Route 132 (Quebec)

Route 132 (Quebec)
Name	Route 132
Province	Quebec
Type	QC
Route	132
Length km	1329
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Hemmingford
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Gaspé
Counties	Montérégie, Les Maskoutains, Montreal, Laval, Lanaudière, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Route 132 (Quebec) is a provincial highway that traces a broad loop around the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and along the south and north shores of the Saint Lawrence River, serving metropolitan and rural communities from Hemmingford to Gaspé. The corridor links major urban centers such as Montreal, Longueuil, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Trois-Rivières, Rimouski, and coastal towns including Carleton-sur-Mer and Percé, interfacing with national and regional routes, ferry terminals, and ports.

Route description

Route 132 runs as a coastal arterial that alternates between multi-lane expressways, urban boulevards, two-lane rural highways, and bypasses. In the Montreal region it parallels the Saint Lawrence River and connects to the Champlain Bridge corridor, Jacques Cartier Bridge, and the Mercier Bridge approach roads before traversing Laval and peninsular sections near Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève. East of Sorel-Tracy it follows the south shore through Berthierville, Trois-Rivières and then traces the northern shore across Rivière-du-Loup and Mont-Joli toward Rimouski. From Matane eastward the route tracks the southern Gaspé Peninsula coastline through Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Maria, Carleton-sur-Mer, and Bonaventure to Percé and terminates at Gaspé. Along its length it links ports such as Port of Montreal, Port of Trois-Rivières, Port of Rimouski and ferry services to Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands.

History

The highway evolved from 19th-century coastal roads and settlement tracks used by Jacques Cartier era communities and later 19th- and 20th-century colonial and provincial initiatives. In the 1920s–1960s provincial efforts under administrations including the Liberal and Union Nationale governments modernized the corridor, integrating segments of the Chemin du Roy near Quebec City and constructing bypasses around towns such as Sorel-Tracy and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The postwar boom and the construction of interprovincial links, including the Trans-Canada Highway network and improvements to the Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 30 systems, reshaped traffic patterns, prompting realignments and the designation of Route 132 as a continuous provincial trunk route. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, major projects associated with municipal amalgamations in Montreal and infrastructure investments in Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine further altered routing and maintenance responsibilities.

Major intersections

Route 132 intersects and interchanges with numerous primary corridors and municipal arteries: Autoroute 15 near Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Autoroute 20 at multiple points including Longueuil and Sorel-Tracy, Autoroute 30 in the Montérégie region, Autoroute 540 approaches near Trois-Rivières, and connections to Route 138 at eastern and northern links. It provides access to ferry terminals such as the Grosse-Île ferry services and intersections with regional routes serving Rivière-du-Loup, Matane, Rimouski, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Gaspé, as well as municipal boulevards like Boulevard Taschereau in Longueuil and Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Rimouski.

Related routes and connections

Route 132 is integral to a web of provincial and national arteries: it parallels sections of Route 138, connects with the Trans-Canada Highway at multiple nodes, and interfaces with Autoroutes including A-20, A-40, and A-85. The highway provides feeder access to regional roads such as Route 201 and Route 289 and to intermodal facilities including the Port of Montreal, Gaspé Airport, Rimouski Airport, and seasonal ferry links to Îles de la Madeleine. Municipal transit systems—Société de transport de Montréal, Réseau de transport de Longueuil—and intercity carriers use segments of Route 132 for regional connectivity.

Traffic, usage and maintenance

Traffic volumes on Route 132 vary from high-density commuter flows in the Montreal and Longueuil corridors to light seasonal tourist traffic on the Gaspé coast. The Ministère des Transports du Québec oversees maintenance, snow clearance, and resurfacing programs in coordination with regional county municipalities such as La MRC de La Mitis and La MRC de Bonaventure. Freight users include container and bulk carriers accessing the Port of Montreal and regional ports, while passenger services comprise intercity buses and tourist coaches traversing attractions like Forillon National Park and Percé Rock. Periodic infrastructure upgrades respond to storm damage from systems originating in the North Atlantic Ocean and to federal-provincial funding initiatives tied to provincial transport strategies.

Cultural and economic significance

Route 132 stitches together cultural landmarks and economic nodes: historic sites on the Chemin du Roy, festival towns such as Carleton-sur-Mer and Percé, and economic centers like Montreal with manufacturing and port activities. It supports fisheries in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, forestry operations in Bas-Saint-Laurent, agribusiness in Montérégie, and tourism to destinations including Forillon National Park, Percé Rock, and the Magdalen Islands. The route frames provincial identity through access to museums, lighthouses, and coastal communities associated with figures like Jacques Cartier and events commemorated by institutions including regional historical societies and municipal cultural festivals.

Category:Roads in Quebec