# Quebec Route 138

Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the St. Lawrence River past Montreal to the temporary eastern terminus in Kegashka on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal (connecting with New York State Route 30 at the Trout River Border Crossing). Part of this highway is known as the Chemin du Roy, or King's Highway, which is one of the oldest highways in Canada.
It passes through the Montérégie, Montreal, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Capitale-Nationale and Côte-Nord regions of Quebec. In Montreal, Highway 138 runs via Sherbrooke Street, crosses the Pierre Le Gardeur Bridge to Charlemagne and remains a four-lane road until exiting Repentigny.
This highway takes a more scenic route than the more direct Autoroute 40 between Montreal and Quebec City. It crosses the Saguenay River via a ferry which travels between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac; in the event of a closure of this ferry, drivers must take a significant detour via Quebec Route 172 and Quebec Route 170 to the city of Saguenay in order to cross the river by bridge.

## The Whale Route

From Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon, at the beginning of the 20th century, the first routes of what would become Route 138 (formerly Route 15) were laid in the vicinity of Sept-Îles. In 1961, a section was added from the Franquelin region to the tip of the Moisie River, some 20 kilometres east of Sept-Îles.
On the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, until 1976, there was no continuous route to go further east than the Moisie River. Only bits of paths here and there connect a few coastal villages to each other, Natashquan connects to Aguanish by a dirt road (1959).
Route 138, from Tadoussac to Havre-Saint-Pierre, opened in the spring of 1976, from there access to the islands of the Mingan Archipelago by sea.
In 1984, to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in New France, the Commission de toponymie gave this name to the part of Route 138 located east of the Saguenay River, that is, the part that extends from Tadoussac to Havre-Saint-Pierre.
* The Whale route - Route Jacques-Cartier - Route 138 East 1976
* Donald-Gallienne bridge over the Moisie River, Sept-Iles (City), Matamec Hamlet, towards Moisie
* Fill of Highway No. 138, Sept-Îles (City), Hamlet Matamec
* Roadside restaurant sign
* Pole transport by helicopter
* Mouth of the Bouleau River, rest area, from the bridge 14468, Rivière-au-Tonnerre

## From Havre-Saint-Pierre to Natashquan

Until the mid-1990s, the highway's eastern terminus was Havre-Saint-Pierre, but in 1996 the extension to Natashquan was completed. A 40 km gravel section between Natashquan and Kegaska opened on September 26, 2013, with the inauguration of a bridge across the Natashquan River.
When planning Route 138, from Havre-Saint-Pierre to the Pashashibou River, the Quebec Ministry of Transport planned the installation of lookouts. Visual openness, proximity to an exceptional landscape, educational potential, as well as a tourist vocation play a determining role in the choice of sites.
The arrangement of lookouts invites travelers to stop in safe observation places, close to the road, preferably elevated and exposed to the winds to avoid the presence of insects.
Over the 150.5 km that separate Havre-Saint-Pierre and Pashashibou River, Route 138 offers visual openings towards the Gulf of St. Laurent, Pontbriand River, the villages of Baie-Johan-Beetz and Natashquan, etc.
A second segment of about 17 km extends from Tête-à-la-Baleine's airport, east through Tête-à-la-Baleine, to the ferry terminal southeast of Tête-à-la-Baleine. There is also a 10.7 km roadway, la route Mecatina, from Mutton Bay to a ferry terminal in La Tabatière and continuing beyond.
A third segment of Route 138 extends from Old Fort to the Newfoundland and Labrador border (connecting with Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Route 510), near Blanc-Sablon on the eastern end of the Côte-Nord.
Blanc-Sablon is located on the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle.
A gap remains between Kegaska and Old Fort, through isolated communities accessible only by coastal ferry. On August 25, 2006, the Quebec government announced a 10-year project to connect the two segments by building 425 km of highway along the Lower North Shore. In 2011, the Quebec government announced an additional $122 million investment for the project over five years as part of the Plan Nord. However, by 2013 difficulties ensued between the Quebec Ministry of Transport and the Pakatan Corporation, who was previously responsible for managing the funding for this project, leading to the termination of agreement between the two. By this time only 12 km of this road had been built, plus some additional engineering work and deforestation. The construction of two segments of the highway (Kegaska–La Romaine and Tête-à-la-Baleine–La Tabatière) was set to begin in 2019. A total of $232 million will be contributed to this project. In 2024 the province awarded contracts for engineering and construction of the route and bridges for the road segment between Kegaska and La Romaine.

