Quebec Autoroute 15

Autoroute 15 shieldTrans-Canada Highway shield

Autoroute 15
Autoroute Décarie
Autoroute des Laurentides
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length 164.0 km[1][2] (101.9 mi)
Existed 1958 [2][3] – present
Major junctions
South end I-87 in Champlain, New York
  A-30 / A-930 in Candiac
A-10 / A-20 in Brossard
A-10 in Montréal
A-20 / A-720 in Montréal
A-40 (TCH) in Montréal
A-440 in Laval
A-640 in Boisbriand
A-50 in Mirabel
North end Route 117 (TCH) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Location
Major cities La Prairie, Brossard, Montreal, Laval, Boisbriand, Blainville, Mirabel, Saint-Jérôme
Highway system

Quebec provincial highways

A-13A-19

Autoroute 15 (also called the Décarie Expressway (English) or Autoroute Décarie (French) between the Turcot and Décarie Interchanges in Montreal and the Laurentian Autoroute (English) or Autoroute des Laurentides (French) north of Autoroute 40) is a highway in western Quebec, Canada. It was, until the extension of Autoroute 25 was opened in 2011, the only constructed north-south autoroute to go out of Montreal on both sides. A-15 begins at the end of Interstate 87 at the United States border at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle and extends via Montreal to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts with an eventual continuation beyond Mont-Tremblant. The total length of A-15 is currently 164 km (101.9 mi), including a short concurrency (4 km or 2.5 mi) with Autoroute 40 (Boulevard/Autoroute Métropolitan) that connects the two main sections. This is one of the few autoroutes in Quebec that does not have any spinoff highways.

Road description

Southern section

Autoroute 15 in Montreal, facing southwards at the Autoroute 20 junction (Exit 63)

The southern section of A-15 connects the south shore suburbs of Montreal and is also the primary trade corridor route between Montreal and New York City linking Quebec Autoroute 15 to Interstate 87 at the Canada-United States border at the Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing. This was the former Route 9, and connected with US 9 on the western shore of Lake Champlain. In Brossard, it joins up with A-10 and A-20 across the Champlain Bridge into Montreal. The A-10 splits off almost immediately after crossing the bridge to head into downtown Montreal at the Bonaventure Expressway and the A-20 splits off shortly after at the Turcot Interchange (échangeur Turcot), leaving the A-15 to continue northward as Autoroute Décarie until the Décarie Interchange (échangeur Décarie) with the A-40 at the point where it turns from the Trans-Canada into the Metropolitan Expressway.

The route is also connected to Autoroute 30 in Candiac which was completed to Autoroute 20 in 2012 providing a quicker access to the south shore of Montreal, to southern communities located alongside Autoroute 15 and to the Canada–US border in Lacolle. It will also give a quicker access from there to areas west of Montreal and also Ottawa and Gatineau.

Décarie Autoroute

Autoroute 15 (Autoroute Décarie) in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, looking north.

The Décarie Autoroute is a sunken highway between the northbound and southbound lanes of Decarie Boulevard from the Metropolitan Autoroute at its northern end to Monkland Avenue and the Villa Maria Metro station at its southern end. It was built on a wide expanse of vacant land, donated to the city by the Décarie estate on the condition that only a streetcar line be established. The decommissioning of the streetcar system in 1959 left the right-of-way as an obvious choice for a highway, and so the Décarie Autoroute was dug there. South of Queen Mary Road, however, were a significant number of houses that were demolished. In order to avoid demolishing the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church, the highway makes a slight westerly jog below Côte-Saint-Luc Road and runs through a short tunnel, before emerging between Addington and Botrel Streets and running down to Sherbrooke Street and Saint Jacques Street, where it spectacularly goes from below-ground to well above ground as it intersects with Autoroutes 20 and 720 in the infamous Turcot Interchange (dubbed "Spaghetti Junction" by train crews operating the former CN Rail Turcot Yard). Following the conversion from streetcar line to highway, the Décarie Estate unsuccessfully sued the city but was unable to prevail because they did not document their case well enough for the nevertheless sympathetic court.

Decarie Boulevard

Decarie Boulevard itself continues; from Monkland Avenue south to Saint Jacques Street past the McGill University Health Centre Glen Campus superhospital; and from Autoroute 40 north into Ville Saint-Laurent past Du College Station and Côte-Vertu Station/Norgate shopping centre to Poirier Street. Between Monkland Avenue and A 40, Decarie Boulevard serves as sort of a service road on both sides of the autoroute.

