Quebec Autoroute 70

Infobox road
province=QC
type=Autoroute
route=70|highway_name = Autoroute 70
marker_

alternate_name = Autoroute du Saguenay (Saguenay Autoroute),
La plus courte autoroute du monde
("The World's Shortest Freeway")
length = 27 kilometres (17 miles)
direction = East/West
starting_terminus = Jonquiere, Quebec
junction =
ending_terminus = Chicoutimi, Quebec
cities = Saguenay, Quebec
established = 1983
system = City/Rural highway
previous_type=A
previous_route=55
next_type=A
next_route=73

Autoroute 70, or A-70, is a short Autoroute in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of northern Quebec. It is currently the only Autoroute that does not connect to any other Autoroutes although other Autoroutes with discontiguous segments such as Autoroute 30, and Autoroute 20, along with autoroutes on the Quebec side of Metropolitan Ottawa have parts that don't connect to any other. Oddly enough, Autoroute 20 has an at-grade expressway in the Montreal area that actually bears an "Autoroute 20" designation.

If Route 175 is redesignated as Autoroute 73 is expanded all the way to A-70, it may be integrated into the main autoroute network. A-70 is currently 27 km (17 miles) long, however extensions are planned in both directions. Currently, because both termini of Autoroute 70 end at Route 170, Route 170 is currently concurrent with Autoroute 70 in its entirety; suggesting that Autoroute 70 was originally just a freeway upgrade for part of Route 170.

A-70 is only partially completed; currently it acts primarily as a bypass route around the urban area of Saguenay. The route was slow to develop; until 2001 it was an extremely short stub, less than 6 km (3.5 miles) long (built in three sections), however, construction has recently been accelerated.

It is expected that A-70 will be extended westward to at least Alma and eastward to La Baie. A new alignment has already been determined for the westernmost section of A-70, and the central section (currently part of Route 170) is already a 4-lane divided highway; service roads would need to be constructed as it is not limited access. The proposed route for the eastern section has also been determined.

The ultimate length of A-70 will likely be around 64 km (40 miles) in length.

Interchanges from West to East

* *Exit number not signed, based on kilometre post

Resources

* [http://www.exitlists.com/exitlists/lists/autoroutes/A70.html A-70 at Exitlists.com]
* [http://webfil_92.tripod.com/autoroutes_en/id16.html A-70 at Quebec Autoroutes]
* [http://www.inforoutiere.qc.ca/fr/carte_routiere/index.asp Transports Quebec Map] fr icon