Glace 005 Jeffrey-Alexandre-Rousseau bridge

Route 138 is a major highway in the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

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, ...

, following the entire north shore of 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 ...

past Montreal to the temporary eastern terminus in Kegashka on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of

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 ...

(connecting with New York State Route 30 at the Trout River Border Crossing). Part of this highway is known as the '' Chemin du Roy'', or King's Highway, which is one of the oldest highways in Canada. It passes through the

Montérégie Montérégie () is an administrative region in the southwest part of Quebec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Châteauguay, Longueuil, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Vaudreuil-Dorion. ...

Lanaudière Lanaudière (, ) is one of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada, situated immediately to the northeast of Montreal. It has a total population ( 2016 Census) of 494,796 inhabitants, an increase of 4.9% over the 2011 census. Geogr ...

Mauricie Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making tourism in Mauricie popular. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km2 (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...

Capitale-Nationale Capitale-Nationale (; ) is one of the 17 administrative regions of Quebec. It is anchored by the provincial capital, Quebec City, and is largely coextensive with that city's metropolitan area. It has a land area of 18,684.78 km2. It reported ...

and

Côte-Nord Côte-Nord (Region 09) (, ; ) is an List of regions of Quebec, administrative region of Quebec, on the Quebec-Labrador peninsula, Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, Canada. The region runs along the St. Lawrence River and then the Gulf of St. Lawrence, ...

regions of Quebec. In Montreal, Highway 138 runs via

Sherbrooke Street Sherbrooke Street (officially in ) is a major east–west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal, Canada. The street begins in the town of Montreal West, Quebec, Montreal West and ends on the extreme ...

, crosses the Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge to

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

and remains a four-lane road until exiting Repentigny. This highway takes a more scenic route than the more direct Autoroute 40 between Montreal and

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 ...

. It crosses the Saguenay River via a ferry which travels between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and

Tadoussac Tadoussac () is a village municipality in La Haute-Côte-Nord RCM (Regional County Municipality), on the north shore of the maritime section of the estuary of St. Lawrence river, in Côte-Nord region, Quebec, Canada. Geography Tadoussac is ...

; in the event of a closure of this ferry, drivers must take a significant detour via Quebec Route 172 and Quebec Route 170 to the city of Saguenay in order to cross the river by bridge.

The Whale Route

From

to Blanc-Sablon, at the beginning of the 20th century, the first routes of what would become Route 138 (formerly Route 15) were laid in the vicinity of Sept-Îles. In 1961, a section was added from the Franquelin region to the tip of the Moisie River, some 20 kilometres east of Sept-Îles. On the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, until 1976, there was no continuous route to go further east than the Moisie River. Only bits of paths here and there connect a few coastal villages to each other, Natashquan connects to Aguanish by a dirt road (1959). Route 138, from Tadoussac to Havre-Saint-Pierre, opened in the spring of 1976, from there access to the islands of the Mingan Archipelago by sea. In 1984, to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in New France, the Commission de toponymie gave this name to the part of Route 138 located east of the Saguenay River, that is, the part that extends from

to Havre-Saint-Pierre. The Whale route - Route Jacques-Cartier - Route 138 East 1976"> File:011 033 route 138.jpg, Donald-Gallienne bridge over the Moisie River, Sept-Iles (City), Matamec Hamlet, towards Moisie File:011 032 route 138.jpg, Fill of Highway No. 138, Sept-Îles (City), Hamlet Matamec File:011 035 route 138.jpg, Roadside restaurant sign File:011 036 route 138.jpg, Pole transport by helicopter File:Riviere_au_Tonnerre_006.jpg, Mouth of the Bouleau River, rest area, from the bridge 14468, Rivière-au-Tonnerre

From Havre-Saint-Pierre to Natashquan

Until the mid-1990s, the highway's eastern terminus was Havre-Saint-Pierre, but in 1996 the extension to Natashquan was completed. A 40 km gravel section between Natashquan and Kegaska opened on September 26, 2013, with the inauguration of a bridge across the

Natashquan River The Natashquan is a river in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. It flows south into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Geography The river has its source just south of the boundary between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence r ...

