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Quebec Route 138

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"Quebec Route 15" redirects here. Not to be confused with Quebec Autoroute 15.
Route 138 marker
Route 138
Chemin Du Roy
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length1,420 km[1] (880 mi)
History Route 2 (Montreal – Quebec City)
Route 2C (through Quebec City)
Route 4 (U.S. border – Montreal)
Route 15 (Quebec City – Baie-Comeau)
Major junctions
West end NY 30 at Constable, New York
Major intersections
East end Route 510 east of Blanc Sablon
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
Highway system
← R-137→ R-139
Crossing Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade (Chemin du Roy)

Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the St. Lawrence River 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 (connecting with New York State Route 30 at the Trout River Border Crossing). Part of this highway is known as the Chemin du Roy,[2] or King's Highway, which is one of the oldest highways in Canada.[2][3]


It passes through the Montérégie, Montreal, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Capitale-Nationale and Côte-Nord regions of Quebec. In Montreal, Highway 138 runs via Sherbrooke Street, crosses the Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge to Charlemagne 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. It crosses the Saguenay River via a ferry which travels between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac; 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

[edit]

From Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon,[4] 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 Tadoussac to Havre-Saint-Pierre.[5][6]

From Havre-Saint-Pierre to Natashquan

[edit]
Since 2013, motorists can reach the small village of Kegaska, the westernmost village of the Lower North Shore.

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.[8] [9]

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.[10]

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.[11]

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 border (connecting with Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Route 510), near Blanc-Sablon on the eastern end of the Côte-Nord.[12]

Strait of Belle Isle, Bvrd. Docteur-Camille-Marcoux, Route 138), Blanc Sablon

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

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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] In 2024 the province awarded contracts for engineering and construction of the route and bridges for the road segment between Kegaska and La Romaine.[16][17]

Municipalities along Route 138

[edit]
Route 138 in the Charlevoix region.

