A-30 is the most piecemeal freeway in North America to share one designation. There are no fewer than four distinct pieces of A-30, from a two-lane bypass of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to a two-lane bypass of Bécancour, with two four-lane (or even six) freeway segments between them. Well, eventually, all of the pieces are to connect, and the Valleyfield section will be A-530, now that plans have been revised to take A-30 across the St. Lawrence River to A-20 a little sooner (at the A-540 interchange). The two divided freeways are close to being connected around St.-Constant, which is by a good margin the smallest of the three gaps. The freeway was originally planned to follow QC 132 through the developed area, as a freeway with frontage roads (continuing the pattern on the east side of St.-Constant and Ste.-Catherine), but the town killed that idea and Québec resourcefully found an alternate solution. Of the other two gaps, plans are more active to connect west toward Coteau-du-Lac, probably because there isn't as much traffic northeast of Sorel.
All photos are taken eastbound.


QC 132 and 201 used to follow Chemin Larocque into the heart of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, but with the narrow streets and high traffic volumes, the two routes now opportunistically hitch a ride along A-30 (planned future A-530) to the east side of the city. Overpasses are ready for this part of A-30 to be a full four-lane freeway, because as the third photo says, A-30 is closer than it appears (like a truck in your rearview mirror - what a sense of humor!). Of course, if the current plans go through, that sign will need a 530 shield instead.


More fun signs on the next bypass, around Châteauguay. The future is in A-30 says the first sign, more propaganda to convince people they really want this freeway (and most really do, but plenty of vocal ones don't). The second sign is the happy arrow with the disconnected hands who gives you nightmares and tells you to be careful, be responsible, and slow down. I have named him Frédéric Laflèche (Fred Arrow). He is the freakiest mascot anyone could wish for, and uniquely Québecois.


Unlike the other two small segments (the main one is southeast of Montréal), the Châteauguay bypass has exit numbers, as new as they may be (now that the routing is apparently finalized). Also, because the gap is so small and enough people are using the Autoroute, A-30 is actually signed along QC 132 for once, unlike at the other gaps (which are also connected by 132).


On the frontage roads at the A-55 interchange, just after entering the easternmost segment of A-30 from QC 132. The freeway hasn't been built through here yet, so A-30 follows the frontage roads for 1-2 km until it's clear of A-55. These signs surprised me by being somewhat old, given how new and piecemeal A-30 is in general.


The snow-covered stub west of QC 132, and looking east at the four-span QC 132 overpass with nothing in the middle. Satellite photos are inconclusive, but it appears the inner lanes are indeed paved, just not plowed for obvious reasons.


Heading east from A-55, where the lanes from the frontage roads converge into the freeway, which then instantly drops down to two lanes and is only an expressway. Obviously, in the distant future, this could become a divided four-lane freeway, but Québec likes to take roads one step at a time.

Onto QC 132
To A-15
Onto A-55
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