Quebec Autoroute 15

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Autoroute 15

Route Transcanadienne (French)
Autoroute Décarie
Autoroute des Laurentides
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length164 km[1][2] (102 mi)
Existed1958 [2][3]–present
Major junctions
South end I-87 in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle
Major intersections A-30 / A-930 in Candiac
A-10 / A-20 in Brossard
A-10 in Montréal
A-20 / R-136 in Montréal
A-40 (TCH) in Montréal
A-440 in Laval
A-640 in Boisbriand
A-50 in Mirabel
North end R-117 (TCH) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuébec
Major citiesBrossard, Montréal, Laval, Blainville, Saint-Jérôme
Highway system
A-13 A-19

Autoroute 15 (also called the Décarie Expressway (English) or Autoroute Décarie (French) between the Turcot and Décarie Interchanges in Montréal and the Laurentian Autoroute (English) or Autoroute des Laurentides (French) north of Autoroute 40) is a highway in western Quebec, Canada. It was, until the extension of Autoroute 25 was opened in 2011, the only constructed north-south autoroute to go out of Montréal on both sides. A-15 begins at the end of Interstate 87 at the United States border at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle and extends via Montréal to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts with an eventual continuation beyond Mont-Tremblant. The total length of A-15 is currently 164 km (101.9 mi), including a short concurrency (4 km or 2.5 mi) with Autoroute 40 (Boulevard/Autoroute Métropolitan) that connects the two main sections. This is one of the few autoroutes in Quebec that does not have any spinoff highways.

Road description

Southern section

Autoroute 15 in Montréal, facing southwards at the Autoroute 20 junction (Exit 63)

The southern section of A-15 connects the south shore suburbs of Montréal and is also the primary trade corridor route between Montréal and New York City linking Quebec Autoroute 15 to Interstate 87 at the Canada-United States border at the Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing. This was the former Route 9, and connected with US 9 on the western shore of Lake Champlain. In Brossard, it joins up with A-10 and A-20 across the Champlain Bridge into Montréal. The A-10 splits off almost immediately after crossing the bridge to head into downtown Montréal at the Bonaventure Expressway and the A-20 splits off shortly after at the Turcot Interchange (échangeur Turcot), leaving the A-15 to continue northward as Autoroute Décarie until the Décarie Interchange (échangeur Décarie) with the A-40 at the point where it turns from the Trans-Canada into the Metropolitan Expressway.

The route is also connected to Autoroute 30 in Candiac which was completed to Autoroute 20 in 2012 providing quick access to the south shore of Montréal, to southern communities located alongside Autoroute 15 and to the Canada–US border in Lacolle. It will also give quicker access from there to areas west of Montréal and also Ottawa and Gatineau.

Décarie Autoroute

Decarie Highway (North) at the height of Queen Mary Road

The Décarie Autoroute is a sunken highway between the northbound and southbound lanes of Decarie Boulevard from the Metropolitan Autoroute at its northern end to Monkland Avenue and the Villa Maria Metro station at its southern end. It was built on a wide expanse of vacant land, donated to the city by the Décarie estate on the condition that a streetcar line would be established. The decommissioning of the streetcar system in 1959 left the right-of-way as an obvious choice for a highway and so the Décarie Autoroute was dug there. South of Queen Mary Road, however, were a significant number of houses that were demolished.

To avoid demolishing Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Church, the highway makes a slight westerly jog below Côte-Saint-Luc Road and runs through a short tunnel, before emerging between Addington and Botrel Streets and running down to Sherbrooke Street and Saint Jacques Street, where it spectacularly goes from being below the ground to well above the ground as it intersects with Autoroute 20 and Route 136 in the infamous Turcot Interchange. Following the conversion from streetcar line to the highway, the Décarie estate sued the city but was unable to prevail because it did not document its case well enough for the nevertheless sympathetic court.

Decarie Boulevard

Decarie Boulevard itself continues; from Monkland Avenue south to Saint Jacques Street past the McGill University Health Centre Glen Campus superhospital; and from Autoroute 40 north into Montréal past Du College Station and Côte-Vertu Station/Norgate shopping centre to Poirier Street. Between Monkland Avenue and A-40, Decarie Boulevard serves as sort of a service road on both sides of the autoroute.