Major intersections

[edit]
RCMLocationkm[18]miExitDestinationsNotes
Le Haut-Saint-LaurentElgin0.00.0
 NY 30 south – Malone		Continues into New York
Canada–United States border at Trout River Border Crossing
Huntingdon17.811.1 R-202 east (Rue Henderson) – Hinchinbrooke, FranklinWest end of R-202 concurrency
18.111.2 R-202 west – Sainte-Barbe, Salaberry-de-ValleyfieldEast end of R-202 concurrency
Ormstown32.820.4 R-201 north – OrmstownWest end of R-201 concurrency
34.021.1 R-201 south – FranklinEast end of R-202 concurrency
Très-Saint-Sacrement51.031.7 R-203 south – Saint-ChrysostomeNorthern terminus of R-203
Beauharnois-SalaberrySainte-Martine56.234.9 R-205 south (Rue Hébert) – Saint-Urbain-PremierWest end of R-205 concurrency
57.335.6 R-205 north (Chemin de la Beauce) – BeauharnoisEast end of R-205 concurrency
RoussillonMercier–Châteauguay boundary67.842.1 A-30 – Vaudreuil-Dorion, Sorel-Tracy
R-132 west (Boulevard René-Lévesque) – Léry		A-30 exit 38; west end of R-132 concurrency
Kahnawake76.247.3– R-207 south / R-221 south – Kahnawake, Saint-Isidore, Saint-RémiInterchange; northern terminus of R-207 & R-221
77.248.0– R-132 east to A-30 / A-15 – La PrairieInterchange; east end of R-132 concurrency
St. Lawrence River77.5–
79.1		48.2–
49.2		Pont Honoré-Mercier (Honoré Mercier Bridge)
MontréalMontréal79.349.31Rue AirlieInterchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
80.450.02Rue Clément, Rue St-PatrickInterchange
81.350.54
63		 A-20 west (Autoroute du Souvenir) / 1re Avenue – P.-E.-Trudeau International Airport, TorontoInterchange; west end of A-20 concurrency; exit numbers follow A-20
82.551.364 A-20 east – Montréal Centre-VilleInterchange; east end of A-20 concurrency; R-138 follows Rue Saint-Jacques
84.052.2Boulevard Cavendish / Rue Saint-JacquesR-138 follows Boulevard Cavendish
84.152.3Boulevard De MaisonneuveInterchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
84.452.4Rue Sherbrooke / Boulevard CavendishR-138 follows Rue Sherbrooke
86.253.6 A-15 (Autoroute Décarie)A-15 exit 64
90.456.2 Rue Peel (R-112 east)Western terminus of R-112
92.257.3 Rue Saint-Denis (R-335 north)Southern terminus of R-335
92.457.4Rue BerriInterchange; free-flow on Rue Berri
93.558.1 Avenue Papineau (R-134 south)One-way pair; northern terminus of R-134
93.858.3Avenue De Lorimier (R-134 north)
96.660.0 Boulevard Pie-IX (R-125 north)Southern terminus of R-125
101.162.8 A-25 (TCH) (Autoroute Louis-H.-La Fontaine)A-25 exit 5
109.668.1Boulevard Henri-BourassaAt-grade; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
113.970.8Rue Notre-DameRoundabout; R-138 follows Rue Notre-Dame
Rivière des Prairies114.1–
115.8		70.9–
72.0		Pont Le Gardeur (Le Gardeur Bridge)
L'AssomptionRepentigny116.072.1 To R-344 / A-640 / Boulevard Notre-Dame-des-Champs
Saint-Sulpice129.580.5 R-343 north to A-40 – L'AssomptionSouthern terminus of R-343
D'AutrayLavaltrie141.187.7 R-131 north (Rue Saint-Antoine) to A-31 – JolietteSouthern terminus of R-131
Berthierville165.4102.8 R-158 west (Avenue Gilles-Villeneuve) – Sainte-Geneviève-de-BerthierWest end of R-158 concurrency
166.5103.5 R-158 east (Rue de Bienville) – La Visitation-de-l'Île-DupasEast end of R-158 concurrency
172.3107.1 A-40 – Montreal, Trois-RivièresA-40 exit 151
MaskinongéLouiseville192.3119.5 R-348 west (Chemin de la Grande-Carrière) – Saint-Édouard-de-MaskinongéEastern terminus of R-348
193.4120.2 R-349 north (Rue Notre-Dame) – Saint-Léon-le-GrandSouthern terminus of R-349
198.2123.2 To A-40 – Montreal, Trois-RivièresA-40 exit 174
Yamachiche202.8126.0 R-153 (Boulevard Duchesne) – Saint-Barnabér
Trois-Rivières211.6131.5 A-40 – Montreal, Trois-RivièresA-40 exit 187
224.5139.5 A-55 to A-40 – Pont Laviolette, Shawinigan, Montreal, QuebecA-55 exit 181
227.2141.2Boulevard de la Commune / Rue RoyaleRond-point de la Couronne (Crown Roundabout); R-138 follows Rue Royale
227.8141.5Rue De La VérendryeWest end of one-way pair; eastbound follows Rue De La Vérendrye & Rue Notre-Dame Centre; westbound follows Rue Royale
229.3142.5Rue Laviolette / Rue RoyaleEast end of one-way pair; R-138 follows Rue Laviolette
231.1143.6Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; west segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice
231.5143.8Île Saint-ChristopheInterchange; access to Île Saint-Quentin and Île Caron
231.7144.0Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; east segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice
231.9144.1 Rue Duplessis (R-157 north)Southern terminus of R-157
Les ChenauxChamplain249.7155.2 R-359 north – Saint-Luc-de-VincennesSouthern terminus of R-359
Batiscan261.3162.4 R-361 north – Sainte-Geneviève-de-BatiscanSouthern terminus of R-361
Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade269.6167.5 R-159 north to A-40 – Saint-Prosper-de-ChamplainSouthern terminus of R-159
PortneufDeschambault-Grondines290.3180.4 R-363 north to A-40 – Saint-Marc-des-CarrièresSouthern terminus of R-363
