Quebec Autoroute 85

Autoroute 85 is a Quebec Autoroute and the route of the Trans-Canada Highway in the province's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, also known as the Autoroute Claude-Béchard. It is currently under construction with committed Federal and Provincial funding for its completion, with an estimated completion date of 2025.[3] Once this upgrade is completed, it will close the last gap in the nearly continuous freeway section of the Trans-Canada between Arnprior, Ontario, and Sutherlands River, Nova Scotia, and for an even longer interprovincial freeway route between Windsor, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Running between Rivière-du-Loup (at a junction with Autoroute 20) and a junction with New Brunswick Route 2 at the Quebec-New Brunswick border, the A-85 when complete will be the only controlled access highway link between the Maritime Provinces and the rest of the country. The A-85 is projected to be approximately 100 km (60 mi) long when construction is complete and is intended to replace Route 185, which has been called one of the deadliest highways in Canada.[4]

Autoroute 85
Autoroute Claude-Béchard
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length	58.0 km[1][2] (36.0 mi)
Existed	2005[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	Route 2 (TCH) near Moulin-Morneault, NB
	Route 232 in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac Rue Fraserville, Rivière-du-Loup
North end	A-20 (TCH) in Notre-Dame-du-Portage
Location
Major cities	Rivière-du-Loup, Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways Autoroutes List Former ← A-73 → Route 101

Currently there are two completed sections of the A-85. Constructed in 1970, the first section runs from Saint-Antonin (km 87) to a junction with the A-20 at Notre-Dame-du-Portage (km 100). Originally signed as Route 185 when built, it was designed as A-85 in 2005 following extensive rehabilitation. The second, newer section extends from the New Brunswick border (km 0) to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (km 48). Construction began in 2002 in the vicinity of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac and continued to 2016.

Route description

Southern segment

The A-85 begins at the Quebec-New Brunswick border as the continuation of New Brunswick Route 2 and the Trans-Canada Highway. In 2010, the Quebec government announced that the A-85 would be named for Claude Béchard, a longtime Member of the National Assembly from Bas-Saint-Laurent.[5]

From the New Brunswick border, the A-85 briefly parallels the main runway of the Edmundston Airport, which straddles the interprovincial border. The A-85 travels in a northwesterly direction, following the course of the Madawaska River. The autoroute passes Dégelis to the west with exits at km 12, km 14, and km 15. Briefly skirting the south shore of Lake Témiscouata, the A-85 passes through Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, with exits at km 29, km 37, and km 40 (which provides access to Parc nationale Lac-Témiscouata). At Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (km 48), the controlled-access highway ends and the route resumes its designation as Route 185.

Northern segment

The second section of the A-85 begins in Saint-Antonin with exits at km 89, km 90, and km 93 as it traverses the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. Exit 93 provides access to Route 191 which bypasses Rivière-du-Loup to the south and provides the most direct route for motorists bound for Rimouski, Mont-Joli, and Gaspésie via eastbound A-20. After one last exit (km 97), the A-85 merges with westbound A-20 at the Saint Lawrence River. Westbound A-20 assumes the Trans-Canada Highway designation, continuing on to Québec City and Montréal, then to Windsor via the A-20 and Ontario Highway 401, or Ottawa via the A-40 and Ontario Highway 417.

History

Autoroute 85 in Rivière-du-Loup looking North towards the Saint Lawrence River

Construction History[3]

km	Year	Notes
0-8	2014	New Brunswick (Route 2) to Kilometre 8
8-14	2013	Kilometre 8 to Dégelis
14-15	2004	Dégelis
15-22	2013	Dégelis to Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac)
22-29	2015	South of Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac)
29-30	2002	Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac)
30-36	2014	Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac to Cabano)
36-38	2009	Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Cabano)
38-44	2011	Témiscouata-sur-le-lac (Cabano) to St-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!
44-48	2009	St-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!
48-56	2025 (scheduled)	St-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! to Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata[6]
56-62	2022 (scheduled)	Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata
62-70	2025 (scheduled)	Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata to Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup
72-76	2021 (scheduled)	Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup to Saint-Antonin
76-85	2022 (scheduled)	Saint-Antonin
85-88	2021 (scheduled)	Saint-Antonin[7]
88-94	2005	3e Rang in Saint-Antonin to Rivière-du-Loup (Route 185 converted to autoroute standards)
94-101	1972	From Rivière-du-Loup to Autoroute 20/Trans-Canada Highway West (Historic section of Route 185)

Exit list

The entire route is located in Bas-Saint-Laurent. 

