Quebec Autoroute 31
{{short description|Highway in Quebec}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox road
|province=QC
|type=Autoroute
|route=31
|alternate_name=Autoroute Antonio-Barrette
|maint=Transports Québec
|map={{maplink-road |from=Quebec Autoroute 31.map }}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=A-31 highlighted in red
|length_km = 14
|length_round = 1
|length_ref=Ministère des transports, "Distances routières", page (?), Les Publications du Québec, 2005{{cite web|url=http://www1.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/repertoire_autoroute/autoroute.asp|title=Répertoire des autoroutes du Québec|language=fr|publisher=Transports Québec|access-date=2008-02-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111145001/http://www1.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/repertoire_autoroute/autoroute.asp|archive-date=2010-01-11}}
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=QC|A|40|QC|131}} in Lavaltrie
| junctions =
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = {{jct|state=QC|QC|131|QC|158}} in Joliette
|previous_type=A
|previous_route=30
|next_type=A
|next_route=35
| cities = Joliette, Lavaltrie, Saint-Thomas
}}
Autoroute 31 (A-31) is an Autoroute in the region of Lanaudière in Quebec. Constructed in 1966, A-31 primarily links Joliette with A-40 and in turn to Montreal, Trois-Rivières, and other points served by Quebec's autoroute system. A-31 is only {{convert|14|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long, making it one of the shortest autoroutes in the province. It is multiplexed with Route 131 for its entire length.
A-31 carries the name Autoroute Antonio-Barrette, named for a politician from Joliette who briefly served as Premier of Quebec in 1960.
Route description
A-31 begins just south of its interchange with A-40 in Lavaltrie. Motorists exiting A-40 can choose to head north on A-31/Route 131 or south on Route 131 alone to Lavaltrie's city centre. The A-31/A-40 interchange has an unusual configuration, built to accommodate tollbooths that were dismantled.
The freeway runs through farmland for much of its length, with exits at km 2, km 7 and km 12 to serve local roads.
A-31 ends at km 15 at a cloverleaf interchange with Route 158. Plans for Quebec's autoroute system initially called for A-31 to meet A-50 at this interchange. Anticipating this outcome, Route 158 in the immediate vicinity of the interchange was constructed as a limited-access highway and signed as A-50. Once plans to extend the A-50 east of the A-15 were abandoned in the 1980s, this stretch of highway was redesignated Route 158. A series of deadly accidents on Route 158 prompted a 2014 petition drive to reconstruct the highway to Autoroute standards and return the designation of A-50.{{cite web|last1=Ferland|first1=Mathieu|title=Une pétition circule pour modifier la route 158|url=http://www.lejournaldejoliette.ca/actualites/faits-divers/178671/une-petition-circule-pour-modifier-la-route-158|website=Le Journal de Joliette|access-date=18 March 2016|language=fr|date=24 July 2014}}
Motorists exiting A-31 at km 15 may continue on Route 158 west to Saint-Esprit, Route 158 east to Berthierville, or Route 131 north to Saint-Félix-de-Valois. Past this interchange, A-31 ends and becomes Boulevard Dollard, which continues into downtown Joliette.
{{-}}
Exit list
{{QCinttop|exit|length_ref={{google maps|title=Quebec Autoroute 31 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9774171,-73.4302086,12.3z |access-date=April 17, 2023}}}}
{{QCint|exit
|county=D'Autray
|cspan=3
|location=Lavaltrie
|lspan=3
|km=0.0
|kspan=2
|exit=–
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=QC|QC|131|dir1=south|city1=Lavaltrie}}
|notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with R-131
}}
{{QCint|exit
|km=none
|exit=1
|road={{jct|state=QC|A|40|city1=Québec|city2=Montréal|road|Rang Saint-François}}
|notes=Partial at-grade intersection; A-40 exit 22
}}
{{QCint|exit
|km=1.6
|exit=2
|road=Rang Saint-Henri / Rang du Point-du-Jour
|notes=
}}
{{QCint|exit
|county=Joliette
|cspan=4
|location=Saint-Thomas
|lspan=2
|km=7.3
|exit=7
|road=Saint-Thomas, Saint-Paul
|notes=
}}
{{QCint|exit
|km=11.9
|exit=12
|type=incomplete
|road=Rue Ernest-Harnois / Rue Nazaire-Laurin
|notes=Northbound exit and entrance
}}
{{QCint|exit
|location=Joliette
|lspan=2
|km=13.4
|exit=14
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=QC|QC|131|QC|158|dir1=north|city1=Notre-Dame-des-Prairies|city2=Saint-Michel-des-Saints|city3=Berthierville|city4=Saint-Jérôme}}
|notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with R-131; signed as exits 14E (east) and 14O (west)
}}
{{QCint|exit
|km=14.0
|exit=–
|road=Boulevard Dollard / Rue Calixa-Lavalleé / Rue Joseph-Arthur – Joliette Centre-Ville
|notes=Roundabout; continuation beyond R-158
}}
{{jctbtm|exit|keys=concur,incomplete}}
References
External links
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.inforoutiere.qc.ca/fr/carte_routiere/index.asp Transports Quebec Map] {{in lang|fr}}
{{Quebec Autoroutes}}