Cap-Santé309.9192.6 R-358 north to A-40 – Pont-RougeWestern terminus of R-358
314.4195.4 To A-40 / 2e Rang / Rue de l'Église – Quebec, MontrealA-40 exit 274
Neuville323.0200.7 R-365 north to A-40 – Pont-RougeSouthern terminus of R-365
QuébecSaint-Augustin-de-Desmaures338.0210.0 R-367 north to A-40 – Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-CartierSouthern terminus of R-367
Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures–Québec boundary340.7211.7 A-40 (Autoroute Félix-Leclerc) – Montreal, QuébecA-40 exit 298; becomes Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel
Québec347.3215.8 A-540 south (Autoroute Duplessis) / Route de l'Aéroport – Aéroport International Jean-LesageNorthern terminus of A-540
350.0217.5 A-73 / A-40 (Autoroute Henri-IV) – Pont Pierre-Laporte, MontrealA-73/A-40 exit 141
353.0219.3 A-740 (Autoroute Robert-Bourassa) to A-440A-740 exit 7
355.5220.9 Boulevard Pierre-Bertrand (R-358 west)Eastern terminus of R-358
357.3222.0 A-973 / R-175 (Autoroute Laurentienne) to A-40 – Saguenay, Québec Centre-VilleA-973/QC 175 exit 4
357.8222.3Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel / Avenue Eugène-LamontagneR-138 follows Avenue Eugène-Lamontagne; becomes 18e Rue east of 1re Avenue
359.9–
360.1		223.6–
223.8		 Chemin de la Canardière (R-360 east) / 18e Rue / Boulevard Sainte-AnneR-138 follows Chemin de la Canardière for 1 block and continues on Boulevard Sainte-Anne; western terminus of R-360
362.3225.1 To A-440 west / Boulevard François-De Laval – Québec Centre-Ville
363.3–
363.8		225.7–
226.1		 To A-440 / Rue du Manège / Boulevard des Chutes – Québec Centre-Ville, Sainte-Anne-de-BeaupréA-440 exit 27
367.7228.5 R-368 east – Île d'Orléans
A-40 west to A-440 – Québec Centre-Ville		A-40 exit 325; eastern terminus of A-40; western terminus of R-368
La Côte-de-BeaupréSainte-Anne-de-Beaupré392.8244.1 R-360 west (Rue de la Visitation)West end of R-360 concurrency
394.6245.2 R-360 – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Saint-Ferréol-les-NeigesInterchange; east end of R-360 concurrency
Saint-Tite-des-Caps415.5258.2 R-360 west – Saint-Ferréol-les-NeigesEastern terminus of R-360
CharlevoixBaie-Saint-Paul448.6278.7 R-362 east – Saint-Joseph-de-la-RiveInterchange; western terminus of R-362
459.1285.3 R-381 north – SaguenaySouthern terminus of R-381
Charlevoix-EstLa Malbaie498.2309.6 R-362 west – Saint-Joseph-de-la-RiveEastern terminus of R-362
Saint-Siméon531.2330.1 Rue du Festival – Saint-Siméon ferry terminalFerry connection to Rivière-du-Loup
531.8330.4 R-170 west – SaguenayEastern terminus of R-170
Saguenay River568.8353.4 Tadoudssac–Quebec 138 Ferry
Kilometrage does not include ferry
La Haute-Côte-NordTadoussac574.9357.2 R-172 west – Sacre-Coeur, SaguenayEastern terminus of R-172
Les Escoumins607.3377.4 Rue de la Réserve – Les Escoumins ferry terminalFerry connection to Trois Pistoles
Forestville665.7413.6 Rue Verreault / 1e Avenue – Forestville ferry terminalFerry connection to Rimouski
667.4414.7 R-385 west – Bersimis-Deux, Bersimis-UnEastern terminus of R-385
ManicouaganBaie-Comeau765.0475.3 Avenue Damase-Potvin / Boulevard La Salle – Baie-Comeau ferry terminalFerry connection to Matane
766.6476.3 R-389 north – Fermont, Terre-Neuve-et-LabradorSouthern terminus of R-389; connects to Trans-Labrador Highway
Franquelin804.6–
804.9		500.0–
500.1		Saint-Nicolas Tunnel
Godbout820.5509.8 Rue Monseigneur-Labrie – Godbout ferry terminalFerry connection to Matane
Sept-RivièresSept-Îles942.4585.6 Rue Retty – Sept-Îles ferry terminalFerry connections to Rimouski and Port-Menier
950.0590.3  Sept-Îles Airport
MinganieHavre-Saint-Pierre1,157.6719.3 Rue de l'Escale – Havre-Saint-Pierre ferry terminalFerry connections to Port-Menier and Natashquan
Natashquan1,307.2812.3 Chemin des Robin – Natashquan ferry terminalFerry connections to Havre-Saint-Pierre and Kegaska
Le Golfe-du-Saint-LaurentKegashka1,359.0844.4 Chemin Jacques-Cartier – Kegaska Airport, Kegaska ferry terminalEastern terminus (main section); ferry connections to Natashquan and La Romaine
150 km (95 mi) gap in Route 138
Le Golfe-du-Saint-LaurentTête-à-la-Baleine0.00.0 Tête-à-la-Baleine AirportWestern terminus (Tête-à-la-Baleine section)
17.110.6 Tête-à-la-Baleine ferry terminalEastern terminus (Tête-à-la-Baleine section); ferry connections to Harrington Harbour and La Tabatière
140 km (85 mi) gap in Route 138
Le Golfe-du-Saint-LaurentVieux Fort0.00.0Western terminus (Vieux Fort–Blanc-Sablon section)
Blanc-Sablon67.942.2 Avenue Jacques-Cartier – Blanc-Sablon ferry terminalFerry connections to Saint-Augustin, Corner Brook, St. Barbe, and Route 430
71.444.4 Route 510 east (Trans-Labrador Highway) – L'Anse-au-Clair, Labrador CityContinues into Newfoundland and Labrador; eastern terminus of R-138
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Fauna

