MONTREAL, Que. — Fourty-four years after construction began on Quebec’s A30, the final section, the ring road bypassing the Island of Montreal, is completed and open for traffic. Some 50 kilometres of four-lane highway now offer vehicles a speedy alternative to the often hours-long saga crossing Montreal Island.

Eastbound traffic out of Ontario can now head south at the new interchange in Vaudreuil-Dorion, just before the Island. The toll for trucks is $1.15 per axle and for cars it is 75 cents per axle. After a roughly 40-minute drive they will pick up the old A30 and then the eastbound A20. Westbound traffic simply catches the ring road from the old A30 or Highway 132.

The savings for the Canadian trucking industry will be many: Shorter trip times will improve carrier productivity. Drivers will not burn up hours-of-service time sitting in traffic and owner/operators will earn more for the time they spend behind the wheel. Fuel consumption and wear and tear will drop too.

“I’ve had guys tied up for four hours in Montreal,” says Gordie Atwood, recruiter and safety coordinator, Eassons Transport, Berwick, Nova Scotia. “Even an hour saved will be enough for them to get to our Mississauga terminal to rest. We are excited about it.”

Martin Boivert, owner/operator and president of the Association des Routiers Professionnels du Quebec adds, “If you aren’t stopping in Montreal, you will certainly take the A30. It will save an enormous amount of time.”