Hi guys. Looking at a road map of Montreal, I noticed odd things about Montreal's Highway network. The main thing is that a lot of highways seem to be incomplete, or just end in the middle of no where. Here are some observations I made:

Autoroute 25 North: It simply ends in Anjou. It looks as if it was supposed to continue on to Laval, but instead, it just stops. What's up with that?

Autoroute 19: The highway stops smack in the middle of Laval. Shouldn't it be going right through Laval, and on to Ste-Anne-des-Plaines or something?

Autoroute 35 South: It looks as if it was meant to continue towards the Vermont border, yet it stops at St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Autoroute 440: It ends in the middle of nowhere. It looks as if it was either supposed to go towards Ile-Bizard or Saint-Eustache. Any chane it will be extended?

Autoroute 640: It looks as if its supposed to be a beltway, yet it stops right before Oka. Wouldn't it be better if it was extended so that it could meet up with the 40?

Autoroute 50: This one boggles me. It starts at Gatineau, ends at Masson, appears once again in Lachute, dissappears, and then reappears at Mirabel Airport. Can't the whole damn thing be completed as ONE Autoroute 50?

That sums it up, IMO. Have any of you guys noticed this? Are any of these highways going to be completed?

Also, what's going on with Highway 30? When will it be completed?

Thanks

This can be blamed on the ambitions and unforseen economic disruptions of the provincial governments, I think. It's unfortunate about not having a Québec route from the NCR/Outaouais to Montreal, it's more scenic on the Québec side, though the completion was first promised by Charest, and then shelved again.

Route map?

Actually, there's a historical tangent to the Autoroutes in Quebec. Around the time that guys like Drapeau were building Montreal into a world class city there was a rise in seperatism. Thats when companies started looking down the 401 and saw Toronto with its arms open wide. Anyway, many of these freeways were planned years ago and the expectation was that developments would necessitate their expansion. Case in point would be Autoroute 25. You can look at a map and see that it will eventually be continued right across the island of Montreal and on into Laval. Right now, as you are probably aware you have to cut through to the south west to take the official extension of 25. Also, it definitely looks like 440 is meant to eventually cross L'Ile Bizard and then across to the island of Montreal where it will connect with 40 around Kirkland. With the new developments on L'Ile Bizard that one probably isn't that far away from being built. It also looks like 640 is meant to be a northern beltway of sorts.
I also find the route of 30 somewhat puzzling though. It must be planned to connect at some point but I have no idea where it's supposed to lead. I suppose the obvious planned route would have it connect to 20, 40 or possibly further west to 540.

^Right, they had planned for a city with around 7 million by the 90s, which never happened, because of the Anglo/Allo Flight to Toronto and beyond.

In the Outaouais, there's the 50 (?) that just stops in downtown at a dead end.

Highway 50 is completely useless. Mirabel doesn't exist anymore therefor the 50 is not worth it!

Highway 30 shall be completed over the next 3 years, same thing with highway 25.

Please post a map of all this...

Everything you want to know about about Quebec's autoroutes:

http://webfil_92.tripod.com/autoroutes/

Despite its "ecentricities" I still think Montreal had a fairly good expressway network. Probably the best in the country.

I'd definitely like to see some gaps filled in though. A bridge across the river around Repentigny/Varennes to connect highway 640 to highway 30 would be nice. Also, Autoroute Ville-Marie should be extended to Boul. Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, and Boul. Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine should then be extended to Ile Jesus to connect with Autoroute Laval.

Is there much chance of any of these things happening?

This can be blamed on the ambitions and unforseen economic disruptions of the provincial governments, I think. It's unfortunate about not having a Québec route from the NCR/Outaouais to Montreal, it's more scenic on the Québec side, though the completion was first promised by Charest, and then shelved again.

My mapbook shows a future freeway on the Quebec side from Ottawa to Montreal... whatever that's worth

I love Montreal expressways... they're absolutely crazy!

i don't have enough time right now to answer (habs game underway), I'll post complete maps later.

but I just wanted to say that extensions to the 25, 720 and 30 are on the table and ready to go.... now if we could get rid of the nimbys............. :bash:

:|...... NO HIGHWAYS!! like, to complete one incomplete highway is okay, but three!! Please MTL stop the madness.