## Major intersections

| RCM | Location | km | mi | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Elgin | 0.0 | 0.0 | | NY 30 south – Malone | Continues into New York |
| Canada–United States border at Trout River Border Crossing |||
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Huntingdon | 17.8 | 11.1 | | R-202 east (Rue Henderson) – Hinchinbrooke, Franklin | West end of R-202 concurrency |
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Huntingdon | 18.1 | 11.2 | | R-202 west – Sainte-Barbe, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield | East end of R-202 concurrency |
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Ormstown | 32.8 | 20.4 | | R-201 north – Ormstown | West end of R-201 concurrency |
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Ormstown | 34.0 | 21.1 | | R-201 south – Franklin | East end of R-202 concurrency |
| Le Haut-Saint-Laurent | Très-Saint-Sacrement | 51.0 | 31.7 | | R-203 south – Saint-Chrysostome | Northern terminus of R-203 |
| Beauharnois-Salaberry | Sainte-Martine | 56.2 | 34.9 | | R-205 south (Rue Hébert) – Saint-Urbain-Premier | West end of R-205 concurrency |
| Beauharnois-Salaberry | Sainte-Martine | 57.3 | 35.6 | | R-205 north (Chemin de la Beauce) – Beauharnois | East end of R-205 concurrency |
| Roussillon | Mercier–Châteauguay boundary | 67.8 | 42.1 | | A-30 – Vaudreuil-Dorion, Sorel-Tracy R-132 west (Boulevard René-Lévesque) – Léry | A-30 exit 38; west end of R-132 concurrency |
| Kahnawake | Kahnawake | 76.2 | 47.3 | – | R-207 south / R-221 south – Kahnawake, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Rémi | Interchange; northern terminus of R-207 & R-221 |
| Kahnawake | Kahnawake | 77.2 | 48.0 | – | R-132 east to A-30 / A-15 – La Prairie | Interchange; east end of R-132 concurrency |
| St. Lawrence River | St. Lawrence River | 77.5– 79.1 | 48.2– 49.2 | Pont Honoré-Mercier (Honoré Mercier Bridge) | Pont Honoré-Mercier (Honoré Mercier Bridge) | Pont Honoré-Mercier (Honoré Mercier Bridge) |
| Montréal | Montréal | 79.3 | 49.3 | 1 | Rue Airlie | Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| Montréal | Montréal | 80.4 | 50.0 | 2 | Rue Clément, Rue St-Patrick | Interchange |
| Montréal | Montréal | 81.3 | 50.5 | 463 | A-20 west (Autoroute du Souvenir) / 1$^{re}$ Avenue – P.-E.-Trudeau International Airport, Toronto | Interchange; west end of A-20 concurrency; exit numbers follow A-20 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 82.5 | 51.3 | 64 | A-20 east – Montréal Centre-Ville | Interchange; east end of A-20 concurrency; R-138 follows Rue Saint-Jacques |
| Montréal | Montréal | 84.0 | 52.2 | | Boulevard Cavendish / Rue Saint-Jacques | R-138 follows Boulevard Cavendish |
| Montréal | Montréal | 84.1 | 52.3 | | Boulevard De Maisonneuve | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Montréal | Montréal | 84.4 | 52.4 | | Rue Sherbrooke / Boulevard Cavendish | R-138 follows Rue Sherbrooke |
| Montréal | Montréal | 86.2 | 53.6 | | A-15 (Autoroute Décarie) | A-15 exit 64 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 90.4 | 56.2 | | Rue Peel (R-112 east) | Western terminus of R-112 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 92.2 | 57.3 | | Rue Saint-Denis (R-335 north) | Southern terminus of R-335 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 92.4 | 57.4 | | Rue Berri | Interchange; free-flow on Rue Berri |
| Montréal | Montréal | 93.5 | 58.1 | | Avenue Papineau (R-134 south) | One-way pair; northern terminus of R-134 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 93.8 | 58.3 | | Avenue De Lorimier (R-134 north) | One-way pair; northern terminus of R-134 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 96.6 | 60.0 | | Boulevard Pie-IX (R-125 north) | Southern terminus of R-125 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 101.1 | 62.8 | | A-25 (TCH) (Autoroute Louis-H.-La Fontaine) | A-25 exit 5 |
| Montréal | Montréal | 109.6 | 68.1 | | Boulevard Henri-Bourassa | At-grade; westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Montréal | Montréal | 113.9 | 70.8 | | Rue Notre-Dame | Roundabout; R-138 follows Rue Notre-Dame |
| Rivière des Prairies | Rivière des Prairies | 114.1– 115.8 | 70.9– 72.0 | Pont Le Gardeur (Le Gardeur Bridge) | Pont Le Gardeur (Le Gardeur Bridge) | Pont Le Gardeur (Le Gardeur Bridge) |
| L'Assomption | Repentigny | 116.0 | 72.1 | | To R-344 / A-640 / Boulevard Notre-Dame-des-Champs | |
| L'Assomption | Saint-Sulpice | 129.5 | 80.5 | | R-343 north to A-40 – L'Assomption | Southern terminus of R-343 |
| D'Autray | Lavaltrie | 141.1 | 87.7 | | R-131 north (Rue Saint-Antoine) to A-31 – Joliette | Southern terminus of R-131 |
| D'Autray | Berthierville | 165.4 | 102.8 | | R-158 west (Avenue Gilles-Villeneuve) – Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier | West end of R-158 concurrency |
