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 Autoroute Claude-Béchard. It is currently under construction with committed Federal and Provincial funding for its completion, with an projected completion date of 2026.^[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 Antigonish, 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, A-85 when complete will be the only controlled access highway link between the Maritime Provinces and the rest of the country. A-85 is projected to be approximately 100 km (60 mi) long when construction is complete and will replace Route 185, which has been called one of the deadliest highways in Canada.^[4]

Autoroute 85
Route Transcanadienne
Autoroute Claude-Béchard
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length	92 km[1][2] (57 mi)
Existed	2002[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	Route 2 (TCH) near Moulin-Morneault, NB
Major intersections	R-232 in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac Rue Fraserville, Rivière-du-Loup
North end	A-20 (TCH) in Notre-Dame-du-Portage
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Major cities	Rivière-du-Loup, Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, Saint-Antonin, Dégelis, Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!
Highway system
Trans-Canada Highway Quebec provincial highways Autoroutes List Former
← A-73 → R-101

Currently there are two completed sections of A-85. The northern section runs from south of Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata (km 57) 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 southern section extends from the New Brunswick border (km 0) to north of Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (km 50). Construction began in 2002 in the vicinity of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac and it was completed in 2016. The government of Quebec is currently building the final section to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, and it is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Route description

Southern segment

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 A-85 would be named for Claude Béchard, a longtime Member of the National Assembly from Bas-Saint-Laurent.^[4]

From the New Brunswick border, A-85 briefly parallels the main runway of the Edmundston Airport, which straddles the interprovincial border. The freeway 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, A-85 passes through Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, with exits at km 29, km 37, and km 40, providing access to Lac-Témiscouata National Park. Past Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (km 50), the controlled-access highway ends and the highway resumes its designation as Route 185.

Northern segment

The second section of A-85 begins in Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata, 3 kilometres south of its junction with Route 291 (itself at km 60), then proceeds through the Appalachian Hills, by either following its predecessor's alignment or following a new routing, leaving the former Route 185 as a local road serving residents and businesses in the area. Exit 93 provides access to Route 191 which bypasses Rivière-du-Loup to the south and provides the most direct route (and a effective go-around transit route for commercial heavy vehicle traffic) for motorists bound for Rimouski, Mont-Joli, and Gaspésie via eastbound A-20. After one last exit at Fraserville Road (km 96), 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 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

The first section of A-85 that was built stretched from km 94 in Rivière-du-Loup to A-20 at km 100. This section opened in 1972 as Route 185.

In 2002, a bypass of Notre-Dame-du-Lac was built, then in 2004, a bypass of Dégelis was constructed.

In 2005, the initial segment saw an extension south to km 88 in Saint-Antonin. The freeway was officially signed as A-85 from km 88 to km 100 in anticipation of the conversion of Route 185.

In 2009, bypasses of Cabano and Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! opened, and in 2011, those bypasses were connected.

In 2013, the bypass of Dégelis was extended both ways, with the new freeway stretching from km 8 to km 22. It would be extended further south and tied into New Brunswick Route 2 in 2014.

Also in 2014, the Notre-Dame-du-Lac and Cabano bypasses were connected, and then in 2015, the freeway was extended to km 48.

In 2021 and 2022, the initial segment saw further extension south, with the new freeway stretching from km 76 to km 100. Another separate segment was constructed between km 56 and km 62. By October 2024 the section between km 62 and 76 was completed and opened. The entire freeway will be connected by mid-2026.^[5]

Exit list

RCM	Location	km[6]	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Témiscouata	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		R-295 (7e Rue) / Rue Industrielle – Dégelis, Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, Saint-Juste-du-Lac	Northbound exit and entrance
		14.4	8.9	14	R-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	R-232 west (Rue Cascades) – Rivière-Bleue, Pohénégamook	South end of R-232 concurrency
		39.9	24.8	40	R-232 east (Rue Commerciale) – Saint-Michel-du-Squatec, Rimouski	North end of R-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	–	R-185 (TCH) north	Road transitions to Route 185; south end of 8 km (5.0 mi) gap in A-85
	Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata	56	35	56	Rue Principale	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; Part of Phase III extension[7][5]
		60	37	60	R-291 north – Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata, Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup	Part of Phase III extension[7][5]
		66	41	66	Rue Principale Nord / 10e Rang	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; Part of Phase III extension[7][5]
Rivière-du-Loup	Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup	71	44	71	Chemin Taché Ouest	Part of Phase III extension[7][5]
	Saint-Antonin	85	53	85	Chemin de Rivière-Verte	Part of Phase III extension[7][5]
		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	R-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	Fraserville Rest Stop (Northbound)
	Notre-Dame-du-Portage	99.9	62.1	100	A-20 (TCH) west – 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 (13 September 2010). "L'autoroute Claude-Béchard: comme si c'était fait". La Presse. La Presse (Montreal). Retrieved 22 January 2015.
5. "Autoroute 85 (Claude-Béchard) – Réaménagement de la route 185 en autoroute entre Saint-Antonin et Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (phase III) – Construction". Quebec Ministère des Transports. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
6. "A-85 in Quebec" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
7. "Début des travaux de la troisième phase de réaménagement de la route 185" (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2018-10-03.

External links

Template:Attached KML/Quebec Autoroute 85

KML is from Wikidata

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

Trans-Canada Highway
Previous route Autoroute 20	Autoroute 85	Next route Route 185