Route 128 follows and early portage route through the Appalachians. This route was used by First Nations, and later fur traders and settlers, to connect the Saint John River valley with the St Lawrence. This area was also important to defence of the colonies, providing a land route between the fortresses at Halifax with and Quebec City. After the War of 1812, a number of smaller forts were built to protect this route, including Fort Ingall on Lake Temiscouata, but were abandoned after the Ashburton Treaty resolved the US-Canada border in 1842.
The area was once heavily forested, but were cleared for farmland, the timeber industry or lost to forest fires and disease (spruce budworm). Most of today's forests are second-growth in various stages of re-growth. Hardwoods include aspen, yellow birch and maple, and softwoods include balsam fit, red pine, white pine and white spruce.
Where the land is poorly drained, highly acidic peat bogs accumulated, and are currently being harvested. The harvesting process is to dig a drainage ditch, let the peat air-dry for a few days, and then suck it up with giant vacuums. If you travel here in May/June, travelers will see pink blooms on the peat bogs from bog rhodendons.
The Quebec New Brunswick border is marked by the Edmunston Airport. While most of the runway is in Quebec, the airport buildings are in New Brunswick. From here east, the highway exit numbers mark the number of kilometres from this point.
At Edmunston, the Saint John River from the west is joined by the Madawaska River from the north. From Edmunston south to Grand Falls, the river marks the Canada-US international boundary. Grand Fall is best known (no surprise) for its waterfall. At Aroostook, the Aroostook River joins the Saint John. In the early 1800s, farmers in the off-season would head upriver and lumberjack in the virgin forests. This caused the bloodless 1839 Aroostook War (also called the Port and Beans War), where both Maine and Britain claimed the forests of the Aroostook. The border dispute was resoled in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty which set the US-Canada border at its current position.
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
0 | 184 | Exit #96 Rue Fraserville NE to community of Riviere-du-Loup, all services, shopping, accommodation | Riviere du Loup | Map Zoom |
2 | 182 | Crossing the Riviere-du-Loup | | Map Zoom |
3 | 181 | Route de la Plaine (E) | | Map Zoom |
7 | 177 | Rue Principale, W to community of Saint-Antonin ( 4km), campground | | Map Zoom |
9 | 175 | 3E Range | | Map Zoom |
10 | 174 | Chemin de Riviere Verte, N to Camping Lido campground | | Map Zoom |
10 | 174 | Chemin Lavoie, Truck Fuel Terminal West side of highway | | Map Zoom |
12 | 172 | Chemin du Lac Berube (W), access to St Paul airport, Chemin du Caton (E) | | Map Zoom |
16 | 168 | Chemin de la Victoriaville (W) | | Map Zoom |
16 | 168 | passing Lac Chamard to N | | Map Zoom |
23 | 161 | Chemin des Sept-Camps (W) | | Map Zoom |
23 | 161 | crossing Riviere Saint-Francois | | Map Zoom |
23 | 161 | Chemin Tache O, access to Whitworth 21 Indian Reserve | | Map Zoom |
25 | 159 | Chemin de Couturier (W) and Rue Principale O (E) to community of Saint-Hubert (1 km) | | Map Zoom |
36 | 148 | junction with #291 / Rue de L'eglise NE to community of Saint-Honore de Temiscouatta (3 km), Saint-Hubert-de-Riviere-du-Loup (16 km) | | Map Zoom |
42 | 142 | Rue Principale E (E) services at highway, no fuel | | Map Zoom |
50 | 134 | Route Vauban (W) to village of Vauban | | Map Zoom |
53 | 131 | Chemin de la Savane / Chemin du lac-Savane (E) | | Map Zoom |
54 | 130 | Rue Commerciale, services at Highway | Saint-Louis-du-Ha-Ha | Map Zoom |
50 | 134 | Community of Saint-Louis-du-Ha-Ha Information centre, access from highway | Saint-Louis-du-Ha-Ha | Map Zoom |
51 | 133 | Rue Commerciale, Services on NE side of highway | Saint-Louis-du-Ha-Ha | Map Zoom |
52 | 132 | Roadside Turnout with viewpoint on south side | | Map Zoom |
56 | 128 | junction with route 232, E to community of Cabano, services, Fort Ingall historical site(1.5 km), view of Lac Temiscouata | Cabano | Map Zoom |
56 | 128 | Rue Commerciale, west entrance to town of Cabano, services & accommodation | Cabano | Map Zoom |
57 | 127 | Rue des Erables ("maples"), access to downtown Cabano, services & accommodation | Cabano | Map Zoom |
59 | 125 | Crossing the River Cabano | Cabano | Map Zoom |
60 | 124 | Rue Commerciale, Services on NE side of highway | Cabano | Map Zoom |
61 | 123 | junction with #232 W to community of Pied-du-Lac (26 km) | | Map Zoom |
66 | 119 | Exit #30, NW access to Rue Commerciale, all services & accommodation | Notre-Dame-du-Lac | Map Zoom |
73 | 111 | Route de L'eglise, services at highway | Notre-Dame-du-Lac | Map Zoom |
74 | 110 | Exit #29, Rue Belanger, SE access to Notre-Dame-du-Lac, all services & accommodation | Notre-Dame-du-Lac | Map Zoom |