| D'Autray | Berthierville | 166.5 | 103.5 | | R-158 east (Rue de Bienville) – La Visitation-de-l'Île-Dupas | East end of R-158 concurrency |
| D'Autray | Berthierville | 172.3 | 107.1 | | A-40 – Montreal, Trois-Rivières | A-40 exit 151 |
| Maskinongé | Louiseville | 192.3 | 119.5 | | R-348 west (Chemin de la Grande-Carrière) – Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé | Eastern terminus of R-348 |
| Maskinongé | Louiseville | 193.4 | 120.2 | | R-349 north (Rue Notre-Dame) – Saint-Léon-le-Grand | Southern terminus of R-349 |
| Maskinongé | Louiseville | 198.2 | 123.2 | | To A-40 – Montreal, Trois-Rivières | A-40 exit 174 |
| Maskinongé | Yamachiche | 202.8 | 126.0 | | R-153 (Boulevard Duchesne) – Saint-Barnabér | |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 211.6 | 131.5 | | A-40 – Montreal, Trois-Rivières | A-40 exit 187 |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 224.5 | 139.5 | | A-55 to A-40 – Pont Laviolette, Shawinigan, Montreal, Quebec | A-55 exit 181 |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 227.2 | 141.2 | | Boulevard de la Commune / Rue Royale | Rond-point de la Couronne (Crown Roundabout); R-138 follows Rue Royale |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 227.8 | 141.5 | | Rue De La Vérendrye | West end of one-way pair; eastbound follows Rue De La Vérendrye & Rue Notre-Dame Centre; westbound follows Rue Royale |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 229.3 | 142.5 | | Rue Laviolette / Rue Royale | East end of one-way pair; R-138 follows Rue Laviolette |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 231.1 | 143.6 | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; west segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; west segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; west segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 231.5 | 143.8 | | Île Saint-Christophe | Interchange; access to Île Saint-Quentin and Île Caron |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 231.7 | 144.0 | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; east segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; east segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice | Pont Duplessis (Duplessis Bridge; east segment) crosses Rivière Saint-Maurice |
| Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières | 231.9 | 144.1 | | Rue Duplessis (R-157 north) | Southern terminus of R-157 |
| Les Chenaux | Champlain | 249.7 | 155.2 | | R-359 north – Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes | Southern terminus of R-359 |
| Les Chenaux | Batiscan | 261.3 | 162.4 | | R-361 north – Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan | Southern terminus of R-361 |
| Les Chenaux | Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade | 269.6 | 167.5 | | R-159 north to A-40 – Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain | Southern terminus of R-159 |
| Portneuf | Deschambault-Grondines | 290.3 | 180.4 | | R-363 north to A-40 – Saint-Marc-des-Carrières | Southern terminus of R-363 |
| Portneuf | Cap-Santé | 309.9 | 192.6 | | R-358 north to A-40 – Pont-Rouge | Western terminus of R-358 |
| Portneuf | Cap-Santé | 314.4 | 195.4 | | To A-40 / 2$^e$ Rang / Rue de l'Église – Quebec, Montreal | A-40 exit 274 |
| Portneuf | Neuville | 323.0 | 200.7 | | R-365 north to A-40 – Pont-Rouge | Southern terminus of R-365 |
| Québec | Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures | 338.0 | 210.0 | | R-367 north to A-40 – Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier | Southern terminus of R-367 |
| Québec | Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures–Québec boundary | 340.7 | 211.7 | | A-40 (Autoroute Félix-Leclerc) – Montreal, Québec | A-40 exit 298; becomes Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel |
| Québec | Québec | 347.3 | 215.8 | | A-540 south (Autoroute Duplessis) / Route de l'Aéroport – Aéroport International Jean-Lesage | Northern terminus of A-540 |
| Québec | Québec | 350.0 | 217.5 | | A-73 / A-40 (Autoroute Henri-IV) – Pont Pierre-Laporte, Montreal | A-73/A-40 exit 141 |
| Québec | Québec | 353.0 | 219.3 | | A-740 (Autoroute Robert-Bourassa) to A-440 | A-740 exit 7 |
| Québec | Québec | 355.5 | 220.9 | | Boulevard Pierre-Bertrand (R-358 west) | Eastern terminus of R-358 |
| Québec | Québec | 357.3 | 222.0 | | A-973 / R-175 (Autoroute Laurentienne) to A-40 – Saguenay, Québec Centre-Ville | A-973/QC 175 exit 4 |
| Québec | Québec | 357.8 | 222.3 | | Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel / Avenue Eugène-Lamontagne | R-138 follows Avenue Eugène-Lamontagne; becomes 18$^e$ Rue east of 1$^{re}$ Avenue |
| Québec | Québec | 359.9– 360.1 | 223.6– 223.8 | | Chemin de la Canardière (R-360 east) / 18$^e$ Rue / Boulevard Sainte-Anne | R-138 follows Chemin de la Canardière for 1 block and continues on Boulevard Sainte-Anne; western terminus of R-360 |