[edit]

From Tadoussac 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: Beluga, Minke whale, Fin whale, Porpoise, Blue whale.
Seals: Grey seal, harbour seal, harp seal.[4]

  1. Tadoussac - Sentier Pointe de l'Islet
  2. Sacré-Coeur - Baie Sainte-Marguerite
  3. Les Bergeronnes - Centre d'interprétation et d'observation du Cap-Bon-Désir
  4. Les Escoumins - Centre découverte du milieu marin
  5. Portneuf-sur-Mer - Pointe-des-Fortin
  6. Colombier - Cap Colombier
  7. Ragueneau - Archipel des iles de Ragueneau
  8. Baie-Comeau - Quai de Baie-Comeau
  9. Baie-Comeau - Baie St-Pancrace
  10. Franquelin - Pointe à la croix
  11. Godbout - Baie de Godbout
  12. Baie-Trinité - Phare de Pointe-des-Monts
  13. Port-Cartier - Quai des pêcheurs
  14. Sept-Îles - Secteur des plages
  15. Sept-Îles - Parc du Vieux-Quai
  16. Rivière-au-Tonnerre - Belvédère Coste
  17. Magpie - Belvédère de Magpie
  18. Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan - Promenade sur le bord du fleuve
  19. Anticosti - Phare de la Pointe Carleton
  20. Bonne-Espérance - Secteur du Vieux-Fort[4]


See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page 66-69, Les Publications du Québec, 2005
  2. ^ a b "Chemin du Roy, tourist route". Quebec Gouvernement. Bonjour Québec. 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024. Route 138 runs along much of the Chemin du Roy, which starts from Repentigny, east of Montréal, and goes towards the city of Québec.
  3. ^ "Chemin du Roy, map tourist information" (PDF). Regions of Lanaudière, Mauricie and Capitale-Nationale (in French). 23 March 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2024. Downtime...so many attractions!
  4. ^ a b c "Come see the whales". Côte-Nord, between nature and excess. North Shore Tourism. 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024. The tide, the underwater relief and the currents generate phenomenal concentrations of fish and plankton. No wonder the St. Lawrence is one of the best places in the world for whale watching: it's a real open-air buffet!
  5. ^ The Ages of Exploration. "Jacques Cartier". The Mariners' Museum and ParK. Retrieved 2024-01-13. Jacques Cartier is credited with discovering and claiming the land now known as Canada for France.
  6. ^ Pierre Frenette (2009). "North Shore, a land of convergence" (PDF) (in French). Les Éditions Histoire Québec. p. 8. Retrieved 14 January 2024. Logger-farmers swapped axes, harrows, and horses for saws, truck steering wheels, and bulldozer levers
  7. ^ - Quebec Gouvernement (2024). "Rivière au Bouleau". Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (in French). Inventory and inspection of structures. Retrieved 24 May 2024. Bridge 14468 - Type: Steel girder bridge
  8. ^ "Une nouvelle route pour Kegaska".
  9. ^ "Le pont de Natashquan inauguré".
  10. ^ "Rest areas of Quebec by region and by road". Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Quebec. 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024. Lookouts Rest Areas with or without services. They include a parking area and typically offer an exceptional view of the surrounding landscape.
  11. ^ Fabien Lecours, landscape architect, project manager; Yves Bédard, biologist; Robert Langlois, urban planner; François Morneau, geomorphologist; Denis Roy, archaeologist (March 1989). "Sites proposed for the establishment of lookouts, Route 138 – Havre-Saint-Pierre at the Pashashibou River" (PDF) (in French). Ministry of Transport Quebec, Environmental Service. Retrieved 16 July 2024. ,,, the presence of several exceptional attractions in edge of this road encourages observation{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Trans-Labrador Hwy - Labrador 2003 - Page 5
  13. ^ "Québec invests an extra $122 million for the extension of route 138 on the Basse-Côte-Nord". Gouvernement du Québec. May 30, 2011. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  14. ^ Lévesque, Fanny (5 July 2013). "Extension of 138: Quebec terminates agreement with Pakatan Corporation". LeNord Côtier. Retrieved 26 Jun 2018.
  15. ^ "Route 138 - Extension of Route 138 on the Lower North Shore". Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  16. ^ https://www.quebec.ca/en/news/actualites/detail/work-to-extend-highway-138-on-the-lower-north-shore-the-quebec-government-grants-the-innu-council-of-unamen-shipu-31-million-for-the-construction-of-a-bridge-over-the-riviere-washicoutai-56417
  17. ^ "Quebec awards engineering contract for Route 138 extension to FNX-INNOV". 20 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Route 138 in Quebec" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
[edit]
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