^^ well if you had read into the thread, you would've known that these projects are there to complete exsiting ones :)

Here's a collage I did for the proposed extension of the 720 to join the 25:

http://edmm.ca/extension.jpg

^Yuck! there is absolutely no need for this. Having an easy freeway connection between the A-720 and the A-25 just means that more unneccessary traffic is going to flow into downtown Montreal, just like the Gardiner Expressway through Toronto. They should just improve the connection between the 720 and the Jacques-Cartier bridge and end it there.

The Quebec Autoroute system is modelled after the US Interstate. A 3-digit number starting with an even number means it is a by-pass intended to return to the original route, so technically, the A-440 and the A-640 were planned to cross the Ottawa River back to the A-40 as a northern by-pass. Along with the planned A-30 connecting with the A-540 with a bridge west of Dorion, and a possible link at Repentigny in the east creating a ring highway, there will be no need for interprovincial trucking, especially hazardous materials, to ever enter the island of Montreal.

I don't understand what you're trying to say...

thats hardly downtown montreal... and the notre dame blvd (which will be turned in a highways is 4 lanes) is always jam packed.

that extension would create a kind of belt around the 40 and would let trucks pass freely more than at this moment.

^^ well if you had read into the thread, you would've known that these projects are there to complete exsiting ones :)

To complete existing ones? then....

Toronto should extend Allen, to become the spadina expressway, extend the incomplete Gardiner to complete the Scarborough Expressway, they should build the richview expressway from what was already built up on Eglinton and 401, and highway 400 down... all these highways are incomplete.

Do you have any Idea what Toronto would look like with that Highway system?
http://www.torontoexpwy.com/torexpsys.gif

Do you know what Toronto would feel like? An American city. The future is in Public transportation, the fact that you WANT these to get contructed in your city, is a disgrace to urbanites everywhere. :bash:

The A-720 DOES go through downtown Montreal. Connecting it fully with the A-25 will just add more traffic. It is terrible how this highway has isolated Old Montreal and St-Henri from the rest of the city -- ironically it runs close to where the old city walls were. They should cover over this highway east of the Tunnel Ville Marie so that the Quartier Latin melds with Old Montreal, perhaps a large park that restores the old Champs de Mars.... The Congress Centre was supposed to provide a bit of a connection but this monstrous building is just another inhuman obstacle that turns its back to Old Montreal.

the A720 is mostly underground, so it really doesn't bother downtown.

It is true that on the east side it creates a divide but this has been reduced with the building of ICAO building, CDP cluster and the extension of the Palais des congres.

There's work that needs to be done, to cover the rest, and believe me the city wants to do it... but i guess it all comes down to $$$.

Toronto already feels like an american city... but thats beside the point and I don't believe highways have anything to do with it.

here's the plans for the 30 extension... everything in red will be built, that includes 1 new bridge crossing the St-Laurence river.

if all goes well, it should be open for circulation in 2009.

here's a very detailed PDF map: http://www1.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/publications/regions/monteregie_ouest/a30_carte.pdf

http://edmm.ca/a30_carte.gif

^^ Tell that to someone in Detroit.

But if you can't see what will happen when you build highways, and expressways in cities, I'll laugh at you when urban decay, and and other consecquences of expressways crisscrossing through a city does to Montreal. We should use American cities as an example of what not to do.

But then again who cares, this will probably happen when Quebec's it's own country, hopefully. As ridership would plunge as it would seem more practical to take a car. Montreal would seem American.

Toronto does not feel American plain and simple.

I hope Jane Jacobs comes to save your asses. You guys are like kids... When your a kid it would seem fun to put the telephone wire in your mouth, but afterward you realize how stupid you were.

man what the hell are you talking about??

are you even aware of the stakes here? The 30 is an uncompleted beltway that will help, for example, your friggin Ontarian trucks go around the city to the maritimes or whichever hell they want to go to.

