Montreal Bypass: New Brunswick Shortcut

If you're travelling from Ottawa to PEI and want to bypass Montreal, you can take the new Highway 30. This route avoids the Montreal city centre and can save you a lot of time, especially during rush hour or in winter snowstorms. The highway passes through a mix of urban areas, farmland, and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. To access Highway 30 when coming from Ottawa, you can take Exit 98 and follow the signs for Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy. Keep in mind that Highway 30 is a toll road.

Take exit 98 to Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy

If you're travelling from Ottawa to PEI and want to bypass Montreal, you can take the new Highway 30. This route is a great time-saver, helping you avoid the city centre's traffic and construction.

To access Highway 30 from the east on Highway 20, take exit 98. The sign will read Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy. After taking the exit, you will need to go straight to take the Chateauguay exit. The road will then curve around to Highway 30.

Highway 30 takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive and passes through a mix of urban areas, farmland, and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. It also features two bridge crossings over the St. Lawrence River and a tunnel underneath a canal.

• After taking exit 98, you will see a sign for Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy.
• Keep going straight to take the Chateauguay exit, which will curve around to Highway 30.
• Highway 30 will take you south across farmland and Montreal suburbs to the toll booths.
• After the toll booths, you will cross the St. Lawrence River twice.
• The route then bends east and crosses the Beauharnois Bridge over the St. Lawrence Seaway and the St. Lawrence River.
• After passing through the community of Beauharnois, you will see the Îles de la Paix National Wildlife Area.
• Next, you will cross the Mercier Bridge and pass through the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.
• The route then passes through several Montreal South Shore communities, including Beauharnois, Chateauguay, Candiac, Brossard, and Longueuil.
• Finally, at Boucherville, the route reconnects to Highway 20, heading east towards Quebec City.

By taking exit 98 to Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy, you can bypass Montreal and save significant travel time, especially during rush hour or winter snowstorms.

Continue straight to take the Chateauguay exit

If you're travelling from New Brunswick to Ottawa, you can bypass Montreal by taking the Chateauguay exit. This route is also known as Autoroute 30 or Highway 30.

Directions from New Brunswick:

Take Autoroute 20 and exit at number 98, following the signs to Chateauguay and Sorel-Tracy. Continue straight to take the Chateauguay exit, which will curve around to Autoroute 30.

Directions from Ottawa:

Take Autoroute 40 and exit at number 32, following signs to Sorel-Tracy and Toronto. This will put you on Autoroute 30, which bypasses Montreal.

Additional Information:

Autoroute 30 is a toll road that offers a quicker route than driving through Montreal, especially during rush hour or winter snowstorms. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive this route, which passes through Montreal's South Shore communities and offers views of the St. Lawrence River.

Directions to Chateauguay Community Church:

If you are heading to the Chateauguay Community Church, take Autoroute 30 east and exit at number 38, following signs to Saint-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard. Turn left onto Saint-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard and continue until you reach Maxi. At the traffic lights, turn right and the church will be on your left.

Take exit 29 to Sorel-Tracy/Ottawa/Gatineau

To bypass Montreal going to New Brunswick, you can take exit 29 to Sorel-Tracy/Ottawa/Gatineau from Autoroute 20 (a continuation of Ontario's 401 from Toronto). This exit is located at about km 239 of that itinerary. After exiting Autoroute 20, be sure to stay in the right lane.

Autoroute 30, also known as AutoRoute de l'Acier or the "Steel Freeway," is a toll route that allows you to quickly get either east or west of Montreal without getting stuck in traffic or construction. The route passes through a variety of landscapes, including urban areas, farmland, and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive and can save you up to 45 minutes in travel time, especially during rush hour.

By taking exit 29, you can bypass the major Montreal Bridges for Autoroute 40 and 20 on the West Island and bridges/tunnels crossing to Montreal's South Shore. The Autoroute 30 route also offers the highlight of two bridge crossings over the St. Lawrence River and a tunnel underneath a canal just north of the river.

Take Autoroute 30 (AutoRoute de l'Acier)

Autoroute 30 (A-30), or Autoroute de l'Acier (Steel Freeway), is a highway in Quebec, Canada. It is an excellent route to take if you want to bypass Montreal when travelling from Ottawa to New Brunswick.

