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 ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. A
spur route
A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A Bypass route, bypass or beltway is not considered a spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the ...
of Autoroute 40, the A-740 runs for on a north-south axis (parallel to 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 ...
) through the
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
s of
Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge
Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge () is a borough of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
The borough was created on November 1, 2009,Les Rivières, with interchanges at the A-440 at exit 4 and the A-40 at exit 9.
Originally named the Autoroute du Vallon for the 17th century road it replaced, in 2006, the Quebec government under then-
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest (; born June 24, 1958) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 29th premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012. Prior to that, he was a member of Parliament (MP) between 1984 and 1998. After holding se ...
renamed the highway ''Autoroute Robert-Bourassa'', in honour of a long serving former Quebec Premier.
Route description
The A-740 begins at an intersection with Route 175 (Also called Boulevard Laurier) in suburban
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 ...
, tracing the western limits of
Université Laval
(; English: ''Laval University)'' is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university traces its roots to the Séminaire de Québec, founded by François de Montmorency-Laval in 1663, making it the oldest institutio ...
along the northbound lanes and
Place Sainte-Foy
Place Sainte-Foy is an upscale shopping mall located in the former city of Sainte-Foy of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge and managed by JLL.
The anchors are Simons, Signature Maurice Tanguay, Metro, Saks Off 5th ...
(a regional
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
) along the southbound lanes. Once past the university, the A-740 enters a 300 m tunnel, passing under heavily travelled chemin Sainte-Foy and chemin Quatre-Bourgeois. Passing to the west of
Cégep de Sainte-Foy
Cégep de Sainte-Foy is a French-language CEGEP in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the borough of Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge. There are nearly 8,000 students registered at the college, making it one of the largest in the provi ...
, the A-740 approaches the interchange with the A-440 at exit 4. From here, motorists on the A-440 can travel east (which becomes Boulevard Charest) towards the city centre or west to an interchange with the A-40 and A-73, affording access to Jean Lesage International Airport and points south and west.
Continuing north, the A-740 passes to the west of an
industrial park
An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or trading estate, is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more heavyweight version of a business park or office par ...
, meets Route 138 at exit 7, then crosses the Saint-Charles River to an interchange with Boulevard Père-Lelièvre at exit 8 on the north shore. The autoroute provides the eastern boundary for a municipal park before meeting the A-40/A-73 (a concurrent route) at a
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...
. The A-740 ends shortly after the A-40/A-73 interchange, passing to the west of the Galeries de la Capitale (another regional shopping mall) to an intersection with Boulevard Lebourgneuf.
The original plans called for the A-740 to continue northward after the first section opened in 1982, and so the government preserved the autoroute's intended path. Instead, in 2006, an urban boulevard (Boulevard Robert-Bourassa) was opened on this right of way, running for from the northern terminus of the A-740 to Route 369 (Boulevard Bastien). This new route was intended to provide an alternative to the heavily travelled Boulevard St. Jacques (which it parallels).