76 | 108 | Notre-Dame-du-Lac Municipal Campground Camping, 2 km's east | Notre-Dame-du-Lac | Map Zoom |
81 | 103 | Chemin du Lac (E) | | Map Zoom |
81 | 103 | Roadside Highway Turnout Picnic tables, toilets, west side of highway | | Map Zoom |
83 | 101 | Route Lapointe (W) to community of Packington, Avenue Principale (E) | Degelis | Map Zoom |
84 | 100 | junction with route 295, Services at both sides of highway, E to community of Degelis, SW to community of Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande (15 km). | | Map Zoom |
86 | 98 | Highway to SE runs adjacent to Madawaska River | Degelis | Map Zoom |
99 | 85 | Quebec / New Brunswick Border. Hwy to NW is Quebec #185, to the SE is New Brunswick #2 | | Map Zoom |
99 | 85 | Rest Area Exit to Large New Brunswick Information Centre, picnic tables, toilets, internet access, W side of highway | | Map Zoom |
99 | 85 | Edmunston Airport, E side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
102 | 82 | Highway Weigh Scales Truck weigh station, west side of highway | | Map Zoom |
107 | 77 | Les Jardin de la Republique Prov Park | | Map Zoom |
108 | 77 | Highway 2 is twinned to SE | | Map Zoom |
108 | 76 | Exit #8 W to Chemin Berube, E to Rue Principale Highway #144, West to community of Saint Jacques. West to State of Maine U.S.A. | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
110 | 74 | Rue Riviere a SR Truite | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
113 | 71 | Exit #13A Chemin Farlagne E to services & accommodation | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
114 | 70 | Exit #13B access to Highway 144, Acadia Blvd | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
115 | 69 | underpass: Highway 144 | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
115 | 69 | bridge over Madawasca River | | Map Zoom |
115 | 69 | Overpass: Rue Victoria (no access) | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
118 | 66 | underpass: Chemin du Pouvoir (no access) | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
119 | 66 | Exit 18: Boulevard Herbert SW to City of Edmundston downtown, access to highways #120, #161, U.S.A.#1 City of Edmundston Information | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
119 | 65 | western boundary: St Basile 10 Indian Reservation | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
121 | 64 | eastern boundary: St Basile 10 Indian Reservation | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
122 | 62 | Exit 21: Iroquois Rd (NW), Centre Madawasca Blvd (SW) to highway 144 / Rue Principale | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
123 | 61 | underpass: Chemin des Lavoie (no access) | Edmunston | Map Zoom |
125 | 59 | underpass: Chemin des MGR Lang (no access) | | Map Zoom |
127 | 57 | Exit: 26 Rue Mathieu, access SW to highway 144, Rue Principale | | Map Zoom |
130 | 54 | underpass: Chemin Smith (no access) | | Map Zoom |
133 | 51 | Exit 32 David Rd, access SW to village of Riviere-Verte ( 2 km) | | Map Zoom |
134 | 51 | bridge over Riviere Verte (Green River) | | Map Zoom |
136 | 48 | underpass: Part of Riviere Verte (no access) | | Map Zoom |
147 | 37 | Exit #46 ( Martin Road ) Community of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska (3 km)m with access to highway #144 | | Map Zoom |
152 | 32 | Exit #51 West to community of Siegas (2 km). East to Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes ( 6 km). Access to highway #144 | | Map Zoom |
158 | 26 | Exit #56 Part of St Leonard, W to highway 144 and Grande Riviere Camping (1 km) | | Map Zoom |
160 | 24 | Exit # 58 junction highway #17, W to community of Van Buren, Maine (2 km), E on highway #17 ( Grand-Rivieres-Road) to community of Saint-Quentin (80 km), Campbellton (98 km), Sugarloaf Provincial Park (110 km) | | Map Zoom |
163 | 21 | Coombes Rd intersection | | Map Zoom |
167 | 17 | Part of St-Leonard (NE) intersection | | Map Zoom |
178 | 6 | Exit #75 Community of Grand Falls (downtown) all services, E to highway 108 & access #255, access to St Andre (5 km) | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
179 | 6 | Crossing Saint John River | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
179 | 5 | Hwy #218 W to Hamlin, Maine, and #130 E into downtown Grand Falls | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
180 | 4 | EB Exit #78 Oullette St W of hwy, Belanger St E of hwy, access to downtown Grand Falls | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
181 | 3 | WB Exit #78 Oullette St W of hwy, Belanger St E of hwy, and Harley Hill Rd access to downtown Grand Falls | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
184 | 0 | Michaud Rd intersection, access W to Rapid Brook Camping | Grand Falls | Map Zoom |
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