History

The construction of the A-30 dates back to the early days of highway construction in the 1960s. It was originally called Highway 3 and was designed to replace Route 132 as the main road linking communities along the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River. The A-30 was originally intended to begin at the US border near Dundee and end at Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets. However, in the late 1970s, an eight-year moratorium on new highway construction in favour of public transport by the Parti Québécois prevented this plan from being implemented.

The first section of the A-30, completed in 1968, linked Sorel-Tracy to Route 116, known then as Highway 9. The A-30 was extended to an interchange with Autoroute 10 in Brossard by 1985 and to Autoroute 15 in Candiac by 1996.

Bypassing Montreal

The A-30 is a great route to take if you want to bypass Montreal and avoid the city's traffic and congestion. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive and features two bridge crossings over the St. Lawrence River and a tunnel underneath a canal.

If you are heading east, you can access the A-30 from Autoroute 40 (a continuation of Ontario's 417 south from Ottawa) at Exit 32 to Sorel-Tracy/Toronto. You can also access it from Autoroute 20 (a continuation of Ontario's 401 from Toronto) by taking Exit 29 to Sorel-Tracy/Ottawa. After exiting the A-20, be sure to stay in the right lane.

If you are heading west, you can access the A-30 from the east on Autoroute 20 from Quebec City/Levis at Exit 98.

A-30 Route

The A-30 route passes through a mix of farmland and Montreal suburbs. On the southbound journey from the AR40 junction to the AR20 junction to the St. Lawrence, the route passes through the communities of Vaudreuil-Dorion and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. South of the toll plaza, you will cross the St. Lawrence River twice. The route then bends east and crosses the Beauharnois Bridge over the St. Lawrence Seaway and the St. Lawrence River. After passing through the community of Beauharnois, you will see the Îles de la Paix National Wildlife Area. After crossing the Mercier Bridge, the route passes through the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and the Montreal South Shore communities of Beauharnois, Chateauguay, Candiac, Brossard, and Longeueuil. Finally, at Boucherville, the route reconnects to the A-20 Trans-Canada Highway east to Quebec City.

Cross the St. Lawrence River via the Madeleine-Parent Bridge

To cross the St. Lawrence River via the Madeleine-Parent Bridge, you can take the Autoroute 30 (A-30) or the Highway 30. This route is a great option if you want to bypass Montreal and avoid the city traffic. Here's a detailed guide on crossing the St. Lawrence River via the Madeleine-Parent Bridge:

Location and Access

The Madeleine-Parent Bridge is located in Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada. It is named after Madeleine Parent, a Canadian labour, feminist, and aboriginal rights activist. The bridge crosses the Beauharnois Canal of the St. Lawrence River, also known as the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Specifications

The Madeleine-Parent Bridge is a highway bridge, with one bridge in each direction. Each bridge spans a length of 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) and has a total length of 2.5 kilometres (6,562 feet) when combined. The bridge features an orthotropic steel deck and is an example of standard truss bridge engineering.

Connecting Routes

The Autoroute 30 (A-30) serves as a bypass for motorists travelling the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, helping them avoid the island of Montreal's congestion. When travelling east, you can access the A-30 from the Autoroute 40 (A-40) at Exit 32 towards Sorel-Tracy and Toronto. From the west, you can access it from the Autoroute 20 (A-20) at Exit 98.

The A-30 also connects to other major highways. On the southbound trek, you will encounter junctions with Autoroute 15 (A-15) towards the US border and Autoroute 10 (A-10) towards the Eastern Townships. At Boucherville and Sainte-Julie, the A-30 reconnects with the A-20, heading east towards Quebec City.

Nearby Areas

As you cross the St. Lawrence River via the Madeleine-Parent Bridge, you will be treated to views of the surrounding landscapes and communities. The area boasts a mix of farmland and Montreal suburbia. On the north side of the bridge, you will find the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, where you can learn about the history and culture of the Mohawk people.

The bridge also offers a unique perspective of the St. Lawrence River and its surrounding infrastructure. Dams and rapids can be spotted on both sides of the river, and the Beauharnois Dam, located east of the bridge, is a notable feature of the St. Lawrence Seaway project.

Frequently asked questions