Vallee des Forts Autoroute (A-35)

This 2013 photo shows the northbound Vallee des Forts Autoroute (A-35) at EXIT 42 (QC 223) in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. This exit, which features double flyover ramps, formerly was designated as EXIT 7, but was incorrectly relabeled as EXIT 43. (Photo by Steve Anderson.)

Length:

Constructed:

50.5 km (31.3 miles)
(QC 133 in Saint-Armand to A-10 in Saint-Philippe)
1964-2025

PLANNED AS A LINK FROM MONTREAL TO BOSTON: Autoroute 35 was conceived in the early 1960s as a critical link between Montreal and the Monteregie region as well as a bypass around the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu area. With its proposed connection to I-89 at the Saint-Armand border crossing, A-35 was to provide access to northern New England and the Boston area. For this reason, A-35 originally was called the "New England Autoroute;" today it is named for the colonial-era garrisons that dot the Richelieu Valley.

Work began on A-35 upon completion of the Eastern Townships Autoroute (A-10) in 1964. By 1966, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) of four-lane freeway connecting EXIT 55 (A-10) in Chambly with EXIT 39 (QC 104) in Iberville were opened to traffic. A short 1.6-kilometer (1.0-mile)-long section from EXIT 39 south to EXIT 38 (QC 133) opened in 1967. Also that year, and in preparation for the extension of A-35, a 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) section of former Route 7 - now known as QC 133 - was expanded from a two-lane rural road to a four-lane divided arterial. Completion of the entire length of A-35 had been scheduled for that year in time for Expo 67, but the province instead focused on expediting construction of autoroutes in the immediate Montreal area.

For many years after it opened, A-35 had at-grade intersections with St. Raphael Road and St. Andre Road in Saint-Luc. These intersections were closed in 1999; the St. Andre Road intersection was converted into a partial-cloverleaf interchange (EXIT 14), while St. Raphael Road was dead-ended on either side of A-35.

REVIVING THE LINK AFTER DECADES OF INACTION: After the initial section of A-35 opened in 1967, the Minist�re de la Voirie du Qu�bec (MVQ), the predecessor agency to the MTQ, continued to purchase rights-of-way for the proposed extension to Vermont. However, stricter provincial and Federal environmental regulations in the 1970s and the rise of Parti Qu�becois (PQ) after the 1976 elections formally ended many stillborn autoroute projects and left half-completed projects like A-35 in limbo.

As an interim measure, most of QC 133 was widened to three lanes: there is one travel lane in each direction, with the middle lane reserved for passing. Every two to three kilometers, the direction in which passing is permitted changes, which has been the cause of numerous head-on collisions over the years. Growing congestion along QC 133 - volume along the route has grown at an annual rate of 2% to 3%, with much of the growth coming from trucks (mostly tractor-trailers) - has compounded this problem. Andre Dandavino, a coroner from St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, testified before provincial leaders that many of the fatal accidents on QC 133 over the years would not have occurred if A-35 had been built.

In 2001, the MTQ revisited the issue of the A-35 extension and commissioned new studies amid growing congestion on the QC 133 corridor south to I-89 in Vermont. The province held public hearings in late 2005 and early 2006, finding mostly favorable reception to A-35, though there remained concerns from (1) farmers whose land would be severed by the new freeway; and (2) environmentalists worried about potential damage to Lake Champlain and the surrounding flood plain.

The MTQ proposed the following alignment (from north to south) in its 2008 final environmental impact statement for A-35:

  • Beginning in Iberville, A-35 shifts from a southerly to a southeasterly direction as it heads toward St. Alexander. The current mainline A-35 shifts southwesterly to its southern terminus to join QC 133 (Chemin de la Grande-Ligne). These existing carriageways form the EXIT 38 ramps from southbound A-35 to southbound QC 133, and from northbound QC 133 to northbound A-35.

  • Two slip ramps (northbound exit, southbound entrance) were built at EXIT 36 for additional access to and from QC 133.

  • Around kilometer-post 26, the alignment of A-35 shifts back to the south.

  • Near St. Sebastian, there was a diamond interchange built at EXIT 15 (QC 133). (An alternative plan called for construction of a partial cloverleaf interchange with QC 133.)

  • Around kilometer-post 13, the alignment of A-35 shifts to the southeast.

  • A new three-span bridge over the Pike River (Riviere-aux-Brochets) was built near kilometer-post 9.

  • A-35 shifts gradually back to a southerly shift between kilometer-posts 9 and 7 as it follows the shoreline of Lake Champlain. The revised design called for a narrowing of the right-of-way to 75 meters (250 feet) from the original width of 90 meters (300 feet).