Less pollution in the core city and less congestion for Montrealers, every damn respectable city has at least one beltway, let alone two.

Did you look at the friggin map? Where do you see the new highway going thru cities?? The map is detailed enough to see regular streets. This beltway will be essentially built near villages and thru industrial zoned lands and farmlands.

Plunging ridership??? what the hell are you talking about, these villages barely have any mass transit system, people already take their cars!

You know nothing about the Montreal area, stick to the Ontarian forum.

Here's the proposed extension of the 25. It includes the building of a new bridge from Montreal to Laval. It is supposed to be the first toll bridge and the whole project shall be paid by the private sector.

timeframe: 2009
cost: ~380M$

http://edmm.ca/a25.gif

^^ Tell that to someone in Detroit.

But if you can't see what will happen when you build highways, and expressways in cities, I'll laugh at you when urban decay, and and other consecquences of expressways crisscrossing through a city does to Montreal. We should use American cities as an example of what not to do.

But then again who cares, this will probably happen when Quebec's it's own country, hopefully. As ridership would plunge as it would seem more practical to take a car. Montreal would seem American.

Toronto does not feel American plain and simple.

I hope Jane Jacobs comes to save your asses. You guys are like kids... When your a kid it would seem fun to put the telephone wire in your mouth, but afterward you realize how stupid you were.

We're talking about highways in and around Montreal, what the hell is that about? God damn, take a pill, get high, whatever ...

here's the map of Montreals' highways. Its low on the quality side because i had to remove secondary roads and "pseudo-highways".

All is left are real highways and in GREEN are the proposed extension.

anyone looking at this map clearly can see that the whole system is unfinished, and the extensions to the 720 and 30 are a good start. (19 and 440 are the next on my list).

http://edmm.ca/montrealmap.gif

A bit outside of Montreal (south) but with the main purpose of speeding up travel between Montreal and Boston.

The extension to the 35 to reach the I89.

http://www1.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/images/regions/monteregie_ouest/a35.jpg

We're talking about highways in and around Montreal, what the hell is that about? God damn, take a pill, get high, whatever ...
:badnews:

^^ yeah, another constructive comment.
What a dumbass!

Malek,

Thanks for all those cool maps...i love this shit!!

Don,t pay attention to this jaye character...he obviously has no clue what he's talking about. The completion of Highways 30, 25 and extension of highway 720 to the 25 are very important. It will reduce the amount of trucks that cross the city everyday on highway 40, by allowing them to go around the city!

Good work malek.

I wonder if anyone can dig up the original plan for the Montreal Autoroute network that shows a complete 16, 25, 30, 440, 640 & 720. Actually I wonder if there was ever a complete plan created?

I wonder if anyone can dig up the original plan for the Montreal Autoroute network that shows a complete 16, 25, 30, 440, 640 & 720.

Highway 16? I'm gonna assume that it was a typo, and you meant to say highway 15!?!

Either way, it would be nice...like that plan for what they had originally planned for the montreal metro...300 stations and 300KM's of underground tunnels!

It's unfortuante people these days are scared to "THINK BIG"!

^^ yeah, another constructive comment.
What a dumbass!

Like, you people never end.

The title of the thread is Montreal's Highway Network... Not Montreal area or Metro... So isnt a person to assume you are talking about the city? :bash:

Highway 16? I'm gonna assume that it was a typo, and you meant to say highway 15!?!

I meant Highway 19.

Like, you people never end.

The title of the thread is Montreal's Highway Network... Not Montreal area or Metro... So isnt a person to assume you are talking about the city? :bash:
malek's maps are pretty self-explanatory for someone who has been in and around island of Montreal. If you could not figure this out, what is the point on commenting something you have no idea of?

toofar: yeah let me dig, i can maybe find the original map... but basically if you take every highway and extend it you would get the same map.

malek's maps are pretty self-explanatory for someone who has been in and around island of Montreal. If you could not figure this out, what is the point on commenting something you have no idea of?

I was speaking about cities in general, not a city I am more firmiliar with. I do see some highway extension in Laval and in the City of Montreal, if that is correct?