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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Autoroute 55 (Quebec)

Autoroute 55 (also called Autoroute de l'Énergie north of the Autoroute 20 and Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier south of it) is an important north–south Autoroute and the only one running in that direction in central Quebec. It is the longest north-south Autoroute, beginning as the continuation of I-91 at the Canada–United States border near Stanstead and continuing to Shawinigan, where it downgrades to Route 155. The total length of A-55 is currently 247 km (153.5 mi) long, including concurrencies with Autoroute 10, Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 40.

Route description

Autoroute 55 connects the mid-sized communities of Magog, Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières, and Shawinigan and the smaller communities in between. The most notable feature on A-55 is the Laviolette Bridge between Trois-Rivières and Bécancour, which is one of the longest bridges in Quebec and in Canada.

A-55 had a short "gap" between Bécancour and Drummondville until October 2006. The gap resulted from Transports Quebec's original intention of bringing A-55 southeast towards Victoriaville along what is now Autoroute 955 before shifting southwest to rejoin existing A-55 near Richmond. However, plans changed in the 1970s, and the present routing was chosen. The southern section was originally supposed to be Autoroute 51 and was intended to continue to the planned extension of Autoroute 30 in Pierreville. A-55 was signed along Route 155 (which is not an Autoroute-standard highway) until the new route was completed.

All of the southern portion of A-55 became a full four-lane freeway by the end of October 2006. The gap being filled in the northern portion will initially be a two-lane freeway for about 20 km (12.4 mi), but it is intended to ultimately be four lanes.

The designation Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier is in honour of Quebec businessman Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who lived in Valcourt, near where A-55 passes and who invented the snowmobile there. His company, Bombardier Inc., started by building snowmobiles and eventually grew into a major international manufacturer of transit vehicles and aircraft.

The designation Autoroute de l'Énergie means "Energy Highway" since it provides access to the Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station in Bécancour and the hydroelectric facilities in Shawinigan and the Haut-Saint-Maurice area, but the section north of A-30 is likely to remain at its comparatively short length to Shawinigan for the foreseeable future.

