The following is a list and description of former and unbuilt
Quebec autoroutes
Quebec is Canada's 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, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...
.
Former Autoroutes
Autoroute 51
Autoroute 55 south of
Autoroute 20 to
Route 116 was co-designated Autoroute 51 until 1982. By 1983, official documents had removed the Autoroute 51 designation from its section of Autoroute 55. In the 1970s, there were plans to extend Autoroute 51 north of Autoroute 20 to a proposed easterly extension of Autoroute 30 near
Yamaska.
Autoroute 430
Autoroute 430 was proposed to connect
Candiac
Candiac () is a suburb of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec; it is located on the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite Montreal near La Prairie. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 22,997.
History
Candiac ...
to
Sainte-Julie. The section between Candiac and
Boucherville
Boucherville () is a city in the Montérégie region in Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of Montreal on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
Boucherville is part of both the urban agglomeration of Longueuil and the Montreal Metropolitan ...
was constructed but remained
unsigned, instead being signed as part of
Route 132 with a
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
Autoroute 15 and a concurrency with
Autoroute 20.
Initially, Highway 20 was to pass through
Downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal (French language, French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the ...
along present-day
Route 136 (''Autoroute Ville-Marie'') corridor, join
Autoroute 25, and cross the
St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...
via the
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel
The Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel () is a highway bridge–tunnel running over and beneath the Saint Lawrence River. It connects the Montreal borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve with the south shore of the river at Longueu ...
. Autoroute 20 was to pass temporarily on the south shore (the overlap with Route 132), and once the initial route was constructed, the south shore section would be renumbered to Autoroute 430. The Autoroute Ville-Marie extension was cancelled and Autoroute 20 is permanently routed on the south shore, resulting in the Autoroute 430 designation being cancelled. The exit numbers on Autoroute 20 were adjusted in 2012.
The northern part of Autoroute 430 between the freeway section of Route 132 in Boucherville and
Autoroute 30 in Sainte-Julie was not constructed.
Autoroute 540 (Vaudreuil-Dorion)
The
Vaudreuil-Dorion
Vaudreuil-Dorion () is a suburb of Greater Montreal, in the Montérégie region of southwestern Quebec, Canada. The result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, it is located in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality.
...
segment of Autoroute 540 was a short connection between
Autoroute 20 and
Autoroute 40. It became part of
Autoroute 30 in when its extension was completed in December 2012.
Autoroute 550
Autoroute 550 would have served as a bypass 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 ...
and would have been a link across the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
to
Highway 416 in the west end of
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 ...
. It was planned to alleviate traffic along
Autoroute 50 and
Autoroute 5 in Gatineau, as well as traffic along
Highway 417 and in downtown Ottawa. In 1996, the Quebec Ministry of Transportation stated in 1996 that there was no need for a Gatineau bypass, but it is keeping the corridor for a possible future boulevard or freeway in partnership with the
National Capital Commission
The National Capital Commission (NCC; , CCN) is the Crown corporation responsible for development, urban planning, and conservation in Canada's Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec), including administering most lands and build ...
.
In 2006, the National Capital Capital Commission began a study about a new inter-provincial bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau; however, the focus is located east of downtown Ottawa and the Britannia-Deschênes Corridor was not included as part of the study.
Unbuilt Autoroutes
Autoroute 6
Proposed in the 1960s, Autoroute 6 was planned to run from
Autoroute 15 in
La Prairie to
Farnham
Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
, also intersecting
Autoroute 30 and
Autoroute 35
Autoroute 35 (A-35) is an Autoroute in the region of Montérégie, Quebec, Canada. With the first section constructed in the 1960s, the A-35 links Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu with Montreal via the A-10. The A-35 is also the primary route for traf ...
; it would have paralleled
Route 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. Reconstruction of Autoroute 15 through La Prairie in the mid-2000s removed a grassy median at km 49 where ramps were to be built for a directional T-interchange to connect with Autoroute 6.
Autoroute 9
Proposed in the 1960s and early 1970s, Autoroute 9 was planned to run from
Autoroute 40 in
Pointe-Fortune to
Autoroute 50 in
Lachute
Lachute () is a town in southwest Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal, on the Rivière du Nord (Laurentides), Rivière du Nord, a tributary of the Ottawa River, and west of Mirabel International Airport, the Mirabel International Airport. It i ...
