This route takes you from the Petitcodiac River tidal bore past the Tantramar tidal marches with massive flocks of birds. You pass through Springhill coal country, and can see fossils of the earliest life on the planet at Joggins. Then you cross over the Cobequid Pass and its forested hills, back to the Bay of Fundy.
The area east of Moncton (on the north side of the Petitcodiac) & Dieppe (on the south side of the Petitcodiac) are part of the Tantramar eco-zone. The name Tantramar comes from French for loud noise Trantimarre, referring to the noise from large flocks of birds in the area, and migrating through it. The area, after early deforestation, has been stunted by Fundy fogs and winds. You will also pass an area of drumlins (teardrop-shaped sand & Gravel deposits left behind by glaciers as they receded) beside the Peticodiac River.
East of Sackville you enter the Tantramar Marshes, where dykes built by early Acadian settlers in 1686 hold back the sea and build lush farmlands on the recovered land. To fertilize the land, the settlers occasionally let the sea flood the land.
The settlement here grew to over a thousand people, and was defended by Fort Beausejour (just inside present-day Nova Scotia). The fort was taken by the English in 1755 and the Acadians were resettled around Memramcook and Dorchester. You will also notice a set of high antennas, on Coles Island between Sackville NB and Amherst NS, which are used by CBC Radio International for their overseas shortwave broadcasts. By anchoring them in salty marshy ground, it was believed the electrical ground would improve signal transmission.
Once in Nova Scotia, the area south of the Trans-Canada around Springhill has a rich history of coal mining. The coal is a result of tropical forests from 350 million years ago, which left behind decaying vegetable matter that under incredible pressure from the rocks deposited above them was compressed into coal. Nearby Oxford has built up accumulations of salt and sediment from long-ago oceans, that now is mined for rock salt and gypsum.
Recently the Trans-Canada route was realigned through the Cobequid Pass, which used a public-private partnership to build a short toll stretch of the highway to speed traffic. This route takes travelers close to Wentworth Provincial Park and Wentworth Ski Hill. The Cobequid Mountains are three times older than the Rocky Mountains, and 200 million years ago were likely as high, but erosion has worn them down to their current 400 metre (1200 ft) elevation.
NEWS: As of December 2021, Tolls have been lifted for Nova Scotians driving Highway 104’s Cobequid Pass, though tolls remain for non-Nova Scotia registered vehicles and for commercial vehicles
Cyclists should take the older highway 4, which follows a more level and more lightly traveled route.
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Note:
| KM | (metres) | Info | ||
| 0 | Exit 15 to Hwy 102, S to Truro, Halifax, E to New Glasgow (Truro) | 34.1 |
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| 3.5 | underpass Crowes Mills Rd (no access) (Truro) | 26.2 |
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| 6.8 | underpass Belmont Rd (no access) (Truro) | 12.8 |
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| 7.8 | Crossing Chigancis River (Truro) | 8.8 |
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| 8.8 | Exit 13 S to McElmons Pond Prov Park | 19.2 |
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| 13.8 | Exit 12 to Masstown Road and Hwy 2, N to Debert (6 km) & Airport, S to Elm River camping and to McElmons Pond PP | 21.6 |
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| 14.8 | Crossing Debert River | 16.2 |
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| 16.8 | Crossing Folly River | 27.1 |
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| 17.8 | Exit 11 to Hwy 4, N to community of Folly Lake (16 km), Wentworth Prov Park (25 km), Wentworth Ski Resort, S to scenic Hwy 2 west along coastline of Minas Basin | 21 |
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| 19.8 | Crossing Peppard Brook | 48.5 |
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| 22.8 | Exit 10, S to Great Village (3 km), N to Londonderry (7 km), Begin of Toll Road (west bound traffic, car $3.5, truck $2.5 per axle) (Cobequid Pass) | 50.3 |
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| 24.8 | Crossing the Great Village River (Cobequid Pass) | 43.6 |
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| 29.8 | Juct of Mines Bass River Rd, East to Londonderry Community and Provincial Park (Cobequid Pass) | 120.1 |
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| 35.8 | Toll booth for the Highway 104 Cobequid Pass (west bound traffic, car $4, trucks $3 per axle) 1877-727-7104 (Cobequid Pass) | 249.3 |
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| 39.8 | underpass for Westchester Rd (no access) NE to Rushton Beach (Cobequid Pass) | 192 |
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| 47.8 | Exit 8 to Wentworth-Collingwood Rd, east of here is start of toll section of Hwy 104 (Cobequid Pass) | 131.1 |
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| 57.8 | Exit 7 Hwy 4 E to Wentworth Center (23 km), and Wentworth PP (25 km) | 63.7 |
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| 63.8 | Transmission Line | 32.9 |
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| 65.8 | Crossing Steepbank Brook | 6.7 |
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| 66.8 | Exit 6 route 321 S and route 301 N to Oxford (2 km), River Phillip, and Heather Beach PP (18 km), and town of Pugwash (25 km) | 15.8 |
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| 85.8 | River Crossing Styles Brook | 105.8 |
