Quebec route 117

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Route 117
Length: 711 km (442 mi)
South end: A-15/40 Montreal
To: ON 66 at Ontario border, west of Rouyn-Noranda

Route 117 is a provincial highway within the Canadian province of Quebec, running between Montreal and the Quebec/Ontario border where it continues as Ontario Highway 66 east of Kearns, Ontario. It is an important road as it is the only direct route between southern Quebec and the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region.

Route 117 was formerly Quebec Route 11 and ran from Montreal north towards Mont Laurier, then followed the Gatineau River south towards Hull. This routing is joined with Quebec Autoroute 15 from Montreal northwards Mont Tremblant. Route 117 also takes in the former Quebec Routes 58 and 59.

Along with Quebec Autoroute 15 to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, it is also listed as a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway.

[edit] Description

117 Fin/End sign at the end of Marcel Laurin Blvd. in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
117 Fin/End sign at the end of Marcel Laurin Blvd. in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.

This description of Route 117 follows it from the south-east to north-west direction.

Route 117 starts in Montreal at the Decarie Interchange where Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 15 (Decarie Expressway) meet. Residents of Montreal sometimes unofficially extened 117 south along the portion of Decarie Boulevard that runs parallel along the Decarie Expressway. The natural terminus for a southward extension is the Atwater Market - after following St. Jacques Blvd to Atwater and south on Atwater.

From the Decarie Interchange Route 117 goes north on Boulevard Marcel Laurin (formerly Laurentian Boulevard), crossing the Rivière des Prairies over the Lachapelle Bridge to Île Jésus, continuing through Laval as Boulevard Curé-Labelle.

At the Rivière des Mille Îles, it crosses over the Dufresne Bridge to the "North Shore" (of the Rivière des Mille Îles). From here Route 117 runs parallel to Autoroute 15 until Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, going through the Laurentian mountains. Prominent towns along the route in this section include:

After Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Route 117 becomes a 4-lane divided highway winding its way through Laurentides Regional County Municipality until it reaches the town of Labelle. From this point on to the Ontario border, Route 117 is a standard 2-lane highway. In Grand-Remous, Route 117 crosses the Gatineau River and intersects with Route 105 which goes south-west to Maniwaki and Gatineau.

From Grand-Remous, the route goes north, travelling some 220 km through undeveloped wilderness, most of it part of La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve. While the reserve is popular for a variety of outdoor activities, services along the road are sparse. This section is often considered as one of the most dangerous route in the province due to numerous fatal accidents, some of which involve tractor-trailers. During the winter, the route is often extremely slippery, even during dry and clear days.

After the intersection with Route 113 (which continues north to Lebel-sur-Quévillon), route 117 goes due west to Ontario where it becomes Highway 66. The section between Rouyn-Noranda and Arntfield shares route numbering with Quebec route 101. Prominent towns along the route in this section include:

[edit] See also

Preceded by
ON Highway 66
Trans-Canada Highway
QC Route 117
Succeeded by
QC Autoroute 15


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