Autoroutes of Quebec
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.
Autoroutes of Quebec | |
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Highway shields for Autoroutes 5, 20 and 640 | |
The current Autoroute network in Quebec | |
System information | |
Maintained by Transports Quebec (MTQ) | |
Length | 2,381.9 km (1,480.0 mi) |
Formed | 1958 |
System links | |
The word autoroute is a blend of auto and route, equivalent to "freeway" or "motorway" in English, and it became the equivalent of "expressway" in French. In the 1950s, when the first Autoroutes were being planned, the design documents called them autostrades from the Italian word autostrada.