Transportation

 

Located midway between Montréal and Gaspé, Rivière-du-Loup is very close to New Brunswick and the State of Maine in the northeastern United States, making the city easy to reach by car or bus.

As if arriving for an important summit gathering, the Jean-Lesage (20) and Claude-Béchard (85) Autoroutes meet at the entrance to the city. Highway 132 runs close by, winding through the city between Notre-Dame-du-Portage and Cacouna.

Work to widen and redevelop Autoroute 85, which has been upgraded from a highway to a freeway, has been completed in recent years to promote trade and industry.

In turn, Autoroute 20 was recently extended by almost 25 km, between Rivière-du-Loup and Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, to improve traffic flow and driver safety. The freeway should soon extend all the way to Rimouski.

Find the various access routes on our interactive map.

Rivière-du-Loup is also an important stop for electric and hybrid vehicles in eastern Québec.

See the list of EV charging station locations.

Bus

Orléans Express provides bus service between Montréal and Rimouski, with a stop in Rivière-du-Loup. Several departures are scheduled each day in both directions.

Visit the carrier’s website for schedules and fares.

Train

Rivière-du-Loup experienced a demographic and economic boom in the 19th century with construction of the Intercolonial Railway and the arrival of trains, and these same rail links still connect us to the rest of the world.

VIA Rail Canada serves the city with trains connecting Montréal and Québec City to Moncton and Halifax. The Via Rail station is located just steps from downtown.

Website

Rivière-du-Loup’s regional airport is located at the far southwest end of the city, about 10 km from downtown.

It can handle aircraft up to the equivalent of a Boeing 737-800. The runway can accommodate planes carrying up to 90 passengers.

Facilities are accessible seven days a week, except December 25 and January 1, and in special conditions.

Facilities and services

• Asphalt runway 2,010 m (6,000 ft) long by 45 m (150 ft) wide
• Navigation aids (GPS LPV, NDB and VOR approaches) and altimeter setting with wind speed and direction (Unicom)
• AWOS III weather station on frequency 122.025
• Fuel sold on site (Jet-A and 100-LL)
• Parking spaces (short, medium and long term)
• Hangars available for rent (short, medium and long term)

Air terminal

The air terminal is open seven days a week, as follows.

December 1 to Febuary 28	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
March 1 to May 31	8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
June 1 to August 31	8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
September 1 to November 30	8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Shuttle bus service to downtown can be organized ($)
• Baggage handling service available on request ($)
• Restrooms
• Light food service (vending machines)
• Telephone
• Fax and Internet access (during operating hours)

Current weather

METAR report

High flying

Aviation MH

Information

Martin Hivon
Aviation MH
600 Fraserville Street
Notre-Dame-du-Portage QC  G0L 1Y0
Tel: 418 867-5001
Fax: 418 867-4217
Cell: 418 868-9338

Only the river separates Rivière-du-Loup from Charlevoix, Saguenay and the North Shore. Far from being an obstacle, the St. Lawrence can be crossed nine months a year by ferry.

The MV Trans-Saint-Laurent makes the crossing between Rivière-du-Loup and Saint-Siméon two to four times a day, at scheduled times, from April to January. The vessel can accommodate 100 vehicles and 400 passengers, and makes the crossing from shore to shore in about 65 minutes.

Rivière-du-Loup—Saint-Siméon ferry

Marine port

The Gros-Cacouna marine port, a few kilometres from the city, can handle commercial vessels year-round. This is one of the largest deep-water ports in eastern Canada.

Known for the quality of its workers, the site is equipped to handle a variety of cargo. Major upgrade work is scheduled in coming years.

Canada Border Services Agency