Quebec Autoroute 35

Autoroute 35
Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length:	40.0 km[1][2][3] (24.9 mi)
Existed:	1966[3] – present
Major junctions
South end:	Route 133 in Saint-Sébastien
	Route 104 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
North end:	A-10 in Chambly
Location
Major cities:	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Highway system
Quebec provincial highways ← A-31 A-40 →

Autoroute 35 (A-35) is an Autoroute in the region of Montérégie, Quebec, Canada. Constructed in the 1960s, the A-35 links Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu with Montreal via the A-10. The A-35 is also the primary route for traffic between Montreal and Boston, although it ends 13.4 km (8.3 mi) short of the U.S. border. South of its current terminus in Saint-Sébastien, the A-35 continues as two-lane Route 133 (which becomes four-lane divided 6.5 km (4.0 mi) north of the border) to the border. An extension of A-35 to meet Interstate 89 at Saint-Armand will complete a nearly 500 km (310.7 mi) limited-access highway link between Montreal and Boston.^[4] It had been scheduled to open in 2017, but construction is on hold during 2015 and 2016, so this last freeway link is delayed until at least 2020. The MTQ has not mentioned any revised schedule.

Like many Quebec Autoroutes, the A-35 also has a name: Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts (Forts Valley Highway). The name refers to a chain of forts built by the French in the Richelieu Valley during the 17th and 18th centuries to defend their colonial settlements from the Iroquois. Previously, the A-35 was known as Autoroute de la Nouvelle-Angleterre (New England Motorway), referring to its role as a link between Quebec and New England.

History

View of then unopened Autoroute 35 looking northerly from the Route 227 overpass

First constructed in the 1960s, A-35 is currently a 40 km (24.9 mi) long, 4-lane spur route linking Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Autoroute 10. By 1966, 16 km (9.9 mi) connecting the A-10 in Chambly with Route 104 in Iberville were opened to traffic. Another 3 km (1.9 mi) of A-35 from Route 104 to its terminus with Route 133 were completed in 1967. Completion of the entire length of A-35 had been scheduled for that year in time for Expo 67, but the province instead focused on expediting construction of autoroutes and approach roads to the Expo site.^[5]

For many years, the A-35 featured at-grade intersections with St-Raphael Road and St-Andre Road in Saint-Luc. These intersections were closed in 1999; the St-Andre Road intersection was converted into a partial cloverleaf interchange, while St-Raphael Road was dead-ended on either side of the A-35.

Future

A federal-provincial funding agreement is providing for the completion of the A-35 to Interstate 89 at the U.S. border. The project's objectives are to improve economic links between Quebec and New England, reduce traffic on Route 133 (which is ill-equipped for the traffic it currently carries), and improve quality of life in the region.^[4]

Construction of the A-35 extension began in 2009 between Saint-Alexandre and Saint-Sébastien. Construction of the 37.9 km extension is divided into four segments. The first section (first two segments) of new highway between Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Highway 133 to Saint-Sébastien was opened October 8th, 2014. Although as recently as 2012 it was expected that the entire extension would be open to traffic in 2017, no further construction is planned during 2015 and 2016, which means that 2020 or later is the new expectation. If ever completed, the length of A-35 will increase to 55 km (34.2 mi).

Exit list

The entire route is located in Montérégie. 

Location	km	mi	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Saint-Armand	0.00	0.00		–	I-89 south	Future continuation into Vermont
				3	Chemin de Saint-Armand	Future interchange
				6	Route 133 (Chemin Champlain)	Future interchange
Saint-Sébastien	14.81	9.20		15	Route 133	Temporary at-grade intersection; opened October 2014
Saint-Alexandre				28	Route 227 (Rang des Dussault)	Interchange proposed in original plans
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	35.50	22.06		36	Route 133 south (Chemin de la Grande-Ligne) / Boulevard d'Iberville – Sainte-Anne-de-Sabrevois	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; opened October 2014
	37.61	23.37	1	38	Route 133 south (Chemin de la Grande-Ligne) / Boulevard d'Iberville – Sainte-Anne-de-Sabrevois	Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 133; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	39.18	24.35	3	39	Route 104 east – Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Cowansville	Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 104
	42.21	26.23	6	42	Route 133 north (Chemin des Patriotes) – Richelieu	Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 113
	43.55	27.06	7	43	Route 223 (Boulevard du Séminaire) – Centre-Ville	Signed as exits 43N (north) and 43S (south)
	44.88	27.89	9	45	Route 219 (Rue Pierre-Caisse)
	46.64	28.98	11	47	Route 104 west (Boulevard Saint-Luc) – La Prairie	Signed as exits 47E (east) and 47O (west)
	50.52	31.39	14	50	Chemin St-André
Carignan–Chambly	54.99	34.17	18	55	A-10 (Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est) / Boulevard Fréchette north – Montréal, Sherbrooke, Chambly	Signed as exits 55E (east) and 55O (west); exit 22 on A-10
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

References

1. ↑ Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
2. ↑ A-35 at Exitlists.com
3. 1 2 "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
4. 1 2 "Autoroute 35 - Extension" (in French). Transports-Quebec. Retrieved 25 February 2012. 
5. ↑ "Vallee des Forts Autoroute". MontrealRoads.net. Retrieved 25 February 2012. 

External links

Route map: Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quebec Autoroute 35.

• A-35 at Quebec Autoroutes
• Vallee des Forts Autoroute (A-35) at Steve Anderson's montrealroads.com
• Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts (35) - Prolongement(MTQ / Transports Québec) (in French)
• New exit numbers for Autoroute 35 (in French)