Northern section

After its concurrency with A-40, the northern section of A-15 is the main highway route to the Laurentians or Laurentides, until it downgrades to Route 117. It also links up to the northern suburbs of Montréal, as well as provides a connection to the A-440, A-640 and the A-50 in Mirabel. The first section from A-40 to Saint-Jérôme was opened on August 29, 1959 (source Montréal Star Aug. 29, 1959, page 3) as a toll road, although the tolls were removed in 1985. This section was also the first to be designed as an autoroute in the province. It was named Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides during the 1960s.[4]

Over the next years, it was extended north to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts as a new connection to touristic and skiing destinations in the Laurentides including in Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Adèle and Estérel. In the future, it is possible that the A-15 may continue even farther north, past Mont-Tremblant, as Route 117 is already an at-grade expressway with a freeway bypass of Mont-Tremblant completed, and the name Autoroute des Laurentides is also recognized on the freeway bypass (and exit numbers continue). This section is numbered separately from the southern section as if it were a different route. The northern route is also part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Exit list

Exit numbering resets at the two interchanges with Autoroute 40 in Montréal.

RCMLocationkmmiExitDestinationsNotes
Les Jardins-de-NapiervilleSaint-Bernard-de-Lacolle0.000.00


I-87 south (Adirondack Northway) to US 9 south – Albany, New York
Continues into New York
Canada–United States border at Champlain–St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing
1.081.741Montée Glass / Montée GuayAlso signed as a u-turn
3.732.32Québec I-650-6.svg Jardins-de-Napierville Rest Stop (Northbound)
6.5010.466 R-202 – Hemmingford, Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Lacolle
11.0517.7811Montée Henrysburg
13.1121.1013Montée MurraySouthbound exit only
Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington
Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur
20.9133.6521 R-219 / R-221 – Napierville, Saint-Patrice-de-SherringtonAlso serves R-217
RoussillonSaint-Édouard29.8348.0129Saint-Édouard, Saint-Jacques-le-MineurVia Montée du Moulin
Saint-Mathieu38.1461.3838Saint-Mathieu, Saint-PhilippeVia Montée Monette
Candiac40.7365.5540 A-30 west (Autoroute de l'Acier) – Pont Honoré-Mercier, Vaudreuil-DorionExit 55 on A-30; opened December 2010
42.9269.0742 A-930 east to A-30 east / R-132 west – Sorel-Tracy, Québec, Saint-Constant, Sainte-CatherineSouth end of R-132 concurrency; shared ramp with exit 40 northbound
45.08–
45.73
72.55–
73.60
44Boulevard Montcalm – Candiac
45.2872.8745 R-134 east (Boulevard Taschereau) – La PrairieNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; R-134 southern terminus
La Prairie45.73–
47.29
73.60–
76.11
46Boulevard Salaberry – La Prairie
47.9577.1747Rue Saint-Henri – La PrairieNorthbound exit and entrance
48.6178.2349Rue du QuaiSouthbound exit and entrance; to Parc de la Marina
LongueuilBrossard49.83–
51.20
80.19–
82.40
50Boulevard Matte; Boulevard RivardBoulevard Rivard appears on southbound signage
50.71–
52.27
81.61–
84.12
51Boulevard Rivard; Rue RivieraBoulevard Rivard on northbound signage; Rue Riviera on southbound signage
51.7183.2252Boulevard RomeNo southbound exit
52.91–
54.06
85.15–
87.00
53
6
A-10 east (Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est) to A-30 / I-89 – Sherbrooke, Vermont
A-20 east (Autoroute René-Lévesque) / R-132 east – Longueuil, Varennes
North end of R-132 concurrency; south end A-10 / A-20 concurrency; northbound signed as exit 53; southbound signed as exit 6; A-10 exit 6; A-20 west exit 75
St. Lawrence River54.74–
57.62
34.01–
35.80
Pont Champlain
MontréalMontréal57.90–
58.41
93.18–
94.00
57Boulevard de Île des Sœurs, Chemin de la Pointe NordSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as 57S for Île des Sœurs and 57N for Chemin de la Pointe Nord
58 A-10 west – Montréal Centre-ville, Île des SœursNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; west end of A-10 concurrency; A-10 exit 5
71.8115.660To A-10 west / Boulevard Gaétan-Laberge, Rue Wellington – Montréal Centre-villeA-10 exit 4; southbound access to A-10 west (unsigned)
60.7697.7861Rue Saint Patrick / Avenue Atwater
62.0099.7862Boulevard de La Vérendrye / Avenue de l'Église
63.58102.3263 A-20 west (Autoroute du Souvenir) / R-136 east (Autoroute Ville-Marie) – Centre-Ville, Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau, TorontoTurcot Interchange
Northern terminus of concurrency with A-20; signed as exits 63E (east) and 63O (west) southbound; A-20 exit 68; R-136 exit 1
Southern terminus of Autoroute Décarie
64.27–
65.02
103.43–
104.64
64 Rue Sherbrooke (R-138) / Rue Saint-Jacques
65.38–
67.24
105.22–
108.21
