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[Pete from Boston]

They should be consulting the signs.

I couldn't spot a single sign on the new stretch, with the exception of one "<= A-35 Saint-Sébastien" orange VMS located at the gore of exit 38 (connector leading to the old terminus), "Fin A-35 <T> 2 km" (that is to say 22 km after the last sign...) and the usual shenanigans (Max speed, km posts, no u-turns except for authorised vehicles).

I was through there yesterday and had the same impression–nothing at all but that VMS from Iberville to Saint-Sébastien, and no exits!

It is not an interesting road–really just flat and mostly straight, and the aforementioned lack of reading material–but it brings an end to getting stuck behind slow cars/trucks, and to the nagging concern that the limit suddenly dropped to 50km/h as it does on 133. 

[Dr Frankenstein]

I was through there yesterday and had the same impression–nothing at all but that VMS from Iberville to Saint-Sébastien, and no exits!

I think that the MTQ has run some issues with the locals in Saint-Alexandre, but I'm surprised that the possibility of an exit at Hwy 227 was scrapped completely. 23 km with no on- or off-ramps whatsoever is quite a long stretch, and the towns to the northeast of the new section (Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Sainte-Brigide, Farnham, etc.) remain pretty much unserved by the A-35 to and from the south.

[Fugazi]

I think that the MTQ has run some issues with the locals in Saint-Alexandre, but I'm surprised that the possibility of an exit at Hwy 227 was scrapped completely. 23 km with no on- or off-ramps whatsoever is quite a long stretch, and the towns to the northeast of the new section (Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Sainte-Brigide, Farnham, etc.) remain essentially unserved by the highway to and from the south.

It hasn't been scrapped, the MTQ are waiting on a legal decision regarding the best location for the St-Alexandre exit. The ramps will be built within a year or two I guess.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Yeah, I'm reading that the MTQ's initial plan was to reroute Hwy 227 onto an extension of Rang des Soixante across Chemin de la Grande-Ligne.

The BAPE (Bureau d'audiences publiques en environnement, Bureau of Environmental Public Inquiries) demanded that they scrap the Rang des Soixante extension, which they did.

Saint-Alexandre and its population objected, as it meant a 3.5 km drive between the town and the interchange which was sort of in the middle of nowhere, and a less-than-interesting access to its industrial area (over 5 km, with trucks going through town). At that point, the MTQ pretty much said "Yeah, we like that idea too, but the farmers and environmentalists don't because it means more pavement on crop fields. So go ahead and try to convince them for us. We'll wait for you." The town went ahead and submitted a request to the CPTAQ (Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec, Québec Agricultural Territory Protection Commission), which denied it.

The town turned to the courts and won, but at that point, the bureaucratic hurdles meant that the Rang des Soixante extension would not be ready in time, so they decided to go ahead and build the freeway regardless and build the exit later. I'm not sure what stage the project is at right now, but I think that the Ministry of Environment is still making them wait.

Articles (in French):
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/201308/13/01-4679627-a35-lautoroute-deserte.php
http://www.laveniretdesrivieres.com/Actualites/Economie/2013-04-24/article-3226864/A-35%3A-le-projet-au-ralenti/1
http://www.canadafrancais.com/Actualites/2012-06-29/article-3028229/Echangeur-de-lautoroute-35%3A-la-CPTAQ-rejette-la-demande-de-Saint-Alexandre/1

[AsphaltPlanet]

Interesting. I had wondered what the hold up was for the A-35 extension. I was out that way in June 2013, and even then the entire highway had already been paved.  (With the exception of the gap right at 227).

[Pete from Boston]

In other news, a charming little bridge finally opened in Lac-Mégantic, circumventing the off-limits bridge in the cleanup zone of the devastating 2013 oil derailment/spill/explosion/fire disaster, and ending the need to make a 4.5-mile detour to cross the Chaudière River.

Audio, no text, and much of it is about the simultaneous opening of the adjacent supermarket, but it's among the little English coverage:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2558107914/

Francais:

http://m.radio-canada.ca/regions/mauricie/2014/10/15/008-lac-megantic-pont-solidarite-inauguration.shtml

It is nice to see some progress out of such a sad, sad catastrophe.  If you're in the area, stop in and drop a few bucks in this town.  It sucks that they have this to live with.

[Fugazi]

Autoroute 5 up to Wakefield opened to traffic today.

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2014/10/10/005-outaouais-ouverture-nouveau-troncon-autoroute-5.shtml

The new 6.5 km A-5 stretch from Chelsea to La Pêche was officially opened on October 20 (press release and a nice map of the project). In the planning stages is a final 1 km extension from the current end at R-366 in Wakefield to R-105.

[oscar]

Autoroute 5 up to Wakefield opened to traffic today.

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2014/10/10/005-outaouais-ouverture-nouveau-troncon-autoroute-5.shtml

The new 6.5 km A-5 stretch from Chelsea to La Pêche was officially opened on October 20 (press release and a nice map of the project). In the planning stages is a final 1 km extension from the current end at R-366 in Wakefield to R-105.

I drove the new Chelsea to La Pêche segment on October 12, before the "official" opening.  (No photos except some sign photos which I took in lieu of taking notes -- I didn't get there until just before sunset.)

At least at that point, the northbound lanes between La Pêche and the current north end at R-366 were being worked on but still had one lane of traffic through the work zone; both southbound lanes were open.  My guess is that the old highway around Wakefield was a single two-lane roadway, which is being converted to northbound-only use, with a brand-new southbound roadway alongside. 

