Quebec highways

Quebec has a particular but very comprehensive road network

A-40

The A-40, known as 'Autoroute 40' and officially named 'Autoroute Félix-Leclerc' runs from stretches from the border of Ontario to the West and finishes just East of Quebec city. The A-40 highway continues it's path into Ontario as the H-417 which goes to Ottawa at the provincial border in Rigaud. It also runs parallel to the St-Lawrence River on its northern bank crossing Montreal Island, Trois-Rivières before finally reaching Quebec city where the highway merge with the national 138 which goes further East.

The A-40 is part of the Transcanadian Highway between Montreal and the ontarian border.

Montreal Metropolitan Area

In Montreal, the A-40 runs in the northern part of the island and is known as 'Autoroute Metropolitaine' before reaching the North Bank at the 'Charles-De-Gaulle Bridge' in Repentigny. In the metropolitan area, the highway include two periphical branch meant to avoid the urban traffic and facilitate the transport towards the northern regions. From Repentigny, the A-440 and the A-440 aim to by-pass Montreal Island, the A-440 goes directly and finishes into Laval while the A-640 follows the North Bank before finishing in the surrounding of Oka.

Trois-Rivieres and Quebec Area

In Trois-Rivières, the by-pass highway project has never been built. Therefore, the highway runs directly into downtown and requires that you change into the A-55 on the western part of the city. While the west southern downtown junction between the A-40 and A-55 would be a hitching disaster (therefore do not hitch along the highway there!), the northern junction (leading to Montreal westbound) would even enable you to hitch directly on the highway viaduc. The distance to travel on the A-55 is about 4km in term of Canadian distance its short enough to usually have a driver do the detour to drop you there.

In Quebec city, the A-40 (known as 'Autoroute de la Capitale') act as a by-pass while the A-440 (known as 'Boulevard Charest') goes directly into downtown. Both the A-40 and A-440 terminates in the vicinity of Quebec city crossing the path of the A-73 (North to Chicoutimi), to continue on a journey further East, you would have to follow the National Road 138 towards Charlevoix.

In between these three main cities, you cross a long rural landscape going from farmland to a big nothing. West of Quebec city, in the region of Portneuf, it could be feasable to hitch along the highway itself at some point. This gets impossible the nearer of Montreal you get.

Services

Most of the Services along the A-40 are off the motorway.

Between Quebec city and Trois-Rivières, in Portneuf County, there is two exits that provides 24h Services in St-Marc-des-Carrières (Exit 254) and Donnacona (Exit 274) (See Portneuf for the details). The only existing Highway Rest area is also located in Portneuf at the border with Quebec city Urban Community but only Eastbound (between Exit 285 and 295), the Westbound rest area has been definitely closed in 2005, it offers toilets and possibly a Tourist Office.

The Eastern part of Trois-Rivières offers also a off the Highway Services, located at Exit 202 (Boulevard des Estacades) which might reveal the right place to catch long distance ride on every directions.

Between Trois-Rivières and Montreal, there is only one Highway Rest Area situated between Exit 160 and 166 (toilet only) and one Motorway Services (Point-du-Jour Services) at Exit 118. This Huge Services, located in the middle of the highway enable you to catch rides nearly wherever.

The other off the highway Services are located at Exit 144 - Berthierville (which can lead to the St-Lawrence South Shore by the Sorel new bridge) and at Exit 180 - Yamachiche.

Before entering Montreal Island and unless you get a ride to nearly downtown or at least a metro station, your last option would be the Exit 94 - Lachenaie. Note that the first 8 Exit (coming from the East) on the Island are purely to the Industrial Estates.

A-40 Wikipedia

A-20

The A-20, known as Autoroute 20 and officially named 'Autoroute Jean-Lesage' is one of the oldest highway infrastructure of Canada. You might indeed notice it when transiting through this major way that connects Montreal to Quebec city by the south shore of the St-Lawrence river further West becoming the H-410 in Ontario and stretching further East into Gaspesia and nearly connecting New Brunswick which can be reached by continuing on the Route 185 and becomes the H-2 in New Brunswick.

The A-20 is part of the Transcanadian Highway in nearly all of its length with exception of the part West of Montreal.

Montreal Metropolitan Area

While in Montreal and leaving the Montreal Metropolitan area, the A-20 connects on Montreal Island with the A-40 by taking either the A-13 / A-15 or A-25 North for a few km. Around the International Airport of Dorval, the 'Autoroute Cote de Liesse act as a connecting By-Pass between the A-20, the airport and the A-40.

It also crosses the path of other major highways such as the A-10 and the A-30 which can act as a By-Pass to the Southern Montreal Metropolitan. The A-20 crosses officially the St-Lawrence onto Montreal on the 'Pont Champlain' together with the A-10 and the A-15. Although the 'Lafontaine Tunnel' marks the end of the A-25 to become the A-20 Westbound and the 'Pont Jacques-Cartier' as well as the 'Pont Victoria' goes direct downtown from the A-20 on the St-Lawrence South Shore.