, providing a fixed crossing over the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
. Evidence of the proposed Autoroute 9 can be found in the form of a wide median on Autoroute 40 (to accommodate a Y-interchange) just east of Exit 1 in Pointe-Fortune.
Autoroute 10
The Autoroute 10 was planned in 1971 to Saint-Georges with a crossing of Autoroute 65 in Lambton.
Autoroute 13
Portion only: There was a proposal to extend Autoroute 13 from
Autoroute 640 in
Boisbriand
Boisbriand () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, at the entrance of the Lower-Laurentides in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles in the Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality.
Alth ...
to
Autoroute 50 near
Mirabel Airport Mirabel, Mirabelle or Mirabell may refer to:
* Mirabel (name), a female given name
Places
Austria
*Mirabell Palace, in Salzburg
Canada
*Mirabel, Quebec
Mirabel () is a suburb of Montreal, located on the North Shore (Montreal), North Shore in ...
. Since Mirabel Airport ceased passenger operations in 2004, the A-13 extension was de-prioritised.
Autoroute 15
Portion only: There was a fully funded proposal to bypass the Autoroute 15
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
along
Autoroute 40 (known as ''Autoroute Métropolitaine'' or "the Met" between the two segments of Autoroute 15) by diverging from its present alignment south of the Henri-Bourassa/Sauve exit to connect directly from the North into the Decarie interchange.
Autoroute 16
Reserved for autoroute conversion of Boulevard Wilfrid-Laurier (
Route 112 and
Route 116).
Autoroute 18
In the 1970s, Autoroute 18 was proposed to extend east from
Autoroute 55 through
Victoriaville
Victoriaville () is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region. It is formed by the 1993 merger of ...
toward
Autoroute 65 (also unbuilt) in
Plessisville
Plessisville () is a county seat of L'Érable Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. Routes 116 and 165 go through it. The city is 185 km from Montreal and 95 km from Quebec City. The city has hosted an annual Maple festival ...
.
Autoroute 20
Portions only: Autoroute 20 has two unbuilt sections, one bypassing
Dorion and another the continuation of the present
Route 136, joining
Autoroute 25 north of the tunnel.
The proposed alignment of the Dorion bypass would have begun at present-
Autoroute 30 (formerly
Autoroute 540), crossed the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
at the Hydro transmission wire crossing, and joined the current route at Boulevard Don-Quichotte. Current plans are to move the proposed highway slightly north between the eastern bridge entrance to the town of Dorion and the last junction at Boulevard Harwood (
Route 342).
The section east of the current Ville-Marie tunnel was supposed to be designated
Autoroute 20 but was designated as
Autoroute 720 until 2021 where it was redesignated to
Route 136. The highway is currently routed from the Turcot interchange along
Autoroute 15, over the
Champlain Bridge, and then east on
Route 132 towards
Autoroute 25 at the southern end of the tunnel.
Autoroute 35
Portions only:
Autoroute 35
Autoroute 35 (A-35) is an Autoroute in the region of Montérégie, Quebec, Canada. With the first section constructed in the 1960s, the A-35 links Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu with Montreal via the A-10. The A-35 is also the primary route for traf ...
is still incomplete. When the highway was first built in the 1960s, it ended in
Iberville at the northern end of
Route 133 at the intersection of rue Lefort. Around 2009, it was announced that the Autoroute would be completed by 2017 where the process involved four phases with the first two completed in 2014. Autoroute 35 is now extended from the previous terminus in Iberville to Route 133 at
Saint-Sébastien. The last two phases involve continuing the highway southeast of the current terminus to
Phillipsburg, construction of an interchange on Route 133 at Phillipsburg, and following Route 133 to
Interstate 89
Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all ...
at the Vermont border. In 2019, the government announced the construction of the last phases will be completed for 2023.
Autoroute 40
Two sections of Autoroute 40 were not part of the original plans. The original intention was to bypass
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...
to the north, while the existing Autoroute 40 through downtown would have been
Autoroute 755, avoiding its present concurrency with
Autoroute 55. In addition, a different route was originally planned around
Sainte-Foy (now in the west end of
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
) south of
Jean Lesage International Airport, while the existing segment of Autoroute 40 between Sainte-Augustin and
Autoroute 73 would have been the western end of
Autoroute 440. Both
rights-of-way
A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
are still maintained.