Northern section

After its concurrency with A-40, the northern section of A-15 is the main freeway route to the Laurentians, or Laurentides, until it downgrades to Route 117. It also links up to the northern suburbs of Montreal, as well as provides a connection to the A-440, A-640 and the A-50 in Mirabel. The first section from A-40 to Saint-Jérôme was opened in 1958 as a toll road, although the tolls were removed in 1985. This section was also the first to be designed as an autoroute in the province. It was named Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides during the 1960s.[4]

Over the next years, it was extended north to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts as a new connection to touristic and skiing destinations in the Laurentides including in Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Adèle, Mont-Gabriel and Estérel. In the future, it is possible that the A-15 may continue even farther north, past Mont-Tremblant, as Route 117 is already an at-grade expressway with a freeway bypass of Saint-Jovite completed, and the name Autoroute des Laurentides is also recognized on the freeway bypass (and exit numbers continue). This section is numbered separately from the southern section as if it were a different route. The northern route is also part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Exit list

Exit numbering resets at the two interchanges with Autoroute 40 in Montréal.

RegionLocationkmmiExitDestinationsNotes
Continues as I-87 south (Adirondack Northway) / US 9 south Albany, New York
MontérégieSaint-Bernard-de-Lacolle0.000.00Canada–United States border
Champlain–St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing
1Montée Glass / Montée GuayAlso signed as a u-turn
6 Route 202 Hemmingford, Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Lacolle
11Montée Henrysburg
13Montée MurraySouthbound exit only
Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington
Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur
21 Route 219 / Route 221 Napierville, SherringtonAlso serves Route 217
Saint-Édouard29Saint-Édouard, Saint-Jacques-le-MineurVia Montée du Moulin
Saint-Mathieu38Saint-Mathieu, Saint-PhilippeVia Montée Monette
Candiac40 A-30 west (Autoroute de l'Acier) Pont Honoré-Mercier, Vaudreuil-DorionExit 55 on A-30; opened December 2010
42 A-30 east / Route 132 west (via A-930) Sorel-Tracy, Québec, Saint-Constant, Sainte-CatherineSouthern terminus of concurrency with Route 132; shared ramp with exit 40 northbound
44Boulevard Montcalm Candiac
45 Route 134 east (Boulevard Taschereau) La PrairieNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; south end of Route 134
La Prairie46Boulevard Salaberry La Prairie
47Rue Saint-Henri La PrairieNorthbound exit and entrance
49Rue du QuaiSouthbound exit and entrance; to Parc de la Marina
Brossard50Boulevard Matte
51Boulevard RivardSouthbound exit is via exit 50
Rue RivieraSouthbound exit and entrance
52Boulevard Rome
53 A-10 east (Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est) to A-30 / I-89 Sherbrooke, Vermont
A-20 east (Autoroute René-Lévesque) / Route 132 east Longueuil, Varennes
A-15 branches west; northern terminus of concurrency with Route 132;
southern terminus of concurrency with A-10 and A-20; exit 6 on A-10
St. Lawrence RiverPont Champlain
MontrealMontreal57Île de SœursNorthbound exit and entrance
57NChemin de la Pointe-Nord RoadSouthbound exit and entrance
57SBoulevard de l'Île des SoeursSouthbound exit and entrance
58 A-10 west (Autoroute Bonaventure) Centre-VilleNorthern terminus of concurrency with A-10; signed as exit 57O (west) southbound
60 A-10 west (Autoroute Bonaventure) / Rue Wellington Centre-Ville, VerdunNorthbound access to A-10 is via exit 58; exit 4 on A-10
61Rue Saint Patrick / Avenue Atwater
62Boulevard de La Vérendrye / Avenue de l'Église
63 A-20 west (Autoroute du Souvenir) / A-720 east (Autoroute Ville-Marie) Centre-Ville, Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau, TorontoTurcot Interchange
Northern terminus of concurrency with A-20; signed as exits 63E (east) and 63O (west) southbound; A-20 exit 68; A-720 exit 1
Southern terminus of Autoroute Décarie
64 Rue Sherbrooke (Route 138) / Rue Saint-Jacques
66Chemin Côte-Saint-Luc / Chemin Queen-Mary / Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
69Rue Jean-Talon / Rue de la Savane / Avenue Van Horne / Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
70
66[lower-roman 1]
A-40 (TCH) west (Autoroute Félix-Leclerc) to A-520 Aéroport P.-E.-Trudeau, Gatineau, OttawaDécarie Interchange
A-15 branches east; southern terminus of concurrency with of A-40
Boulevard Marcel-Laurin (Route 117 north) / Boulevard DécarieNorthbound exit, southbound entrance
Northern terminus of Autoroute Décarie
68[lower-roman 1]Rue Stinson / Chemin Rockland / Boulevard de L'AcadieNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
70[lower-roman 1]
1
A-40 (TCH) east (Autoroute Métropolitaine) to Route 335 (Rue Saint-Denis) / Boulevard Saint-Laurent QuébecA-15 branches north; northern terminus of concurrency with A-40
Boulevard Marcel-Laurin (Route 117 north) / Chemin Rockland / Boulevard de L'AcadieSouthbound exit
Southern terminus of Trans-Canada Highway designation and Autoroute des Laurentides
2Boulevard de la Côte-Vertu Saint-LaurentSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Rue Sauvé / Boulevard Henri-Bourassa / Boulevard de L'AcadieNorthbound exit and entrance
3Boulevard Henri-BourassaNorthbound exit is via exit 3
4Rue de SalaberrySigned as exits 4E (east) and 4O (west) southbound; no southbound entrance
Rivière des PrairiesPont Médéric-Martin
Laval7Boulevard Cartier / Boulevard de la Concorde / Boulevard Notre-DameNorthbound entrance and exit via Le Corbusier Boulevard
8Boulevard Saint-MartinSouthbound exit is via exit 10
10 A-440 (Autoroute Laval) / Boulevard le CarrefourExit 22 on A-440
14 Route 117 (Boulevard Curé Labelle) / Boulevard Dagenais westSigned as exits 14N (north) and 14S (south) southbound
16Boulevard Sainte-Rose / Avenue de la Renaissance
Rivière des Mille ÎlesGedeon Ouimet Bridge
LaurentidesBoisbriand19 Route 344 Boisbriand, Rosemère
Boisbriand
Sainte-Thérèse
20 A-640 to A-13 Repentigny, Québec, Boisbriand, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Thérèse, Aéroport P.-E.-TrudeauSigned as exits 20E (east) and 20O (west); exit 20 on A-640
23Rue Saint-Charles Saint-Augustin Centre-Ville Sainte-Thérèse
Blainville25Boulevard de la Seigneurie Blainville
MirabelBlainville28Boulevard Michèle-Bohec / Chemin Notre-Dame Mirabel, Blainville
Mirabel31Saint-Janvier, Sainte-MoniqueVia Rue Charles
35 A-50 to Route 117 (Boulevard Mirabel) Gatineau, Lachute, Aéroport Mirabel, Saint-Jerome, Saint-JanvierExit 282 on A-50
39 Route 158 (Route Sir-Willfrid-Laurier) Saint-Canut, Sainte-Sophie
Saint-Jérôme41Boulevard du Grand-Héron
43Rue De Martigny Ouest Centre-Ville Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Colomban, Mille-IslesSigned as exits 43E (east) and 43O (west)
45 Route 117 / Route 333 / Boulevard de La Salette Prévost, Saint-HippolyteNo direct southbound access to Routes 117 and 333
51Aire de Service La Porte du Nord (service centre)
Prévost55PrévostNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs57 Route 117 Sainte-Anne-des-LacsNo southbound exit
58Chemin Avila Piedmont
Saint-Sauveur60 Route 364 Saint-Sauveur, Morin-Heights, Piedmont, Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard
Sainte-Adèle64Chemin du Mont-Gabriel
67 Route 117 Centre-Ville Sainte-AdèleNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
69 Route 370 (Chemin Pierre-Péladeau) Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Estérel
72Chemin du Mont-Sauvage / Montée à Séraphin Sainte-AdèleNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Val-Morin76 Route 117 Val-Morin, Val-DavidNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Val-David80Val-David, 7e RangNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts83 Route 329 south / Montée Alouette Saint-Adolphe-d'HowardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
86 Route 117 Centre-Ville Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
88Rue DemontignyNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
89 Route 117 south (Boulevard Morin) / Route 329 Saint-Donat, LanaudièreNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Route 117 (TCH) north (Route Transcanadienne)Trans-Canada Highway follows Route 117 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Disasters

