Quebec Autoroute 55

Infobox road
province=QC
type=Autoroute
route=55
highway_name = Autoroute 55
marker_

alternate_name = Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Autoroute Transquébécoise
length_km = 247
direction = North/South
starting_terminus = Stanstead, Quebec
junction =
ending_terminus = Shawinigan, Quebec
cities = Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan
established = 1964
system = City/Rural highway
previous_type=A
previous_route=50
next_type=A
next_route=70

Autoroute 55 (also called Autoroute Transquébécoise (North of the Autoroute 20) and Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier (South part) is an important north-south Autoroute and the only one running in that direction in central Quebec. It is the longest north-south Autoroute, running from the United States border at Stanstead (where it continues as Interstate 91) to Shawinigan where it downgrades to Route 155. The total length of A-55 is currently 247 km (153 miles), including concurrencies with Autoroutes 10, 20 and 40.

The main purpose of this Autoroute is to connect the mid-sized communities of Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières and Shawinigan and the smaller communities in between. The most notable feature on A-55 is the Laviolette Bridge between Trois-Rivières and Bécancour, which is the longest bridge in Quebec and one of the longest in Canada.

A-55 had a short "gap" between Bécancour and Drummondville which was under construction and it was completed in October 2006. The gap results from Transports Quebec's original intention of bringing A-55 southeast towards Victoriaville along what is now Autoroute 955 before shifting southwest to rejoin existing A-55 near Richmond. However, the plans changed in the 1970s and the present routing was chosen. The southern section was originally supposed to be Autoroute 51 which was intended to continue to Pierreville. A-55 was signed along Route 155 (which is not an Autoroute-standard highway) until the new route was completed.

All of the southern portion of A-55 became a full four-lane freeway by the end of October 2006. The gap being filled in the northern portion will initially be a two-lane freeway for about 20 km (15 mi), but it is intended to ultimately be four lanes.

While some people hope that A-55 will be extended further north towards La Tuque and Roberval, there are currently no plans to extend the route.

The designation "Autoroute Joseph-Armand Bombardier" is in honour of Quebec businessman Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who lived in Valcourt, near where A-55 passes and who invented the snowmobile there. His company, Bombardier, started by building snowmobiles and eventually grew into a major international manufacturer of transit vehicles and aircraft.

The designation "Autoroute Transquébécoise" means "Trans-Quebec", although this section north of A-20 is likely to remain at its comparatively short length to Shawinigan for the foreseeable future.

Exit list

Resources

* [http://www.exitlists.com/exitlists/lists/autoroutes/A55.html A-55 at Exitlists.com]
* [http://webfil_92.tripod.com/autoroutes_en/id15.html A-55 at Quebec Autoroutes]
* [http://www.inforoutiere.qc.ca/en/carte_routiere/index.asp Transports Quebec Map]