. When planning Route 138, from Havre-Saint-Pierre to the Pashashibou River, the Quebec Ministry of Transport planned the installation of lookouts. Visual openness, proximity to an exceptional landscape, educational potential, as well as a tourist vocation play a determining role in the choice of sites. The arrangement of lookouts invites travelers to stop in safe observation places, close to the road, preferably elevated and exposed to the winds to avoid the presence of insects. Over the 150.5 km that separate Havre-Saint-Pierre and Pashashibou River, Route 138 offers visual openings towards the Gulf of St. Laurent, Pontbriand River, the villages of Baie-Johan-Beetz and Natashquan, etc. A second segment of about 17 km extends from Tête-à-la-Baleine's airport, east through Tête-à-la-Baleine, to the ferry terminal southeast of Tête-à-la-Baleine. There is also a 10.7 km roadway, la route Mecatina, from Mutton Bay to a ferry terminal in La Tabatière and continuing beyond. A third segment of Route 138 extends from Old Fort to the

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

border (connecting with Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Route 510), near Blanc-Sablon on the eastern end of the Côte-Nord. Detroit Belle Isle 960718 11 3557 2360

Blanc-Sablon is located on the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the entrance of the

Strait of Belle Isle The Strait of Belle Isle ( ; ) is a waterway in eastern Canada, that separates Labrador from the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Location The strait is located in the southeast of the ...

. A gap remains between Kegaska and Old Fort, through isolated communities accessible only by coastal ferry. On August 25, 2006, the Quebec government announced a 10-year project to connect the two segments by building 425 km of highway along the Lower North Shore. In 2011, the Quebec government announced an additional $122 million investment for the project over five years as part of the Plan Nord. However, by 2013 difficulties ensued between the Quebec Ministry of Transport and the Pakatan Corporation, who was previously responsible for managing the funding for this project, leading to the termination of agreement between the two. By this time only 12 km of this road had been built, plus some additional engineering work and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

. The construction of two segments of the highway (Kegaska–La Romaine and Tête-à-la-Baleine–La Tabatière) was set to begin in 2019. A total of $232 million will be contributed to this project. In 2024 the province awarded contracts for engineering and construction of the route and bridges for the road segment between Kegaska and La Romaine.

Municipalities along Route 138

* Elgin *

Godmanchester Godmanchester ( ) is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman roads ...

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver C ...

* Ormstown *

Très-Saint-Sacrement Très-Saint-Sacrement is a parish municipality (Quebec), parish municipality located along the Châteauguay River in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 1,189. Established in 1885, the muni ...

* Howick * Sainte-Martine * Mercier * Châteauguay *

Kahnawake The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, across from Montreal. Establi ...

( LaSalle) * Montreal-Ouest * Montreal (

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 ...

) *

Westmount Westmount () is a city on the Island of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is an enclave of the city of Montreal, with a population of 19,658 as of the 2021 Canadian census. Westmount is home to schools, an arena, a pool, a public li ...

* Montreal ( Ville-Marie /

Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie () is a borough (''arrondissement'') in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located centre-east of the island. Geography The borough is bordered to the northwest by Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, ...

/ Anjou) *

Montréal-Est Montreal East (, ) is an on-island suburb in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the island of Montreal. Montreal-Est has been home to many large oil refineries since 1915. History The formation of Montréal-Est as a municipality was initiated in ...

* Montreal (

Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles () is a suburban Boroughs of Montreal, borough (''arrondissement'') on the eastern tip of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at the eastern end of the Island of Montreal. Geography T ...

) * Repentigny * Saint-Sulpice * Lavaltrie * Lanoraie * Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier * Berthierville * Saint-Cuthbert * Saint-Barthélemy * Maskinongé *

Louiseville Louiseville () is a Types of municipalities in Quebec, town in the Mauricie Quebec region, region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. It is located near the mouth of the 'Rivière-du-Loup', on the north shor ...

* Yamachiche *

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 ...

( Pointe-du-Lac / Trois-Rivières-Ouest / Trois-Rivières /

Cap-de-la-Madeleine Cap-de-la-Madeleine () is a former city in Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River and the St. Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into the City of Trois-Rivières in 2002. Population (2006 census) 33,022. History Cap- ...

) * Champlain * Batiscan * Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade * Deschambault-Grondines * Portneuf * Cap-Santé * Donnacona * Neuville * Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures *

( Cap-Rouge) * L'Ancienne-Lorette * Quebec City ( Les Rivières / La Cité-Limoilou / Beauport) * Boischatel * L'Ange-Gardien *

Château-Richer Château-Richer () is a small town situated in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River east of Quebec City. It is the seat for the Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality. Th ...

