word autoroute is a portmanteau of auto and route, equivalent to "motorway" in English, and has become the Quebec French equivalent of "expressway". In the 1950s, when the first Autoroutes were being planned, the design documents called them autostrades, from the Italian word autostrada.

Signage

Standard Autoroute shield

Autoroutes are identified by blue-and-red shields. 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 a fleur-de-lis, which is a provincial symbol of Quebec.

Most Autoroute signs in the province are in French, though English is used on federally-financed or -owned routes, such as the Bonaventure Expressway in Montreal. 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 of control cities. Other exceptions that are posted in both languages is the illegal use of radar detectors when entering the province that reads "RADAR DETECTORS PROHIBITED", as well as areas where roads can be slippery due to melting ice and snow, marked "DEGEL / THAW".

Numbering system

Autoroute 15 Northbound, near Brossard.

Autoroutes are divided into three types principal routes, deviation routes, and collector routes and are laid out and numbered in a fashion similar to the Interstate Highway System in the United States. The principal Autoroutes are the major highways of the province, and have single- or double-digit numbers. East-west Autoroutes running parallel to the Saint Lawrence River (for example, Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 40) are assigned even numbers, while north-south Autoroutes running perpendicular to the Saint Lawrence (such as Autoroute 5 and Autoroute 15) are given odd numbers. Deviation and collector Autoroutes both feature triple-digit numbers. Deviation routes are bypasses 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 in Laval). Collector Autoroutes, by contrast, are spur routes into urban areas, and are identified by an odd number prefixing the number of the nearby Autoroute that it branches off of (such as Autoroute 720, a spur of Autoroute 20 into downtown Montreal).

History

Quebec's first Autoroute was the Autoroute des Laurentides (Laurentian Autoroute), which opened in 1959 as a toll road. This initiative to bring freeways into Quebec was started by Maurice Duplessis, whose government saw the construction of the Laurentian Autoroute (now A-15) from Montreal to Saint-Jérôme and the first section of the Boulevard Métropolitain (A-40), which opened in 1960.

1960s

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 to Montreal by car for Expo 67. Montreal's Autoroute Décarie (A-15) and the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel were constructed for that very reason. The Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est (Eastern Townships Autoroute - A-10) opened in 1964, and its continuation, A-55 between Magog and Rock Island, opened in 1967, connecting with Interstate 91. What are now the A-20 (part of the Trans-Canada Highway) and the A-15 to New York (connecting with Interstate 87), originally built in the 1940s, were upgraded to expressway standards. The A-20 also connects with Highway 401 in Ontario. A-40 was extended out to Berthierville, and later to Trois-Rivières in the 1970s. Others include Autoroutes 25, 30 (southern beltway), 31, 35 (eventually connecting to Interstate 89), Autoroute Laurentienne (73), and 640 (an unfinished proposed northern beltway).

1970s

The 1970s also saw the completion of the Pierre Laporte Bridge in Quebec City, connecting the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River to the north. In addition to this, the A-73 was extended to Beauce, the A-20 was extended to Rivière-du-Loup, and the Chomedey Autoroute (A-13), the A-19 and the A-440 were constructed in Laval. Autoroutes were built (two sections of A-440, and A-740) and a few more planned in the Quebec City region, creating a dense web, which led to significant sprawl. In 1976, the Parti 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.

2000s

In the 2000s, there were several high-profile failures and collapses around some Autoroutes, due to aging and crumbling infrastructure, including the Boulevard du Souvenir overpass collapse, De la Concorde overpass collapse, and most recently the Ville-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.[3]

Main Class Autoroutes

For full articles on individual autoroutes, see the category page of Quebec Autoroutes.

Autoroute 5

Autoroute 5 shield

Autoroute 5
Autoroute de la Gatineau
Route information
Length: 34.0 km[1][2] (21.1 mi)
Existed: 1964[2] – present
Major junctions
North end: Route 105, Route 366 in Wakefield
South end: King Edward Avenue, Ottawa
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 5


Autoroute 10

Autoroute 10 shield

Autoroute 10
Autoroute Bonaventure, Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est
Route information
Length: 145.1 km[2][4] (90.2 mi)
Existed: 1962[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: A-720 in Montreal
East end: A-55 / A-610 in Sherbrooke
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 10


Autoroute 13

Autoroute 13 shield

Autoroute 13
Autoroute Chomedey
Route information
Length: 21.4 km[2][6] (13.3 mi)
Existed: 1975[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: A-20 in Lachine
North end: A-640 in Boisbriand
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 13


Autoroute 15

Autoroute 15 shield

Autoroute 15
Autoroute Décarie, Autoroute des Laurentides, Trans-Canada Highway
Route information
Length: 164.0 km[2][6] (101.9 mi)
Existed: 1958[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: I-87 towards Champlain, New York
North end: Route 117 (TCH) / Route 329 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 15


Autoroute 19

Autoroute 19 shield

Autoroute 19
Autoroute Papineau
Route information
Length: 10.1 km[2][6] (6.3 mi)
Existed: 1970[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: A-40 (TCH) in Montreal
North end: A-440 / Route 335 in Laval
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 19