66Chemin Côte-Saint-Luc / Chemin Queen-Mary / Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
68.32–
69.34
109.95–
111.59
69Rue Jean-Talon / Rue de la Savane / Avenue Van Horne / Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
70.50113.4670
66[i]
A-40 (TCH) west (Autoroute Félix-Leclerc) to A-520 – Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau, Gatineau, OttawaDécarie Interchange
A-15 branches east; southern terminus of concurrency with of A-40
Boulevard Marcel-Laurin (R-117 north) / Boulevard DécarieNorthbound exit, southbound entrance
Northern terminus of Autoroute Décarie
71.35114.8368[i]Rue Stinson / Chemin Rockland / Boulevard de L'AcadieNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
73.00117.4870[i]
1
A-40 (TCH) east (Autoroute Métropolitaine) to R-335 (Rue Saint-Denis) / Boulevard Saint-Laurent – QuébecA-15 branches north; northern terminus of concurrency with A-40
Boulevard Marcel-Laurin (R-117 north) / Chemin Rockland / Boulevard de L'AcadieSouthbound exit
Southern terminus of Trans-Canada Highway designation and Autoroute des Laurentides
74.25119.492Boulevard de la Côte-Vertu / Boulevard LebeauSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Rue Sauvé / Boulevard Henri-Bourassa / Boulevard de L'AcadieNorthbound exit and entrance
75.73121.883Boulevard Henri-BourassaNorthbound exit is via exit 2
77.22124.274Rue de SalaberrySigned as exits 4E (east) and 4O (west) southbound; no southbound entrance
Rivière des Prairies78.02–
78.30
48.48–
48.65
Pont Médéric-Martin
Laval79.05–
81.10
127.22–
130.52
7Boulevard Cartier / Boulevard de la Concorde / Boulevard Notre-DameNorthbound entrance and exit via Le Corbusier Boulevard
80.19129.058Boulevard Saint-MartinNo direct southbound exit; southbound exit is via exit 10; former R-148
81.93–
84.13
131.85–
135.39
10 A-440 (Autoroute Jean-Noël-Lavoie) / Boulevard le CarrefourExit 22 on A-440
86.41139.0614 R-117 (Boulevard Curé Labelle) / Boulevard Dagenais westSigned as exits 14N (north) and 14S (south) southbound
88.47142.3816Boulevard Sainte-Rose / Avenue de la Renaissance
Rivière des Mille Îles89.64–
90.64
55.70–
56.32
Gedeon Ouimet Bridge
Thérèse-De BlainvilleBoisbriand91.26146.8719 R-344 – Boisbriand, Rosemère
Boisbriand
Sainte-Thérèse
92.81149.3620 A-640 to A-13 – Repentigny, Québec, Boisbriand, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Thérèse, Aéroport P.-E.-TrudeauSigned as exits 20E (east) and 20O (west); exit 20 on A-640
95.66153.9523Rue Saint-Charles – Mirabel, Centre-Ville Sainte-Thérèse
Blainville97.75157.3125Boulevard de la Seigneurie – Blainville
MirabelBlainville line101.20162.8728Boulevard Michèle-Bohec / Chemin Notre-Dame – Mirabel, Blainville
Mirabel103.31166.2631Rue Charles / Montée Sainte-Marianne
107.42172.8835 A-50 to R-117 (Boulevard Mirabel) – Gatineau, Lachute, Aéroport Mirabel, Saint-JeromeExit 292 on A-50
111.58179.5739 R-158 / Route-Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier – Sainte-Sophie
La Rivière-du-NordSaint-Jérôme113.54182.7241Boulevard du Grand-Héron
115.67186.1543Rue De Martigny Ouest – Centre-Ville Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Colomban, Mille-IslesSigned as exits 43E (east) and 43O (west)
117.50189.1045 R-117 / R-333 / Boulevard de La Salette – Prévost, Saint-HippolyteNo direct southbound access to R-117 and R-333
123.91199.4151Québec I-650-6.svg La Porte-du-Nord Service CentreAccessible in both directions
Les Pays-d'en-HautPrévost126.95204.3155PrévostNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs129.22207.9657 R-117 – Sainte-Anne-des-LacsNo southbound exit
130.53210.0758Chemin Avila – PiedmontNo southbound exit or northbound entrance
Saint-Sauveur133.09214.1960 R-364 – Saint-Sauveur, Morin-Heights, Piedmont, Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard
Sainte-Adèle136.67219.9564Chemin du Mont-Gabriel
139.4224.367 R-117 – Centre-Ville Sainte-AdèleNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
141.61227.9069 R-370 (Chemin Pierre-Péladeau) – Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Estérel
144.45232.4772Chemin du Mont-Sauvage / Montée à Séraphin – Sainte-AdèleNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Les LaurentidesVal-Morin148.12238.3876 R-117 – Val-Morin, Val-DavidNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Val-David152.27245.0580Val-David, 7e RangNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts155.65250.4983 R-329 south / Montée Alouette – Saint-Adolphe-d'HowardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
158.55255.1686 R-117 – Centre-Ville Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
160.17257.7788Rue DemontignyNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
161.93–
162.98
260.60–
262.29
89 R-117 south (Boulevard Morin) / R-329 – Saint-Donat
R-117 (TCH) north (Route Transcanadienne) – Mont-TremblantA-15 northern terminus; roadway and Trans-Canada Highway follows R-117 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Disasters

