Autoroute 5 (A-5, also known as the Autoroute de la Gatineau) is a short
controlled-access Autoroute in the
Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts, the municipality of Cantley, Quebec, Cantley and the Papineau Regional County Municipal ...
region of western
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
. It connects the central urban area of
Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...
(formerly
Hull) with the recreational areas of
Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park () is a federal park located in the Outaouais, Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Administered by the National Capital Commission as part of the National Capital Region (Canada), National Capital Region, Gatineau Park is a wedge ...
and the exurban rural areas of
Chelsea and
La Pêche. The southern terminus provides access to the
Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which continues into downtown
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
. The A-5 generally has four lanes of traffic (two per direction) with the exception of southernmost section across the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge where A-5 widens to six lanes (three per direction).
Part of
Route 148 overlapped A-5 from
Autoroute 50 to
Boulevard Saint-Raymond until completion of
Boulevard des Allumettières in 2007. With the completion of Boulevard des Allumettières,
Route 148 was rerouted onto the southern leg of
Autoroute 50 and then west towards
Aylmer on Boulevard des Allumettières. Autoroute 5 is the only Quebec A-class Autoroute to have only 1 digit in its name.
Route description
Autoroute 5 begins at the Ontario-Quebec border on the MacDonald-Cartier Bridge, which is 6 lanes wide. Upon hitting land, Autoroute 5 loses 2 lanes and interchanges with Boulevard Maisonneuve/Boulevard Fournier and
Autoroute 50 in quick succession. It then curves northwest, interchanging with Boulevard du Casino, providing access to
Casino du Lac-Leamy. Autoroute 5 services Gatineau with two more interchanges before leaving the urban area, where a grass median forms. Autoroute 5 then interchanges with Chemin Old Chelsea and Chemin Scott, which provide access to
Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park () is a federal park located in the Outaouais, Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Administered by the National Capital Commission as part of the National Capital Region (Canada), National Capital Region, Gatineau Park is a wedge ...
as well as
Chelsea. The expressway then meanders through forested land, largely parallel to
Route 105. At Exit 28, Route 105 joins Autoroute 5 in a concurrency until the end of Autoroute 5, which occurs 3.5 km later, bypassing the hamlet of
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
. Autoroute 5 gradually loses its median and center divider before ending at a T-intersection, where Route 105 continues east.
The speed limit on Autoroute 5 is 100 km/h north of Boulevard du Casino, and 70 km/h south of it.
History
Until October 2014 there had been two segments of A-5 for several years:
# The main segment was a freeway that continued for from the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge through the
Hull sector of Gatineau to a short access road to
Route 105 south of
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
.
# The second segment, built in 1993, was a short four-lane, at-grade expressway bypass of
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
, which overlapped
Route 105 and
Route 366. The MTQ plan to eliminate the discontinuity between the two segments was completed in October 2014. Further extensions of A-5 north of Wakefield have been deemed unnecessary given the current AADT on
Route 105.
A extension of the southern segment past
Tulip Valley, an area of
Route 105 that has been the site of multiple fatal incidents in the past, was opened on 4 December 2009 following a $27 million () extension project.
[ ] Another $115 million project began in 2010 to connect the south and north segments, completing the carriageway to Wakefield in October 2014.
[ ]
Beginning in June 2008, the MTQ began replacing the concrete surface from Ottawa to
Saint-Joseph Boulevard with asphalt after multiple incidents in which pieces of concrete broke out from the surface including one that struck the windshield of a vehicle, killing its driver in November 2007. Construction was completed by the end of 2008.
Exit list
Gallery
File:Autoroute 5 Gatineau mosbo6.jpg, Autoroute 5 looking north at exit 1, directly north of the MacDonald-Cartier bridge in Gatineau
File:Autoroute 5 108 366 mosbo6.jpg, Autoroute 5 looking north from exit 28 in La Pêche—this stretch is concurrent with Quebec Routes 105 and 366
References
External links
Google Maps: Autoroute 5 from Ontario border to ChelseaTransports Quebec Map
{{Gatineau Roads
05
Streets in Gatineau
Roads in Outaouais