| Québec | Québec | 362.3 | 225.1 | | To A-440 west / Boulevard François-De Laval – Québec Centre-Ville | |
| Québec | Québec | 363.3– 363.8 | 225.7– 226.1 | | To A-440 / Rue du Manège / Boulevard des Chutes – Québec Centre-Ville, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré | A-440 exit 27 |
| Québec | Québec | 367.7 | 228.5 | | R-368 east – Île d'Orléans A-40 west to A-440 – Québec Centre-Ville | A-40 exit 325; eastern terminus of A-40; western terminus of R-368 |
| La Côte-de-Beaupré | Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré | 392.8 | 244.1 | | R-360 west (Rue de la Visitation) | West end of R-360 concurrency |
| La Côte-de-Beaupré | Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré | 394.6 | 245.2 | | R-360 – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges | Interchange; east end of R-360 concurrency |
| La Côte-de-Beaupré | Saint-Tite-des-Caps | 415.5 | 258.2 | | R-360 west – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges | Eastern terminus of R-360 |
| Charlevoix | Baie-Saint-Paul | 448.6 | 278.7 | | R-362 east – Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive | Interchange; western terminus of R-362 |
| Charlevoix | Baie-Saint-Paul | 459.1 | 285.3 | | R-381 north – Saguenay | Southern terminus of R-381 |
| Charlevoix-Est | La Malbaie | 498.2 | 309.6 | | R-362 west – Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive | Eastern terminus of R-362 |
| Charlevoix-Est | Saint-Siméon | 531.2 | 330.1 | | Rue du Festival – Saint-Siméon ferry terminal | Ferry connection to Rivière-du-Loup |
| Charlevoix-Est | Saint-Siméon | 531.8 | 330.4 | | R-170 west – Saguenay | Eastern terminus of R-170 |
| Saguenay River | Saguenay River | 568.8 | 353.4 | Tadoudssac–Quebec 138 Ferry Kilometrage does not include ferry | Tadoudssac–Quebec 138 Ferry Kilometrage does not include ferry | Tadoudssac–Quebec 138 Ferry Kilometrage does not include ferry |
| La Haute-Côte-Nord | Tadoussac | 574.9 | 357.2 | | R-172 west – Sacre-Coeur, Saguenay | Eastern terminus of R-172 |
| La Haute-Côte-Nord | Les Escoumins | 607.3 | 377.4 | | Rue de la Réserve – Les Escoumins ferry terminal | Ferry connection to Trois Pistoles |
| La Haute-Côte-Nord | Forestville | 665.7 | 413.6 | | Rue Verreault / 1$^e$ Avenue – Forestville ferry terminal | Ferry connection to Rimouski |
| La Haute-Côte-Nord | Forestville | 667.4 | 414.7 | | R-385 west – Bersimis-Deux, Bersimis-Un | Eastern terminus of R-385 |
| Manicouagan | Baie-Comeau | 765.0 | 475.3 | | Avenue Damase-Potvin / Boulevard La Salle – Baie-Comeau ferry terminal | Ferry connection to Matane |
| Manicouagan | Baie-Comeau | 766.6 | 476.3 | | R-389 north – Fermont, Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador | Southern terminus of R-389; connects to Trans-Labrador Highway |
| Manicouagan | Franquelin | 804.6– 804.9 | 500.0– 500.1 | Saint-Nicolas Tunnel | Saint-Nicolas Tunnel | Saint-Nicolas Tunnel |
| Manicouagan | Godbout | 820.5 | 509.8 | | Rue Monseigneur-Labrie – Godbout ferry terminal | Ferry connection to Matane |
| Sept-Rivières | Sept-Îles | 942.4 | 585.6 | | Rue Retty – Sept-Îles ferry terminal | Ferry connections to Rimouski and Port-Menier |
| Sept-Rivières | Sept-Îles | 950.0 | 590.3 | | Sept-Îles Airport | |
| Minganie | Havre-Saint-Pierre | 1,157.6 | 719.3 | | Rue de l'Escale – Havre-Saint-Pierre ferry terminal | Ferry connections to Port-Menier and Natashquan |
| Minganie | Natashquan | 1,307.2 | 812.3 | | Chemin des Robin – Natashquan ferry terminal | Ferry connections to Havre-Saint-Pierre and Kegaska |
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Kegashka | 1,359.0 | 844.4 | | Chemin Jacques-Cartier – Kegaska Airport, Kegaska ferry terminal | Eastern terminus (main section); ferry connections to Natashquan and La Romaine |
| 150 km (95 mi) gap in Route 138 |||||||
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Tête-à-la-Baleine | 0.0 | 0.0 | | Tête-à-la-Baleine Airport | Western terminus (Tête-à-la-Baleine section) |
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Tête-à-la-Baleine | 17.1 | 10.6 | | Tête-à-la-Baleine ferry terminal | Eastern terminus (Tête-à-la-Baleine section); ferry connections to Harrington Harbour and La Tabatière |
| 140 km (85 mi) gap in Route 138 |||||||
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Vieux Fort | 0.0 | 0.0 | | | Western terminus (Vieux Fort–Blanc-Sablon section) |
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Blanc-Sablon | 67.9 | 42.2 | | Avenue Jacques-Cartier – Blanc-Sablon ferry terminal | Ferry connections to Saint-Augustin, Corner Brook, St. Barbe, and Route 430 |
| Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent | Blanc-Sablon | 71.4 | 44.4 | | Route 510 east (Trans-Labrador Highway) – L'Anse-au-Clair, Labrador City | Continues into Newfoundland and Labrador; eastern terminus of R-138 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition |||||||

