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Route 155, which runs along the Saint-Maurice River, is now considered one of the most beautiful scenic routes in Quebec.
ROUTE 155: DIRECT ACCESS!
Before the advent of the railway and the construction of the first roads, travelling to La Tuque was quite an expedition. Some travelled on horseback, while others followed a trail or canoed up the Saint-Maurice River from Grandes-Piles.
Route 155 is now one of the most beautiful scenic routes in Quebec. Formerly known as Highway 19, the 155 winds along the Saint-Maurice River for miles. What a great start to a trip! It must be even more impressive on a motorcycle!
Route 155 in 1925, known as Route 19 at the time, between Grand-Mère and La Tuque.
The road to colonization
This route linking La Tuque and Lac-Saint-Jean had been in the works for a long time, as evidenced by a Roberval council resolution dated 1874. However, it wasn’t until 1936 that Canada finally decided to invest heavily in road construction across the country. This work, which was authorized by the Quebec Ministry of Colonization in 1939, was slowed down unexpectedly with the start of World War II!
A century of waiting
As soon as the work resumed, a combination of manpower and bravery saw the first section cut through a dense and untamed forest. The job was difficult and the workforce quickly became exhausted. It took almost a century of waiting until the official inauguration of the section linking La Tuque and Lac Bouchette could finally be celebrated. That was in 1966. Three years earlier, the first paved road linking Lac Édouard village to the provincial highway system was also opened.
Access to the forests
The history of Route 25 is closely linked to that of logging camps. Before the road was opened in 1971, a handful of rudimentary paths allowed access to the most remote camps. Route 25 not only opened up the undeveloped territory in the La Tuque, Parent and Saint-Michel-des-Saints triangle, it also drastically reduced the unemployment rate and contributed significantly to the region’s economic and tourism development.