Quebec highways

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Quebec has a particular but very comprehensive road network.

Hitch-hiking on Quebec expressways is de facto illegal, but tolerated in certain areas, mainly rural. It is recommended to not hitch along the expressways in Montreal Metropolitan Area including the A-40 (A-440), A-13, A-15. Neither on the motorway junctions in Trois-Rivières or Quebec city (A-40, A,640, A-20) as these are places are pretty dangerous.

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 its 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. Both connects with the A-13 that runs North-South back to the main A-40 on Montreal Island.

Trois-Rivieres area, junction with the A-55

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.

Quebec Area, junction with the A-73

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.

Drummondville, junction to the A-55

From Montreal Metropolitan South shore, the A-20 heads eastwards crossing many localities of this vast farmland region. It reaches the junction of the A-55 (coming from the South (Sherbrooke) at Exit 173) just west of Drummondville. The A-55 and A-20 shares the same infrastructure for about 30 km before it heads back north towards Trois-Rivières from Exit 210.

Around Quebec city (Levis)

The A-20 does not get into Quebec city but instead goes into its St-Lawrence south bank sister city Levis. Just west in the vicnity of Levis there are major off the motorway services with restaurants at Exit 311 and Exit 314. Note that Exit 312 is the motorway junction with the A-73 to cross the St-Lawrence north into Quebec city (through Pierre-Laporte bridge) or south towards Maine. Bear in mind that Exit 314 also leads to 'Quebec Bridge' which can be crossed by foot.

From then on, the A-20 continues just south of Levis eastwards direction New Brunswick and Rimouski.

Services

A-10

The A-10, also known as Autoroute des Cantons de l'Est, is a highway connecting Montreal and Montreal Metropolitan to the south of the province in the Eastern Township and Sherbrooke. The A-10 starts in Montreal downtown as an urban expressway (Autoroute Ville-Marie) just nearby the port, before joining the A-15 and A-20 as another urban expressway (Autoroute Décarie) and cross to the south bank of the St-Lawrence through Champlain bridge crossing Brossard and heading eastward in direction of the Eastern Township before finishing into Sherbrooke after the junction with the A-55.

St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, junction to Route 35 (Vermont)
Magog, junction to the A-55 (Sherbrooke and Vermont)
Services

A-55

The A-55, known as Autoroute 55 or Autoroute Transquébécoise, is a major North-South highway connecting the Lac-St-Jean Region in the north to the State of Vermont in the south. It goes straight through the middle part of the province passing next to or through the cities of Sherbrooke, Drummondville and Trois-Rivières where it crosses the St-Lawrence River on the Pont Laviolette.

Interstate I91 Vermont - Border Crossing Stanstead
Magog - Sherbrooke area, junction with the A10
Drummondville area, junction to the A-20
Trois-Rivieres area, junction with the A-20
Services

A-15

A-73

Trans-Taiga Route

Trans-Labrador Route

Route 35

The Provincial Route 35 is a dual carriage way that is used as an expressway on the part north