On February 19, 2020, white-out conditions caused a pile-up involving more than 200 vehicles in La Prairie, a suburb of Montréal.[5] Two persons died and more than 70 were injured.

On June 18, 2000, the southern portion of the Boulevard du Souvenir overpass in Laval (which crosses over Quebec Autoroute 15), under reconstruction, collapsed into the roadway, killing one and injuring two when cars were crushed underneath the structure. Sixteen beams weighing about 70 tonnes (69 long tons; 77 short tons) each fell. The contractor was faulted for shoddy work. The arched concrete beams were unsecured and tipped over like dominoes, many of them breaking into pieces.

The expressway has also seen flooding. On July 14, 1987, a sudden torrential downpour caused by an HP supercell thunderstorm dumped over 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain in just over one hour across the city. The Décarie Expressway, which is below-grade, was heavily flooded and became a river. At some locations, the water reached a maximum of 3.6 meters (12 feet) in depth on the roadway. Over 300 vehicles were abandoned when they were submerged. Two people were killed by the storm.[6] One 80-year-old man on the Expressway drowned and another one was killed by electrical wires (electrocuted). On July 5, 2005, another torrential downpour flooded portions of the Expressway after several manhole covers blew open from the storm sewers below them being overloaded.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c A-40 exit number

References

  1. ^ Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec". Transports Québec. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  3. ^ 1958 Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Nearly 70 injured as 200 vehicles involved in pile-up in snowy Montréal". the Guardian. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  6. ^ Environment Canada - Water - Main page Archived 2007-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Canoe – Infos – Québec-Canada: 30 millimètres d’eau en deux minutes sur l’autoroute Décarie

External links

Preceded by Trans-Canada Highway
Quebec Autoroute 15.svg Autoroute 15
Succeeded by