On June 18, 2000, the southern portion of the Boulevard du Souvenir overpass in Laval (which crosses over Quebec Autoroute 15), under reconstruction, collapsed into the roadway, killing one and injuring two when cars were crushed underneath the structure. Sixteen beams weighing about 70 tonnes (69 long tons; 77 short tons) each fell. The contractor was faulted for shoddy work. The arched concrete beams were unsecured and tipped over like dominoes, many of them breaking into pieces.

The expressway has also seen flooding. On July 14, 1987, a sudden torrential downpour caused by an HP supercell thunderstorm dumped over 100 millimetres (3.9 inches) of rain in just over one hour across the city. The Décarie Expressway, which is below-grade, was heavily flooded and became a river. At some locations, the water reached a maximum of 3.6 metres (12 feet) in depth on the roadway. Over 300 vehicles were abandoned when they were submerged. Two people were killed by the storm.[5] One 80-year-old man on the Expressway drowned and another one was killed by electrical wires (electrocuted). On July 5, 2005, another torrential downpour flooded portions of the Expressway after several manhole covers blew open from the storm sewers below them being overloaded.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 A-40 exit number

References

  1. Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
  2. 1 2 "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  3. 1958 Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. Autoroute Montréal-Laurentides Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. Environment Canada - Water - Main page Archived 2007-01-25 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. Canoe – Infos – Québec-Canada: 30 millimètres d’eau en deux minutes sur l’autoroute Décarie

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
Preceded by
Route 117
Trans-Canada Highway
Autoroute 15
Succeeded by
Autoroute 40
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