Transport Quebec officials expect the A35 to be completed by the end of 2023 – Montreal | Globalnews.ca

Workers are out in full force, building the long-awaited extension of the A35 south of Saint-Sebastian toward the US border. The latest phase (three of four) is nine kilometers and is expected to cost around $223 million.

Transport Quebec officials are expecting it to be completed by the end of 2023.

“In April, the weather is back and they work hard until it snows,” Transport Quebec spokesman Gilles Payer told Global News.

The final and fourth phases are four kilometers long and will reach the US border in Vermont. Work on this section has not started and it is not clear when the final section of the highway will be completed.

“We don’t have a budget or schedule right now,” Payer said.

For now, travelers between the states of Quebec and New England need to take Route 133 between Saint-Sebastian and the US border, most of it a three-lane drive with top speeds between 50 and 90 km/h.

The extended portion of the A35 will be four-laning through hectares of agricultural land with a maximum speed of 100 km/h. This is going to make the drive much safer and faster.

Both commercial trade and visitors between Canada and the US are expected to benefit from the new autoroute.

“Our goal for this new highway is to make everyone happy,” Payer said.

Work on the A35 began in the 1960s with the intention of making it to the US border and connecting with I89 in Vermont. Work on the A35 has stopped and started for decades for a variety of reasons, but officials are happy they are getting closer to completion.

Once the final phase is in place, there will be a direct highway connection between Montreal and Boston.

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