Exit list

RCMLocationkmmiOld exitNew exitDestinationsNotes
MemphrémagogStanstead0.000.00
I-91 south – Derby Line, Newport
Continuation into Vermont; A-55 / Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier southern terminus
Canada–United States border at Derby Line–Rock Island Border Crossing
0.30.19 R-247 west (Boulevard Notre-Dame)At-grade intersection, traffic signals
2.01.22 R-143 (Rue Dufferin) – Stanstead
Stanstead-Est5.73.5 Curtis Rest Stop (Northbound)
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley20.712.921 R-141 – Ayer's Cliff, Coaticook
28.717.829 R-108 – Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, North Hatley, Sherbrooke
Magog31.819.832Rue-Saint-Patrice, Boulevard Industriel
33.120.633 R-112 – Magog (Centre-Ville)
34.421.434
71
34
121
A-10 west – MontréalSouth end of A-10 concurrency; northbound signed as exits 34-E (east) and 34-O (west); southbound signed as exit 121; exit numbers follow A-10
MemphrémagogSherbrooke boundaryMagogSherbrooke boundary36.7–
37.8
22.8–
23.5
72
36
123 R-112 (Rue Sherbrook) to R-249 – Magog (Centre-Ville), Saint-Denis-de-BromptonR-112 follows A-10 / A-55 service roads
Sherbrooke41.025.541128 R-112 (Boulevard Bourque)R-112 exits A-10 / A-55 service roads
46.929.146133Chemin Saint-Roch Nord
49.630.8 Catherine-Day Truck Stop (Northbound)
50.931.650137 R-220 (Boulevard Industriel), Chemin de Saint-Élie
54.433.854140 A-410 east to R-108 (Rue King) – Cookshire-Eaton
55.234.355141Boulevard de Monseigneur-Fortier
56.935.4143 A-10 ends / A-610 east (Autoroute Louis-Bilodeau) to R-112 – Sherbrooke Centre-Ville, East Angus, Lac-MéganticA-10 eastern terminus; north end of A-10 concurrency
58.036.058 R-222 (Chemin des Écossais) – Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, ValcourtA-55 exit numbers resume
60.137.360Rue Laval
Le Val-Saint-FrançoisWindsor71.044.171 R-249 – Windsor, Saint-François-Xavier-de-BromptonSigned as exits 71N (north) and 71S (south) northbound
Melbourne84.552.585 R-243 – Racine, Valcourt, Melbourne Melbourne Service Centre
88.755.188 R-116 – Acton Vale, Richmond, Val-des-Sources
Ulverton97.760.798Chemin MooneyNorthbound exit and entrance
DrummondL'Avenir104.164.7103Lefebvre, L'Avenir, Ulverton, Durham-Sud
Drummondville111.369.2111Route Caya
116.472.3116 R-139 – Wickham, Acton Vale, Granby, Drummondville
122.075.8122Boulevard Jean-de-Brébeuf – Drummondville
125.477.9125 R-122 – Saint-Germain-de-Grantham, Drummondville
128.079.5128
173
A-20 (TCH) west – MontréalSouth end of A-20 concurrency; exit numbers follow A-20; north end of Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier
125.477.9175 R-143 north (Boulevard Lemire) – Saint-Bonaventure, Saint-François-du-LacSouth end of R-143 concurrency
131.381.6177 R-143 south – Saint-Majorique-de-Grantham, DrummondvilleNorth end of R-143 concurrency
133.683.0179Chemin du Golf
135.183.9181Drummondville
Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover139.986.9185 R-255 – Baie-du-Febvre, Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover, Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey
Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil145.990.7191Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults
150.893.7196 R-259 – Nicolet, Sainte-Perpétue, Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil
DrummondNicolet-Yamaska boundaryNotre-Dame-du-Bon-ConseilSaint-Léonard-d'Aston boundary154.195.8200Saint-Léonard-d'AstonFormer R-155 north
Nicolet-YamaskaSaint-Léonard-d'Aston156.197.0202Rang du Moulin-Rouge
Sainte-Eulalie157.397.7204Rang des Cédres, Rang des Plaines
163.4101.5210
145
A-955 south – Saint-Samuel, Saint-Albert, Victoriaville, Warwick
A-20 (TCH) east to R-161 – Québec, Sainte-Eulalie, Saint-Valère
North end of A-20 concurrency; A-955 exit 15; A-55 exit numbers resume; south end of Autoroute de l'Énergie
Saint-Wenceslas171.8106.8153Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, Saint-Wenceslas
Saint-Célestin183.2113.8 R-226 – Saint-CélestinAt-grade intersection, traffic signals; interchange proposed; former R-155 south / R-161 south
BécancourBécancour186.3115.8Rang PrinceAt-grade intersection; to be removed as part of the A-55 widening project
188.1116.9Chemin Forest – Précieux-SangAt-grade intersection; to be removed as part of the A-55 widening project
189.8117.9Chemin ThibodeauAt-grade intersection; to be removed as part of the A-55 widening project
191.9119.2173Bécancour, Nicolet, Wôlinak
194.3–
195.4
120.7–
121.4
176 A-30 / R-132 – Bécancour, Sainte-AngèleA-30 exit 209
St. Lawrence River196.2–
198.8
121.9–
123.5
Pont Laviolette (Laviolette Bridge)
Trois-Rivières198.8123.5181 R-138 (Rue Notre-Dame, Boulevard Gene-H.-Kruger)
200.6124.6182 A-40 east – Trois-Rivières (Centre-Ville), QuébecSouth end of A-40 concurrency; A-40 exit 197
201.2125.0183Boulevard Jean-XXIII
204.1–
204.6
126.8–
127.1
186 A-40 west / Boulevard des Forges – MontrealNorth end of A-40 concurrency; A-40 exit 196
209.3130.1191Boulevard Industriel, Boulevard Saint-Michel
214.6133.3196Boulevard des Forges – Yamachiche
MaskinongéSaint-Étienne-des-Grès219.9136.6202Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, Saint-Barnabé
222.9138.5 Grès Rest Stop (Northbound, seasonal)
224.4139.4206Saint-Boniface
Saint-Boniface229.8142.8211 R-153 – Saint-Boniface, Shawinigan
Shawinigan234.4145.6216Rue Burrill
235.8146.5217 R-351 (Rue Garnier) – Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc
238.1147.9220Boulevard Hubert-Biermans, Boulevard Vallée-du-Parc
241.4150.0223Avenue de Grande-Mère, 25 rue
244.5151.9226Chemin du Parc National, 8 rue
246.5153.2Pont des Piles (Piles Bridge) crosses Saint-Maurice River
R-155 north – Grandes-Piles, La TuqueA-55 / Autoroute de l'Énergie northern terminus; continues as R-155
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Rest Areas

There are three rest areas found on A-55 and none are full service centre as most are near populated areas that can provide services for travellers.

Location Name km Direction Services
St-Etienne-Des-Gres Autoroute de l'Énergie Rest Area Northbound Parking for trucks and cars (maximum 4 hours stop time), tourist information booth and rest rooms. Located across from Saint-Boniface-de-Shawinigan Weight Station
Ulverton Halte du Moulin Southbound Parking area only (maximum 4 hours stop time) located near Moulin A Laine D'Ulverton. No services available - rest room and tourist information building demolished before 2015. Near stop for food and restrooms is McDonald's two exits down in Melbourne.
Stanstead, Quebec Halte Curtis Northbound Parking for cars, RVs and trucks only (maximum 4 hours stop time). Rest rooms are closed and portable toilets removed from site. Motorists have more options available (food, rest rooms and fuel) by travelleing either north (about 27 km) to Magog or back south (about 4 km) in Stanstead.

Future

On April 2, 2024, Drummondville news outlet Vingt55 reported that Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault alongside Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region André Lamontagne announced in Drummondville that the Government of Quebec has made a two-year investment of CAD$274,442,000 in the roadways of the Centre-du-Québec region, and that part of the money would be going towards converting A-55 between Sainte-Eulalie and Bécancour from a super two to a standard four-lane freeway. Announcements regarding rest areas being renovated or revamped along the highway are expected to come at a later date.

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec - Transports et Mobilité durable Québec". Ministère des Transports (in Canadian French). Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "Quebec Autoroute 55" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Élargissement et réaménagement de l'autoroute 55 entre Bécancour et Sainte-Eulalie". Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (in Canadian French). Gouvernement du Québec. June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Réseau routier du Centre-du-Québec : investissement majeur et mise en œuvre de projets dans la MRC de Drummond". Vingt55 (in French). 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
KML is from Wikidata