New Brunswick Route 11

Route description

The highway's southern terminus is at the interchange with Route 15 and the northern terminus of Route 132 in Shediac. It runs northward Parallel to Route 134 as a Super 2 controlled-access highway, several kilometres inland follows the Northumberland Strait. The route passes through the communities of Shediac Cape, intersecting Route 134, then crossing the Shediac River, then entering Cocagne crossing the Cocagne River. Intersecting with Route 535, the route continues through Ward Corner passing McKees Mills and Saint-Francois-de-Kent at the intersection of Route 115. The Route Crosses the Little Bouctouche River then the Bouctouche River as it enters Bouctouche.

The Route then Continues to Richibucto as well as Kouchibouguac National Park. The highway reverts to a 2-lane uncontrolled access highway between the national park and the city of Miramichi to the northwest. The highway crosses the Miramichi River in the Miramichi borough of Chatham on the Centennial Bridge.

Immediately after crossing the Miramichi River, Route 11 interchanges with Route 8 (which turns north toward Bathurst on the direct route off the bridge). To follow Route 11, one must take the exit at the interchange and then continue on a 2-lane uncontrolled access highway northeast along the coast of Miramichi Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence as it runs around the perimeter of the Acadian Peninsula. Through this region, Route 11 typically forms the main street through most of the coastal towns and settlements such as Neguac, Caraquet, Bertrand, Grande-Anse, and Stonehaven. The only exception is a recently opened Super 2 controlled access bypass of the town of Tracadie-Sheila.

Route 11 interchanges again with Route 8 at Bathurst where Route 8 has its northern terminus. Route 11 becomes a Super 2 controlled access highway from Bathurst, running northwest several kilometres inland from the coast of Chaleur Bay to the village of Tide Head several kilometres west of the city of Campbellton. At Tide Head, Route 11 interchanges in a T-intersection with Route 17 (Route 17 is a continuation of the direct Route 11 right-of-way).

To follow Route 11 further west to its northern terminus, one must turn at the intersection onto a 2-lane uncontrolled access local road which runs north to the Restigouche River and then turn west and follow the river to the Interprovinciale Bridge which crosses the river at Matapedia, Quebec.

History

Since the late 1960s, Route 11 has received several upgrades and re-designations as it progresses toward eventually becoming an expressway.

The most significant upgrade to the entire highway route along the east coast of New Brunswick was the opening of the Centennial Bridge which replaced a ferry service and bypassed the town of Chatham in 1967.

In 1972 a new 4-lane expressway opened between Moncton and Shediac, which was then referred to as the Shediac Four-Lane Highway or Shediac Expressway (it was subsequently numbered Route 15 and is known as the Veterans Memorial Highway). Prior to this new expressway, Route 11 followed the Shediac Road from Shediac to Moncton, terminating at Route 2, the Trans-Canada Highway in Lakeville. Route 11's southern terminus was then changed to the current interchange at Route 15 in Shediac.

Controlled access Super 2 expressway sections on Route 11 were completed during the 1970s in Bathurst and the Campbellton-Dalhousie area, as well as between Shediac and Bouctouche.

During the 1980s and into the early 1990s, two long stretches of Super 2 expressway were completed on Route 11; one running from Bouctouche to Kouchibouguac National Park (bypassing Richibucto), and another running between Bathurst and Charlo, where the existing Super 2 section running east from Campbellton ended. The Super 2 section in Bathurst was also extended eastward past Salmon Beach at the city's east end.

A bypass of Tracadie-Sheila opened to traffic in 2002. Also, an extension to that existing bypass was done in 2009, linking the northern end and Six-Roads, near Pokemouche.

Route 11 has been identified for major upgrades following completion of the twinning project on the Trans-Canada Highway (Route 2) in 2007. Initial design work is being done for upgrading the existing 4-lane section from Route 15 to Shediac Bridge-Shediac River (2 km), followed by construction of a new 4-lane section from Shediac Bridge to Bouctouche (twinning the existing Super 2 section).

Caraquet bypass was open to traffic on October 2016. Also going south from exiting Route 11 from Portage Road to Bertrand. The 13 km construction started in 2013, then finished in 2016.

Future

In June 2014, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has registered the Twinning of Route 11 project with the Department of Environment to improve Route 11 will be completed in phases by 2024. The most heavily travelled sections will be twinned and the rest of the route will be upgraded in phases as funding becomes available.

Twinning the entire Route 11 highway was estimated to cost upwards of $1 billion. The approach the province is taking will make the necessary upgrades at a cost of under $500 million, while addressing safety concerns, traffic flow, capacity constraints and providing a more efficient highway for New Brunswickers.

Twinning advocates wish to have Route 11 upgraded as a 4-lane expressway for the entire section between Miramichi and Moncton, although this project will be competing for priority with similar upgrades being planned for Route 8 between Fredericton and Miramichi, Route 1 between Lepreau and St. Stephen, and Route 7 between Grand Bay-Westfield and Oromocto.

Shediac to Richibucto

Construction will begin between Shediac and the Saint Gregoire area in Fall of 2014, south of Bouctouche.

The project will have rehabilitation of the existing highway from Glenwood to Saint-Gregoire