Hi igpc2003,
Wow, a hardy adventurer, to be sure! The roads are fine (paved and
gravel) and as long as you go prepared for emergencies and keep a
level head about you, you'll be fine too. Don't forget to carry along
some insect repellent (a beekeeper's hat with netting works well), for
you are sure to meet up with some Black Flies which are small annoying
little beasties. A few are of no consequence, but when you venture out
into a horde of them, they can drive you almost to distraction. Also,
be sure to stock up on other necessities too, such as an extra can of
gas, survival gear (such that you would do to travel the Alaskan
Highway), and make sure your spare tire is pumped and ready to go
(much of the trip will be on gravel).
SUMMARY:
"From Quebec City or Montreal, take the North Shore Highway, Route
138. This is a scenic drive along the beautiful St. Lawrence Valley.
Along the way you cross the spectacular Saguenay River at Tadousac. At
Baie-Comeau the road divides. Route 389 strikes off into northern
Quebec and Labrador. It passes the dam at Manic-5, and the enormous
Manicouagan Reservoir. This lake fills the scar of a meteorite impact
that occurred millions of years ago. The 389 continues through the
ghost town of Gagnon, and on to the mining centre of Fermont, Quebec.
It is located just across the border from Labrador City and Wabush,
the gateway to the Trans-Labrador Highway."
"Alternatively, from Baie-Comeau you can continue on to Sept-Iles and
the Lower North Shore on Route 138. Sept-Iles is the shipping centre
for iron ore from the mines in Labrador City and Wabush, and is the
terminus of the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway. The QNS&L
carries passengers along an incredible wilderness route. Sept-Iles is
also the transportation hub of the Lower North Shore, and you can
continue your journey in this roadless region by coastal ferry. This
service, operated by Relais-Nordik, serves the communities of the
beautiful Gulf coast, and will bring you to Blanc Sablon and the South
Coast of Labrador."
"Early fall on the Trans-Labrador Highway. This is one of the best
times to make the drive through Labrador. The crisp fall air is
invigorating, the birches and alders are exploding in colour, and the
worst of the blackfly season is behind us!"
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/3330/tlh.html
DETAILS (5 pages, includes photos of the roads):
"The road from Baie Comeau to Labrador consists of two parts,
politically speaking: Hwy 389 through Quebec to the Labrador border
(570 km), and the Trans-Labrador Highway (Hwy 500), which runs from
the border to Goose Bay, Labrador (560 km), for a total of 1130 km.
From a practical point of view, the highway consists of two parts as
well: paved and gravel. And after traveling the entire route from
Baie Comeau to Goose Bay and back on about 1600km of gravel road, you
will never again take paved roads for granted!!"
http://wmuma.com/labrador/jul2000/eorlab1.html
"Route 500 is a gravel road that crosses Labrador from Happy
Valley-Goose Bay in the east to Labrador City/Wabush in the west.
Distance is approximately 525 kilometres and travel times of 9 hours
should be expected. The road is sometimes soft in spring, and passable
only by four-wheel drive vehicles. For a recorded message on road
conditions between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Churchill Falls,
telephone (709) 896-5840. For information on the road between
Churchill Falls and Labrador City, telephone (709) 282-3406. From
Labrador West you can drive into Quebec on partially paved Route 389
which runs 581 kilometres to Baie Comeau on the north shore of the St.
Lawrence River. Anticipated travel time is 8.5 hours."
"The Department of Works, Services and Transportation has installed
digital cameras at five weigh scale sites along the Trans Canada
Highway, in an effort to provide the motoring public in the province
with the most up-to-date road and driving conditions. All 5 cameras
are available via the above Internet address."
http://www.gov.nf.ca/roads/
HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS LABRADOR:
http://www.roads.gov.nf.ca/routes/LabradorRoutes.stm
ROAD DISTANCE DATABASE:
http://www.stats.gov.nl.ca/DataTools/RoadDB/Default.asp
ORDER A GUIDE AND HIGHWAY MAP:
http://www.gov.nl.ca/tourism/mainmenu/buildaguide/order/
HIGHWAY CONDITIONS QUEBEC:
http://www.highwayconditions.com/qc.htm
HIGHWAY CONDITIONS NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR:
http://www.highwayconditions.com/nf.htm
Additional links of interest:
WEATHER: Environment Canada's Weather Office: Churchill Falls:
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?zum
LINKS: Links to Websites About Labrador:
http://www.labradorstraits.net/bookmarks/
LABRADOR WEST:
http://www.labradorwest.com/
CHURCHILL FALLS:
http://www.ewh.ieee.org/reg/7/millennium/churchill/cf_home.html
HAPPY VALLEY - GOOSE BAY:
http://www.happyvalley-goosebay.com/index2.htm
LABRADOR INUIT ASSOCIATION:
http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/SEEJ/voisey/inuit.html
Trans-Labrador Highway 500 Road Surfaces:
http://www.ascoffanscuff.com/Travel/500/500-03.html
Trans-Labrador Highway:
http://www.artistic.ca/dteed/labrador.htm
Quebec North Shore Roads:
http://www.microverse.on.ca/quebecnorthshore/
Self-Guided Tours Newfoundland & Labrador:
http://www.travelcanada.ca/travelcanada/app/en/ca/experiences.do?catId=22&locationId=6
North 2001:
http://goethenet.net/Call/North2001/
The Trans-Labrador Highway, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A442847b
I hope I've been able to supply you with enough information to help
make your trip safe and enjoyable, but if you have any questions or
need further assistance, please post a clarification request before
rating my answer and I will be happy to respond.
Thank you,
hummer
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