[vdeane]

It was four lanes, and also divided for most of the length.  The pavement doesn't look too good on street view though; they probably wanted to work on that segment since it will be sandwiched between two new ones when A-5 is finally completed.

[Chris]

3 kilometers of autoroute 410 near Sherbrooke opened to traffic today.

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/salle-de-presse/nouvelles/Pages/inauguration-troncon-autoroute40.aspx

[oscar]

3 kilometers of autoroute 410 near Sherbrooke opened to traffic today.

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/salle-de-presse/nouvelles/Pages/inauguration-troncon-autoroute40.aspx

I'd seen the new pavement past the barricades at Rue Dunant, when I stopped by there after the Quebec city meet in October.  But I wasn't sure whether it would open so soon, or be deferred to next year.

In any case, it sounds like MTQ isn't done with A-410, with more kms to be added next year.

[vdeane]

Looks like we got some street view early: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3683171,-71.9260917,3a,90y,95.32h,69.19t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sFxFk__RRazRY_CiKSF8hMg!2e0

[oscar]

Looks like we got some street view early: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3683171,-71.9260917,3a,90y,95.32h,69.19t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sFxFk__RRazRY_CiKSF8hMg!2e0

That seems to be of a frontage road between Ch. Ste-Catherine to Rue Dunant, which was completely open (but the mainline wasn't) when I was there in October.

[vdeane]

Isn't this the frontage road?

[AsphaltPlanet]

I stopped by A-410 in Quebec in early October.  I took some photos of the A-410 extension.  At that time, I also wasn't certain of exactly what was going to be opening and when.

My pictures are here:
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/PQ/A/410/index.html

[Alps]

I'll be by in a week to spy on the new road and remaining construction.

[oscar]

I'll be by in a week to spy on the new road and remaining construction.

Cool!  Could you let please us know the new exit numbers, if any, east of exit 7 (QC 216)?

[Pete from Boston]

3 kilometers of autoroute 410 near Sherbrooke opened to traffic today.

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/salle-de-presse/nouvelles/Pages/inauguration-troncon-autoroute40.aspx

I'd seen the new pavement past the barricades at Rue Dunant, when I stopped by there after the Quebec city meet in October.  But I wasn't sure whether it would open so soon, or be deferred to next year.

In any case, it sounds like MTQ isn't done with A-410, with more kms to be added next year.

It's supposed to run out to Lennoxville.  Part of me feels like this is unsatisfying and wants to see it run up to the 610/112 rotary, but I am realistic about the traffic volumes east of Sherbrooke. 

Interesting tidbit: Lennoxville is one of the most anglophone places in Québec.  I was there last month and after being in "Parlez-vous anglais?" mode for a while, it was like a babel fish had suddenly slipped into my ear in Lennoxville–unsettling, but welcome. 

[AsphaltPlanet]

Cool!  Could you let please us know the new exit numbers, if any, east of exit 7 (QC 216)?

Rue Belvédère is exit #10.  I didn't see any of the westbound signs for the R-216 or Rue Dunant exit, but it would only make sense that they would be signed as exit 7 westbound as well.

[AsphaltPlanet]

It's supposed to run out to Lennoxville.  Part of me feels like this is unsatisfying and wants to see it run up to the 610/112 rotary, but I am realistic about the traffic volumes east of Sherbrooke. 

Interesting tidbit: Lennoxville is one of the most anglophone places in Québec.  I was there last month and after being in "Parlez-vous anglais?" mode for a while, it was like a babel fish had suddenly slipped into my ear in Lennoxville–unsettling, but welcome. 

Getting a bit OT, but the part of Quebec west of Gatineau is pretty english as well.  I remember stopping at a chipstand in Shawville and was surprised to see that their menu was written in english.

In Ontario, the opposite is sometimes true.  There are a few locales in surprising locations, where there is still a predominant french community present.  For example, at the Tim Horton's in Welland, on the Niagara Peninsula, south of Toronto, it is common to hear french conversations in the dining room.  Penentanguishene on Georgian Bay, north of Toronto also has a sizable french community.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw one photo of the interchange with Belvedere Street taken before A-410 opening. A diamond interchange with 2 roundabouts. https://twitter.com/ChantalRivest/status/526105267294183424/photo/1

[AsphaltPlanet]

I was looking at streetview, and two roundabouts have been constructed and opened on Route 143 south of Lennoxville several years in advance of the completion of A-410.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Lennoxville,+Sherbrooke,+QC/@45.3545022,-71.8613155,882m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x4cb7b2b212ebe473:0xfcc0156fecc3a65e

I wish I had have known that when I was in Sherbrooke.

[Pete from Boston]

I saw that too, and didn't realize any construction had been done that far east when I was half a mile away. 

I have seen this interchange design elsewhere in Québec, but never as a terminus.  Is there any discussion of continuing this road east of 108?

[Fugazi]

Yes, phase 2 involves crossing the river and veering north to reach R-108 again past Lennoxville. I don't think there is a timeframe set for construction yet. I can try to post a map tonight.

[Alps]

Yes, phase 2 involves crossing the river and veering north to reach R-108 again past Lennoxville. I don't think there is a timeframe set for construction yet. I can try to post a map tonight.

I don't think work has even begun on anything east of the roundabouts.