Autoroute 85 is a Quebec Autoroute and the route of the Trans-Canada Highway in the province's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, also known as Autoroute Claude-Béchard. It is currently under construction with committed Federal and Provincial funding for its completion, with an estimated completion date of 2026. Once this upgrade is completed, it will close the last gap in the nearly continuous freeway section of the Trans-Canada between Arnprior, Ontario, and Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and for an even longer interprovincial freeway route between Windsor, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Running between Rivière-du-Loup and a junction with New Brunswick Route 2 at the Quebec-New Brunswick border, A-85 when complete will be the only controlled access highway link between the Maritime Provinces and the rest of the country. A-85 is projected to be approximately 100 km (60 mi) long when construction is complete and is intended to replace Route 185, which has been called one of the deadliest highways in Canada.
Autoroute 85 in Rivière-du-Loup looking North towards the Saint Lawrence River
The Quebec Autoroute System or le système d'autoroute au Québec is a network of freeways within the province of Quebec, Canada, operating under the same principle of controlled access as the Interstate Highway System in the United States and the 400-series highways in neighbouring Ontario. The Autoroutes are the backbone of Quebec's highway system, spanning almost 2,400 km (1,491 mi). The speed limit on the Autoroutes is generally 100 km/h (62 mph) in rural areas and 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph) in urban areas; most roads are made of asphalt concrete.
Quebec Autoroute 20 west in Montreal, ~km 66.
Drivers along eastbound Autoroute 30 approach the exit for Autoroute 15.