  • At St. Armand, there will be a partial cloverleaf interchange at new EXIT 5 with QC 133 (Champlain Road). Ramps in the northeast quadrant will be extended east past QC 133 to extend to Chemin du Molin.

The following projects were originally part of the plan, but not built:

  • As originally planned, there was a partial cloverleaf interchange built at EXIT 27 (QC 227) in St. Alexander. Ramps were to be built in the north and south quadrants. An alternative plan called for construction of a diamond interchange with QC 227.

  • Also as originally planned, A-35 was to follow an upgraded four-lane roadbed along the existing four-lane-divided QC 133 from kilometer-post 5 south to the Quebec-Vermont border. New slip ramps would be built at new EXIT 3 (St. Armand Road), and the St. Armand border crossing would be expanded. (Plans for a northbound rest area at kilometer-post 5 were abandoned; however, the MTQ has reserved the right to use the area for a truck inspection station.)

The initial 23.7 kilometers (14.7 miles) from the current terminus in Iberville south to QC 133 in St. Sebastian were slated for completion in late 2011, while the remaining 14.3 kilometers (8.9 miles) south from St. Sebastian to St. Armand were scheduled to be open to traffic by late 2013. The final design required the condemnation of eight residential properties. The entire missing link was estimated to cost C$257 million (2008 dollars), and its completion was designed to shave 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) and 10-15 minutes from the trip between Iberville and the Quebec-Vermont border.

This circa 1966 photo shows the Vallee-des-Forts Autoroute (A-35) nearing completion at EXIT 45 (QC 219) in Saint-John-sur-Richelieu. (Photo from the Archives Nationale de Quebec / "Bilan de Siecle," University of Sherbrooke.)

LONG, SLOW PROGRESS TOWARDS THE BORDER: After more than four decades of delays, work on extending A-35 south towards Vermont finally began in 2009. Even then, A-35 construction still could not escape delays, particularly given a change in government from the Liberal Party to the PQ that prompted a reexamination of C$2.5 billion of infrastructure spending province-wide.

The first part of the extension, comprising Phases 1 and 2 of the project, added 22.8 kilometers (14.1 miles) to A-35; the stretch from EXIT 38 (QC 133) in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu south to EXIT 15 (QC 133) in Saint-Sebastien was opened to traffic in October 2015. By that time, the cost of the A-35 extension had risen to C$460 million, according to infrastructure website ReNew Canada.

Construction of Phase 3 did not begin until 2020, and delays continued even after construction began as supply chain issues prompted shortages of steel beams. By 2024, much of Phase 3 had been completed except for the Pike River bridge. The 9.0-kilometer (5.6-mile)-long section from EXIT 15 in Saint-Sebastien south to EXIT 5 (QC 133) in Saint-Armand was opened to traffic in September 2025.

According to the Ministere des Transports du Quebec (MTQ), A-35 carries approximately 50,000 vehicles per day (AADT) from the northern terminus at A-10 south to the immediate area of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, though traffic counts drop off significantly toward 10,000 vehicles per day south of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, In its 2008 study, the MTQ projected that traffic volume south of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu would be approximately 15,000-20,000 vehicles per day upon completion of A-35. This would be similar to the traffic volume on A-15 (Rene-Levesque Autoroute) - another key border route - south of A-30.

AN UNDERPOWERED CONNECTION AT A-10: The original Eastern Townships Autoroute was a toll road, and to accommodate a toll plaza, the interchange between A-10 and A-35 was not built as a traditional cloverleaf. Instead, the interchange was built as follows:

  • Collector-distributor (C/D) roads were built along A-10 to get motorists to pay tolls upon exiting for A-35 / Frechette Boulevard; this was the first toll plaza on A-10 heading east from Montreal. (The tolls on A-10 were removed in 1985.) One C/D road is for traffic leaving eastbound A-10 toward southbound A-30 and northbound Frechette Boulevard, while the corresponding C/D is for traffic entering westbound A-10 from northbound A-35 and southbound Frechette Boulevard.

  • There is no direct connection from northbound A-35 to eastbound A-10. Motorists bound for eastbound A-10 must exit at EXIT 55E, then turn left onto Rue Brunelle for the ramp to eastbound A-10.

  • There is no direct connection from westbound A-10 to southbound A-35. Motorists bound for southbound A-35 from westbound A-10 must use a shared ramp for Frechette Boulevard, then make two left turns at at-grade intersections before heading onto southbound A-35.

  • There is no direct connection from southbound A-35 / Frechette Boulevard to eastbound A-10. Motorists bound for eastbound A-10 from southbound A-35 / Frechette Boulevard must exit at EXIT 55E, then turn left onto Rue Brunelle for the ramp to eastbound A-10.

