Quebec Autoroute 31

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Autoroute 31 shield
Autoroute 31
Autoroute Antonio-Barrette
Route information
Maintained by Transports Québec
Length14 km[1][2] (8.7 mi)
Existed1966[2]–present
Major junctions
South end A-40 / Route 131 in Lavaltrie
North end Route 131 / Route 158 in Joliette
Location
Major citiesLavaltrie, Joliette
Highway system
← A-30→ A-35

Autoroute 31 (A-31) is an Autoroute in the region of Lanaudière in Quebec. Constructed in 1966, the A-31 primarily links Joliette with the A-40 and in turn to Montreal, Trois-Rivières, and other points served by Quebec's autoroute system. The A-31 is only 14 km (8.7 mi) long, making it one of the shortest autoroutes in the province. It is multiplexed with Route 131 for its entire length.

The A-31 also carries the name Autoroute Antonio-Barrette, named for a politician from Joliette who briefly served as Premier of Quebec in 1960.

Route description[]

The A-31 begins just south of its interchange with A-40 in Lavaltrie. Motorists exiting the A-40 can opt to travel north on A-31 (multiplexed with Route 131) or south on Route 131 to Lavaltrie's city centre. The A-31/A-40 interchange has an unusual configuration, built to accommodate tollbooths (since dismantled). Also unusual for a Quebec autoroute: agricultural vehicles like tractors are permitted to cross over the A-40 by travelling on A-31 from its southern terminus to exit 2. For this reason, an automated traffic regulation system (commissioned in 2009) lowers the speed limit automatically from 100/60 km/h to 90/30 km/h as needed.

Exits at km 2 and km 7 provide access to local roads, while a partial interchange at km 12 serves an industrial zone south of Joliette.

The A-31 ends at km 15 at a cloverleaf interchange with Route 158. Plans for Quebec's autoroute system initially called for A-31 to meet the A-50 at this interchange. Anticipating this outcome, Route 158 in the immediate vicinity of the interchange was constructed as a limited-access highway and signed as A-50. Once plans to extend the A-50 east of the A-15 were abandoned in the 1980s, this stretch of highway was redesignated Route 158. A series of deadly accidents on Route 158 prompted a 2014 petition drive to reconstruct the highway to Autoroute standards and return the designation of A-50.[3]

Motorists exiting the A-31 at km 15 may continue on Route 158 west to St-Esprit, Route 158 east to Berthierville, or Route 131 north to Saint-Félix-de-Valois. Past this interchange, A-31 ends and becomes Boulevard Dollard, which continues into downtown Joliette.

Exit list[]

RCMLocationkmmiExitDestinationsNotes
D'AutrayLavaltrie0.000.00– Route 131 south – LavaltrieSouterh terminus of concurrency with Route 131
0.000.001 A-40 / Rang Saint-François – Québec, MontréalPartial at-grade intersection; exit 22 on A-40
1.000.622Rang Saint-Henri / Rang du Point-du-Jour
JolietteSaint-Thomas7.004.357Saint-Thomas, Saint-Paul
12Rue Ernest-Harnois / Rue Nazaire-LaurinNorthbound exit and entrance
Joliette13.008.0814 Route 158 north / Route 131 – Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Berthierville, Saint-JérômeNorthern terminus of concurrency with Route 131;
signed as exits 14E (east) and 14O (west)
14.008.70–Boulevard Dollard / Rue Calixa-Lavalleé / Rue Joseph-Arthur – Joliette Centre-VilleContinuation beyond Route 158
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Incomplete access

References[]

  1. ^ Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec" (in French). Transports Québec. Archived from the original on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  3. ^ Ferland, Mathieu (24 July 2014). "Une pétition circule pour modifier la route 158". Le Journal de Joliette (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2016.

External links[]

Route map:

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