Autoroute 50
Portions only: Originally, the portion of
Route 158 between
Saint-Esprit and
Joliette
Joliette () is a city in southwest Quebec, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Montreal, on the L'Assomption River and is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Joliette. It is considered to be a part of the North Shore of G ...
was planned to be Autoroute 50, however, these plans were later cancelled. A petition to upgrade the existing route to its formerly planned freeway status began circulating in 2014.
Autoroute 65
Autoroute 65 was proposed in the 1970s and would have linked
Thetford Mines
Thetford Mines (; Canada 2021 Census population 26,072) is a city in south-central Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of Les Appalaches Regional County Municipality.
The city is located in the Appalachian Mountains, 187 km east-northeast of Mo ...
to
Autoroute 20 at
Villeroy. It may have been planned as far south as an easterly extension of
Autoroute 10 near
Lambton.
Autoroute 415
Autoroute 415 had been proposed as the number of a planned autoroute in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
. This road was proposed in 1960, and would have connected
Autoroute 15 (the Décarie Autoroute) at
Monkland Avenue to
Autoroute 19 at Rachel Street (on a connection between the present Autoroute 19 and the
Jacques Cartier Bridge
The Jacques Cartier Bridge () is a steel truss cantilever bridge crossing the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal Island, Montreal, Quebec, to the South Shore (Montreal), south shore at Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The bridge crosses Saint Helen's ...
that was never built).
In its 1960 master highway plan, the Montreal Metropolitan Committee proposed a new long autoroute along the city's east–west street grid at the northern edge of
downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
. The six-lane autoroute was forecast to handle as many as 4,500 vehicles per hour during weekday peak periods. Beginning at the Decarie Autoroute at Monkland Avenue in the
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (, , ), commonly known as NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal in the city's West End, with a population of 166,520 (2016). An independent municipality until annexed by the City of Montreal in 1910, NDG is today o ...
section of the city (at the current EXIT 66 on Autoroute 15), the Mount Royal Autoroute was to extend in a northeastern direction through Westmount underneath
Mount Royal Park
Mount Royal (, ) is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The city's name is derived from the mountain's name.
The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentian ...
before emerging above ground at Rachel Street connecting to the unbuilt Autoroute 19 section of what is now
Papineau Avenue
Papineau Avenue () is the longest north–south street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The part of the street between Henri Bourassa Boulevard and Quebec Autoroute 40 is the Montreal portion of Quebec Autoroute 19, commonly referred to as ''Autorout ...
.
Autoroute 640
Portion only: The initial plan for Autoroute 640 was to continue west from
Oka, crossing
Lac des Deux Montagnes
Lake of Two Mountains (French: ''Lac des Deux Montagnes'') is part of the river delta widening of the Ottawa River in Quebec, Canada, at its confluence with the St. Lawrence River.
Lake of Two Mountains has four outflows: Rivière des Mille Île ...
, to
Autoroute 40 in
Vaudreuil-Dorion
Vaudreuil-Dorion () is a suburb of Greater Montreal, in the Montérégie region of southwestern Quebec, Canada. The result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, it is located in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality.
...
, potentially passing through
Oka National Park
Oka National Park ''(Parc national d'Oka)'' is a small provincially administered park, located within the village of Oka and between Pointe-Calumet on one side and Saint-Placide on the other side. on the north shore of Lac des Deux Montagnes in ...
and Aboriginal lands. The political sensitivity involved with constructing a freeway through a protected area and the
1990 land dispute regarding a golf course expansion have decreased the likelihood of the extension.
Autoroute 755
Autoroute 755 is in service but is currently part of
Autoroute 40. Originally, Autoroute 40 was to avoid the downtown area of
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...
and to pass north of its current alignment, continuing east from the northern Autoroute 40 /
Autoroute 55 interchange to a tight curve near Rue Courteau. The present alignment of Autoroute 40 in the downtown area would have been designated as Autoroute 755.
It existed briefly in the mid-1980s under the name of ''Autoroute de Francheville'', but was incorporated into Autoroute 40 when the construction of the original route was suspended.
See also
*
Autoroutes of Quebec
The Quebec Autoroute System or le système d'autoroute au Québec is a network of freeways within the province of Quebec, Canada, operating under the same principle of controlled access as the Interstate Highway System in the United States and th ...
External links
Unbuilt Autoroutes
References
{{Quebec Autoroutes
Unbuilt buildings and structures in Canada
Autoroutes, Unbuilt
Unbuilt
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, ...
fr:Liste des autoroutes non construites du Québec