NEW EXIT NUMBERS FOR THE EXISTING A-35: In the early 2010s, A-35 received new exit numbers in advance of the completion of the A-35 extension. The new exit numbers were numbered beginning at the border, continuing north, and ending at the northern terminus at A-10. (Previously, A-35 exits were numbered beginning at EXIT 38 (QC 133) in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

This 2013 photo shows the southbound Vallee-des-Forts Autoroute (A-35) at EXIT 38 (QC 133) in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. From 1967 to 2015, this exit served as the southern terminus of A-35, as shown in this sign. A-35 was extended south to Saint-Sebastien in 2015 and again to Saint-Armand in 2025. (Photo by Steve Anderson.)

WHAT BECOMES OF PHASE 4? In March 2025, just six months prior to the completion of Phase 3, Quebec officials cut Phase 4 of the A-35 project - which would have provided full control of access from EXIT 5 in Saint-Armand south to the Quebec-Vermont border - from the provincial budget.

A four-lane arterial (QC 133) already connects EXIT 5 with the border, though there are at-grade intersections. The original plan for Phase 4 included a diamond interchange at EXIT 3 (St. Armand Road / Montgomery Avenue) to serve to lakefront community of Philipsburg. The MTQ has no current plans to build Phase 4. However, plans are still underway to expand the Highgate Springs / Philipsburg border crossing, which is a Federally-funded project slated for construction between 2026 and 2029.

This map shows the route of the proposed A-35 extension from Iberville (St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu) south to I-89 in Vermont, including the location of planned interchanges. Two interchanges -- EXIT 27 in Saint-Alexander and EXIT 3 in Philipsburg -- were not built. (Map by Minist�re des Transports du Qu�bec and Genivar, Inc.)

REVISITING PHASE 4: Finances permitting, the MTQ should revisit Phase 4 of the A-35 extension. To minimize expense, the existing roadbed of A-35 would be used and rebuilt, and a single diamond interchange should be built at EXIT 3 in Philipsburg. Additional local access would be provided by a southerly extension of South Road (Chemin South) along the southbound lanes of A-35 / QC 133.

A REBUILT A-10 / A-35 INTERCHANGE AND WIDENED A-10: In conjunction with the A-35 "missing link" project scheduled for completion by 2013, a rebuilt A-10 / A-35 interchange complete with two-lane, high-speed ramps (A-10 eastbound to A-35 southbound, and A-35 northbound to A-10 westbound) should be built. A-10 also should be widened from EXIT 11 (A-30) east to EXIT 22 (A-35).

SOURCES: "A St. John's-Montreal Autoroute," The News and Eastern Townships Advocate (1/04/1962); Completion of Highway 35 Between Saint-John-sur-Richelieu and the US Border: Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Minist�re des Transports du Qu�bec (2005); "New Road Needed" by Andre Dandavino, The Montreal Gazette (5/18/2004); "Coroner Favors A-35 Extension" by Stephane Tremblay, Le Journal de Montreal (7/06/2008); "What Construction Holiday?" by David Johnston, The Montreal Gazette (8/02/2008); Completion of Highway 35 Between Saint-John-sur-Richelieu and the US Border: Final Environmental Impact Statement, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Minist�re des Transports du Qu�bec (2008); "PQ Puts Liberal-Approved Road Projects on Hold," CBMT-TV (2/15/2013); "Quebec's Longest Highway Construction Project, A-35, Still Not Finished" by Timothy Sargeant, CKMI-TV (7/08/2015); "Vermont Officials Applaud Start of Phase 3 of Quebec's A-35 Highway," (8/27/2020); "New A-35 Highway to the Quebec-US Border Delayed Again" by Timothy Sargeant, CKMI-TV (7/06/2023); "Part of Highway Linking Vermont and Montreal Scrapped," WCAX-TV (3/31/2025); "Construction date set for Highgate Springs Port of Entry," WCAX-TV (5/08/2025); "Final Phase of Highway Connecting Montreal to US Now Open," WCAX-TV (9/04/2025); "Canada, Quebec Celebrate Opening of a New Section of Highway 35," ReNew Canada (9/05/2025); Genivar, Inc.; Infrastructure Canada; F�lix-Mathieu B�gin; Richard Dupuis; Scott Steeves.

  • A-35 shield by Wikipedia.
  • I-89 shield by Ralph Herman.
  • Lightpost photos by Douglas Kerr.

VALLEE DES FORTS AUTOROUTE LINKS:

VALLEE DES FORTS AUTOROUTE CURENT CONDITIONS:

VALLEE DES FORTS AUTOROUTE VIDEO LINKS:

THE EXITS OF METRO MONTREAL:

  • Autoroute 35 exit list (coming soon)

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