Autoroute 20

Autoroute 20 shield

Autoroute 20
Autoroute Jean-Lesage, Autoroute du Souvenir, Trans-Canada Highway
Route information
Length: 585.0 km[2][6] (363.5 mi)
Existed: 1964[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: Highway 401 towards Cornwall, ON
East end: Route 132 in Mont-Joli
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of the western segment of Autoroute 20 Map of the eastern segment of Autoroute 20


Autoroute 25

Autoroute 25 shield

Autoroute 25
Autoroute Louis-H.-La Fontaine, Trans-Canada Highway
Route information
Length: 52.1 km[2][6] (32.4 mi)
Existed: 1967[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: A-20 (TCH) in Longueuil
North end: Route 125 / Route 158 in Saint-Esprit
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 25


Autoroute 30

Autoroute 30 shield

Autoroute 30
Autoroute de l'Acier
Route information
Length: 161.3 km[2][6] (100.2 mi)
Existed: 1968[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: A-40 (TCH) in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
East end: Route 132 in Bécancour, Quebec
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 530 Map of the main section Map of the easternmost section


Autoroute 31

Autoroute 31 shield

Autoroute 31
Autoroute Antonio-Barrette
Route information
Length: 14.0 km[2][6] (8.7 mi)
Existed: 1966[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: Autoroute 40 in Lavaltrie, Quebec
North end: Route 158 in Joliette, Quebec
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 31


Autoroute 35

Autoroute 35 shield

Autoroute 35
Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts
Route information
Length: 40.0 km[2][6] (24.9 mi)
Existed: 1966[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: Route 133 in Saint-Sébastien
North end: A-10 in Chambly
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 35


Autoroute 40

Autoroute 40 shield

Autoroute 40
Autoroute Félix-Leclerc, Metropolitan Expressway, Trans-Canada Highway
Route information
Length: 347.0 km[2][6] (215.6 mi)
Existed: 1959[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: Highway 417 / TCH near Pointe-Fortune
East end: Route 138, Route 368 near Boischatel
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 40


Autoroute 50

Autoroute 50 shield

Autoroute 50
Autoroute de l'Outaouais, Autoroute Maurice-Richard
Route information
Length: 159.0 km[2][6] (98.8 mi)
Existed: 1975[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: Route 132 in Gatineau
East end: Route 117 near Mirabel
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 50


Autoroute 55

Autoroute 55 shield

Autoroute 55
Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Autoroute de l'Énergie
Route information
Length: 247.0 km[2][6] (153.5 mi)
Existed: 1964[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: I91 in Stanstead, Quebec
North end: Route 155 in Shawinigan, Quebec
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Autoroute 70

Autoroute 70 shield

Autoroute 70
Autoroute du Saguenay
Route information
Length: 24.2 km[2][6] (15.0 mi)
Existed: 1983[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: Route 170 in Saguenay (Jonquière)
East end: Route 170 in Saguenay (Chicoutimi)
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 70


Autoroute 73

Autoroute 73 shield

Autoroute 73
Autoroute Robert-Cliche, Autoroute Laurentienne, Autoroute Henri-IV
Route information
Length: 135.0 km[2][6] (83.9 mi)
Existed: 1963[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: Route 204 in Saint-Georges, Quebec
North end: Route 175 north of Exit 182 in Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, Quebec
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 73


Autoroute 85

Autoroute 85 shieldTrans-Canada Highway shield

Autoroute 85
Autoroute Claude Béchard, Trans-Canada Highway
Route information
Length: 13.0 km[2][6] (8.1 mi)
Existed: 2005[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: Route 185 (TCH) near Saint-Antonin
North end: A-20 (TCH) near Rivière-du-Loup
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways

Map of Autoroute 85


Spur Class Autoroutes

Autoroute 410

Map of Autoroute 410


Autoroute 610

Map of Autoroute 610


Autoroute 520

Map of Autoroute 520


Autoroute 720


Autoroute 530


Autoroute 730


Autoroute 930


Autoroute 440 (Laval)

Map of Autoroute 440 in Laval


Autoroute 440 (Quebec City)

Map of Autoroute Charest Map of Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency


Autoroute 540 (Quebec City)

Map of Autoroute 540 in Quebec City


Autoroute 640

Map of Autoroute 640


Autoroute 740


Autoroute 955


Autoroute 573

Map of Autoroute 573


Autoroute 973


Unbuilt/Proposed Autoroutes

Autoroute 6


Autoroute 9


Autoroute 16


Autoroute 18


Autoroute 51 (former designation)


Autoroute 65


Autoroute 415


Autoroute 430


Quebec Autoroute 540 (Vaudreuil-Dorion)(former)

Map of Autoroute 540 in Vaudreuil-Dorion


Autoroute 550 (unbuilt/proposed)


See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ministère des Transport: "Distances routières", page 5, Les Publication du Québec, 2005
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  3. Gohier, Philippe (2011-08-23). "Montreal is falling down - Canada". Macleans.ca. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  4. Ministère des transport: "Distances routière", page 12, Les Publications du Québec, 2005 (Distance between Montreal and exit 143)
  5. "Project Bonaventure-Phase I". Societe du Havre de Montreal. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005

External links

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