Location	km[8]	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Dégelis	0.0	0.0	–	Route 2 (TCH) east – Edmundston, Fredericton	Continuation into New Brunswick; Trans-Canada Highway continues east
	0.75	0.47	1	Avenue de la Madawaska	Southbound access is from New Brunswick Route 2
	7.2	4.5	7	Traverse Johnny-Griffin
	12.4	7.7	12	Rue Industrielle / Avenue du Longeron	Southbound exit and entrance
	13.5	8.4		Route 295 (7e Rue) / Rue Industrielle – Dégelis, Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, Saint-Juste-du-Lac	Northbound exit and entrance
	14.4	8.9	14	Route 295 (7e Rue) – Dégelis, Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, Saint-Juste-du-Lac	No northbound exit
	15.4	9.6		Avenue Principale – Packington	Northbound exit and entrance
Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac	24.5	15.2	24	Chemin du Lac, Packington	Access via Route Saint Benoit
	28.2– 28.9	17.5– 18.0	29	Rue de l'Église / Rue Commerciale – Saint-Eusèbe, Notre-Dame-du-Lac
	29.6	18.4	30	Rue Commerciale	Northbound exit and entrance
	32.5	20.2	33	Montée du Détour
	37.2	23.1	37	Route 232 west (Rue Cascades) – Rivière-Bleue, Pohénégamook	South end of Route 232 concurrency
	39.9	24.8	40	Route 232 east (Rue Commerciale) – Saint-Michel-du-Squatec, Rimouski	North end of Route 232 concurrency
Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!	47.5	29.5	47	Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Saint-Elzéar-de-Témiscouata	Access via Rue Raymond
	49.3	30.6	–	Route 185 (TCH) north	Road transitions to Route 185; south end of 38 km (24 mi) gap in A-85
Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata			60	Route 291 north – Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata, Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup	Part of Phase III extension[6][7]
Saint-Antonin			85	Chemin de Rivière-Verte	Part of Phase III extension[6][7]
	88.0	54.7	–	Route 185 (TCH) south	Road transitions from Route 185; north end of 38 km (24 mi) gap in A-85
	89.2	55.4	89	Rue Principale – Saint-Antonin
	90.4	56.2	90	1er Rang – Saint-Modeste, Saint-Antonin	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Rivière-du-Loup	93.4	58.0	93	Route 191 (Boulevard Industriel) to A-20 east – Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski
	96.0	59.7	96	Chemin Fraserville – Rivière-du-Loup
	97.6	60.6	98	Halte Routière de Fraserville	Northbound only
Notre-Dame-du-Portage	99.9	62.1	100	A-20 (TCH) west (Autoroute Jean-Lesage) – Québec	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance; exit 499 on A-20; Trans-Canada Highway follows A-20 west
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Route transition

References

1. Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
2. "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
3. "Autoroute Claude-Béchard (85) - Réaménagement de la route 185 en autoroute". Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
4. Lessard, Denis. "L'autoroute Claude-Béchard: comme si c'était fait". lapresse.ca. La Presse (Montreal). Retrieved 22 January 2015.
5. Lessard, Denis (2010). "L'autoroute Claude-Béchard: comme si c'était fait". La Presse. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
6. "Début des travaux de la troisième phase de réaménagement de la route 185" (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-03.
7. "A-85 Autoroute Claude-Bechard - Réaménagement de la R 185 en autoroute" (PDF). Transports Quebec. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
8. Google (January 2, 2020). "A-85 in Quebec" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 2, 2020.

External links

• Transport Quebec website
• Transports Quebec Map (in French)
• A-85 at Exitlists.com
• A-85 at Quebec Autoroutes
• Press release on A-85 opening