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré () is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census. Major religious ...

* Beaupré * Saint-Joachim * Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente * Saint-Tite-des-Caps * Petite-Rivière-Saint-François * Baie-Saint-Paul * Saint-Urbain * Saint-Hilarion * Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs * Clermont *

La Malbaie La Malbaie () is a municipality in the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality in the Province of Quebec, Canada, situated on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River at the mouth of the Malbaie River. It was formerly known as Murray Bay ...

* Saint-Siméon * Baie-Sainte-Catherine (ferry to 138 continuation in Tadoussac) *

* Sacré-Coeur *

Les Bergeronnes Les Bergeronnes () is a Types of municipalities in Quebec, municipality in the Côte-Nord List of regions of Quebec, region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. The municipality includes the communities of Gra ...

* Les Escoumins * Longue-Rive * Portneuf-sur-Mer * Forestville * Colombier * Betsiamites * Ragueneau * Chute-aux-Outardes * Pointe-aux-Outardes *

Baie-Comeau Baie-Comeau () is a city in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, and is the seat of Manicouagan Regional County Municipality. It is near the mouth of the Manicouagan Ri ...

* Franquelin * Godbout * Baie-Trinité * Port-Cartier * Uashat * Sept-Îles * Rivière-au-Tonnerre * Rivière-Saint-Jean * Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan * Havre-Saint-Pierre * Baie-Johan-Beetz * Aguanish * Natashquan * Kegaska ''gap in roadway'' * Tête-à-la-Baleine ''gap in roadway'' * Vieux-Fort * Blanc Sablon Route 138 Charlevoix

Major intersections

Fauna

From

to Blanc-Sablon, along The Whale Route (Route 138), it is possible to admire marine mammals with both feet on the ground. Several observation sites will allow you to meet these exceptional sea creatures!

Cetaceans Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively c ...

Beluga Beluga may refer to: Animals *Beluga (sturgeon) * Beluga whale Vehicles * Airbus Beluga, a large transport airplane * Airbus BelugaXL, a larger transport airplane * Beluga-class submarine, a class of Russian SSA diesel-electric submarine * U ...

Minke whale The minke whale (), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. The minke whale was first described by the Danish na ...

Fin whale The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as the finback whale or common rorqual, is a species of baleen whale and the second-longest cetacean after the blue whale. The biggest individual reportedly measured in length, wi ...

Porpoise Porpoises () are small Oceanic dolphin, dolphin-like cetaceans classified under the family Phocoenidae. Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and Beluga whale, belugas than to the Oceanic dolphi ...

Blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known ever to have existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...

.
Seals: Grey seal, harbour seal, harp seal. #

- Sentier Pointe de l'Islet # Sacré-Coeur - Baie Sainte-Marguerite #

- Centre d'interprétation et d'observation du Cap-Bon-Désir # Les Escoumins - Centre découverte du milieu marin # Portneuf-sur-Mer - Pointe-des-Fortin # Colombier - Cap Colombier # Ragueneau - Archipel des iles de Ragueneau #

- Quai de Baie-Comeau #Baie-Comeau - Baie St-Pancrace # Franquelin - Pointe à la croix # Godbout - Baie de Godbout # Baie-Trinité - Phare de Pointe-des-Monts # Port-Cartier - Quai des pêcheurs # Sept-Îles - Secteur des plages #Sept-Îles - Parc du Vieux-Quai # Rivière-au-Tonnerre - Belvédère Coste #Magpie - Belvédère de Magpie # Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan - Promenade sur le bord du fleuve # Anticosti - Phare de la Pointe Carleton # Bonne-Espérance - Secteur du Vieux-Fort

References

External links

Environmental impact study, extension of Route 138, Baie-Johan-Beetz section to the Watshishou River
Yves Bédard, biologist, 1987, p. 50
Provincial Route Map (Courtesy of the Quebec Ministry of Transportation)

Overview Google map for QC 138 from Montreal border to NatashquanOverview Google map for QC 138 from Montreal to New York borderOverview Google map for QC 138 from dead end to Newfoundland and Labrador border
{{Authority control 138 Baie-Comeau Baie-Saint-Paul Châteauguay Louiseville Transport in Repentigny, Quebec Roads in Montreal Streets in Quebec City Transport in Sept-Îles, Quebec Transport in Trois-Rivières