## Fauna

From Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon, along The Whale Route (Route 138), it is possible to admire marine mammals with both feet on the ground. Several observation sites will allow you to meet these exceptional sea creatures! Cetaceans: Beluga, Minke whale, Fin whale, Porpoise, Blue whale. Seals: Grey seal, harbour seal, harp seal.
* Tadoussac - Sentier Pointe de l'Islet
* Sacré-Coeur - Baie Sainte-Marguerite
* Les Bergeronnes - Centre d'interprétation et d'observation du Cap-Bon-Désir
* Les Escoumins - Centre découverte du milieu marin
* Portneuf-sur-Mer - Pointe-des-Fortin
* Colombier - Cap Colombier
* Ragueneau - Archipel des iles de Ragueneau
* Baie-Comeau - Quai de Baie-Comeau
* Baie-Comeau - Baie St-Pancrace
* Franquelin - Pointe à la croix
* Godbout - Baie de Godbout
* Baie-Trinité - Phare de Pointe-des-Monts
* Port-Cartier - Quai des pêcheurs
* Sept-Îles - Secteur des plages
* Sept-Îles - Parc du Vieux-Quai
* Rivière-au-Tonnerre - Belvédère Coste
* Magpie - Belvédère de Magpie
* Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan - Promenade sur le bord du fleuve
* Anticosti - Phare de la Pointe Carleton
* Bonne-Espérance - Secteur du Vieux-Fort