Route 105 (New Brunswick)

Route 105 (New Brunswick)
Province	NB
Type	NB
Route	105
Direction a	South
Direction b	North

Route 105 (New Brunswick) is a provincial highway running along the western bank of the Saint John River in New Brunswick, Canada, linking communities from the vicinity of Saint John to Grand Falls. The route parallels the river corridor and connects with several arterial highways, serving as a local alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway and supporting regional access for tourism, industry, and intermunicipal travel.

Route description

The highway begins near Saint John, New Brunswick where it diverges from New Brunswick Route 1 and proceeds northwest, following the Saint John River through suburbs and industrial districts adjacent to Port of Saint John and Saint John Harbour. It continues past historic centres such as Woodstock, New Brunswick, skirting riverfront parks and crossing tributaries that feed into the Saint John River near Hartland, New Brunswick and Edmundston. Along its course the route provides access to cultural sites including Kings Landing Historical Settlement, recreational areas like Mactaquac Provincial Park, and institutional nodes such as the University of New Brunswick Saint John. The alignment alternates between two-lane rural highway and urban arterial sections, intersecting with New Brunswick Route 2 corridors, local collector roads, and municipal streets in towns such as Fredericton, Minto, New Brunswick, and Grand Falls, New Brunswick.

History

The corridor traces Indigenous travel routes used by the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) peoples along the Saint John River prior to European settlement during the French colonial empire era and later British colonial expansion after the Treaty of Paris (1763). During the 19th century the riverbank path evolved with the rise of lumbering enterprises linked to companies like the Reversing Falls Lumber Company and with transportation improvements related to the Mersey River logging trade. In the 20th century provincial highway planning formalized the roadway as part of New Brunswick’s numbered system following the creation of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (New Brunswick). The route absorbed sections of older alignments when Trans-Canada Highway upgrades and bypass projects around communities such as Fredericton and Woodstock were completed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Major intersections

Major junctions along the route include connections with New Brunswick Route 1 near Saint John, interchanges with Route 7 (New Brunswick) access corridors toward Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, junctions with Route 8 (New Brunswick) serving Bathurst, New Brunswick, and links to Route 2 (New Brunswick) at multiple points near Fredericton and Grand Falls. Other important intersections provide access to Route 10 (New Brunswick), Route 103 (New Brunswick), and municipal thoroughfares in towns such as Minto, Bright, New Brunswick, and Hartland, New Brunswick.

Traffic and usage

Traffic volumes vary substantially: urban sections near Saint John and Fredericton experience peak commuter flows associated with employment centres like Horizon Health Network hospitals and Centennial Building complexes, while rural stretches support seasonal tourism traffic to destinations such as Kings Landing and the Mactaquac Dam. Commercial vehicle movements serve forestry operations tied to companies historically prominent in regions including Madawaska County and Carleton County, and agricultural freight from river valley farms is common near Nashwaak River tributaries. Traffic studies by provincial planners indicate modal mixes with significant passenger cars, light trucks, and periodic heavy truck loads during harvest and mill supply cycles.

Maintenance and upgrades

The highway is maintained by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (New Brunswick), which schedules winter snow clearing, spring grading, and asphalt resurfacing programs. Major upgrade projects have included realignment to improve safety near river bends, bridge rehabilitation in cooperation with federal infrastructure initiatives, and intersection improvements to meet standards influenced by guidelines from agencies like the Transportation Association of Canada. Recent works have targeted pavement preservation, culvert replacement to address drainage from tributaries like the St. John River watershed, and shoulder widening near growing suburban nodes.

River crossings and ferries

Route 105 runs adjacent to the Saint John River and interacts with multiple crossings: permanent bridges such as the Hartland Covered Bridge vicinity crossings and highway spans near Fredericton Junction, as well as vehicle ferry services that connect riverbank communities where bridge crossings are absent. Ferries operating on the corridor have included provincially supported cable ferries and seasonal services that mirror patterns found on other waterways in New Brunswick; coordination with river management at the Mactaquac Dam affects navigation windows and ferry operations.

Communities along the route

Communities served by the route include urban centres and rural towns: Saint John, New Brunswick, Lutselk'e (note: small river communities), Minto, New Brunswick, Fredericton, Nashwaak Village, Maugerville, Woodstock, New Brunswick, Hartland, New Brunswick, Carleton County, Florenceville-Bristol, St. Leonard, New Brunswick, Edmundston, and Grand Falls, New Brunswick. These communities encompass heritage sites, municipal administrations, regional hospitals, and cultural institutions such as local museums and performing arts venues that rely on the corridor for connectivity.

Category:Roads in New Brunswick