Boulevard du Plateau

Boulevard du Plateau is a collector roadway located in Gatineau, Quebec, beside Route 148.

This road is separated in two sections; the first one is a small route starting at Chemin Vanier in Aylmer before it terminates at a dead-end. It is home to the new D'Arcy McGee English high school which recently moved from its former location near the Hull Hospital, several kilometers away.

The second and most important section starts at Boulevard Saint-Raymond and also terminates at a dead-end in the western edge of the Le Plateau residential area. The two sections will be combined as development continues.

This roadway, which was fairly tranquil until the mid 90's became very busy after 2000, as the community has grown rapidly. The increasing number of residents, was one of the reasons why retail and commercial development has exploded, similar to the likes of Barrhaven's Marketplace district as well as the Kanata Centrum and the Holy Trinity/Avalon district of Orleans.

Since the late 90's Loblaws, SuperC, Reitmans, Moores, Wal-Mart, Rona and Bureau en Gros stores have been built in rapid succession, A large 16 theatre movie complex known as Starcite Hull was also built, making it the largest of its kind in the city of Gatineau.

Local residents have expressed concerns about the growing number of superstores in the area, and have asked the city to slow the expansion of the commercial district, as traffic has been getting increasingly congested during shopping hours. However, there is still ample open space left for development, allowing for more stores in the future when the road is completed. In addition, the nearby Boulevard des Allumettières (formerly Boulevard de l'Outaouais) freeway, also known as the Highway 50/148 extension will give eastern residents of the city much faster and easier access to the big-box stores in the area which would add to traffic congestion. There are also plans to complete Boulevard des Grives, a nearby collector accessing the Manoir des Trembles community and the McConnell freeway (an interchange). The City has proposed to connect des Grives to the 148.

As of 2006, the Le Plateau community has entered the Aylmer sector, and the population is expected to approach the 15 000-20 000 range.

ee also

* List of Gatineau roads