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| 89.8 | overpass Fenwick Rd (no access) | 137.5 |
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| 94.8 | overpass Nappan Rd / route 302 (no access) | 32.6 |
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| 95.8 | River Crossing Nappan River | 18.3 |
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| 96.7 | emergency U-turn | 22.9 |
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| 96.8 | overpass MacDonald Rd (no access) (Amherst) | 26.5 |
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| 97.8 | Exit 4 Hwy #2 (Albion St) S to hospital, Loch Lomond camping, Fenwick PP, community of Springhill (23 km), North to Town of Amherst, all services & accommodation (Amherst) | 11.3 |
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| 100.3 | Pass Blair Lake to S, access via Exit #4 (Amherst) | 10.4 |
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| 101.8 | Exit 3 Victoria St (Hwy 6 ), NW to town of Amherst, all services & accommodation (Amherst) | 18.9 |
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| 103.8 | Underpass Laplanche St (No Access), and railway underpass (Amherst) | 5.8 |
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| 104.3 | Weigh Scales both sides of highway | 9.4 |
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| 104.8 | Exit 1, SE to Fort Lawrence Historical site & rest stop, NE to Gateway Parklands camping & Riverbend Golf | 18.3 |
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| 106.8 | River Missaguash, NB-NS provincial boundary. Highway changes from #2 (NB) to #104 (NS) | 7.6 |
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| 108.8 | Exit #513 W to community of Aulac & Fort Beausejour, E to Hwy 16 Port Elgin, Cape Tourmentine and PEI (Aulac) | 21.3 |
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| 110.8 | River Crossing Aulac River | 4 |
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| 113.8 | Access on N side to Coles Island & Tantramar Marshes | 4.9 |
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| 114.8 | River Crossing Tantramar River (Sackville) | 3 |
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| 115.8 | Exit #506 to Bridge St (route 106), SW to community of Dorchester, NE to camping & Vogue Cinema (Sackville) | 7.9 |
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| 117.8 | Exit #504 Main St (Hwy 106) S to Sackville & Mount Allison University (1 km), Highway #940 N to Shemogue (33km) (Sackville) | 21.3 |
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| 121.8 | Exit#500 Junction Walker Rd/Chemin Walker (Sackville) | 95.1 |
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| 128.8 | EB government weigh scales | 78.6 |
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| 130.8 | U-Turn | 68.6 |
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| 132.8 | Exit #488 Memramcook-Est Rd, N to East Memramcook (Memramcook) | 83.5 |
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| 134.8 | Exit #488 Port Route Rd (route 933), W to community of Memramcook, E to East Memramcook (Memramcook) | 39.6 |
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| 138.8 | Exit #482 Renaissance St, S to Memramcook ( 5 km) (Memramcook) | 33.8 |
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| 139.8 | crossing Memramcook River | 8.5 |
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| This new 3-span concrete beam bridge over the Memaracook River opened Oct 2009, replacing the Memramcook River #5 Bridge (north), built in 1960. | ||||
| 141.8 | Exit #480 to Old Shediac Rd, South to Memramcook | 75.9 |
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| 147.8 | Exit 474 Junction of Highway #132 W back to Moncton Airport (5 km) Moncton (10 km), E to Scoudouc (9 km) and Shediac (17 km) | 50 |
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| 154.8 | Exit #467/#19a Junction of Highways #15 & #2. West to City of Moncton 1/2 km. E to Shediac, N to Bathurst, Campbellton and Quebec’s Gaspe Region, NE to Province of Prince Edward Island… (Dieppe) | 53.3 |
| |
| KM | (metres) | Info |
| KM | (metres) | Info | ||
| 0 | Exit #467/#19a Junction of Highways #15 & #2. West to City of Moncton 1/2 km. E to Shediac, N to Bathurst, Campbellton and Quebec’s Gaspe Region, NE to Province of Prince Edward Island … (Dieppe) | 53.3 |
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| 7 | Exit 474 Junction of Highway #132 W back to Moncton Airport (5 km) Moncton(10 km), E to Scoudouc (9 km) and Shediac(17 km) | 50 |
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| 13 | Exit #480 to Old Shediac Rd, South to Memramcook | 75.9 |
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| 15 | crossing Memramcook River | 8.5 |
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| This new 3-span concrete beam bridge over the Memaracook River opened Oct 2009, replacing the Memramcook River #5 Bridge (north), built in 1960. | ||||
| 16 | Exit #482 Renaissance St, S to Memramcook ( 5 km) (Memramcook) | 33.8 |
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| 20 | Exit #488 Port Route Rd (route 933), W to community of Memramcook, E to East Memramcook (Memramcook) | 39.6 |
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| 22 | Exit #488 Memramcook-Est Rd< N to East Memramcook (Memramcook) | 83.5 |
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| 24 | U-Turn | 68.6 |
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| 26 | EB government weigh scales | 78.6 |
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| 33 | Exit#500 Junction Walker Rd/Chemin Walker (Sackville) | 95.1 |
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| 37 | Exit #504 Main St (Hwy 106) S to Sackville & Mount Allison University (1 km), Highway #940 N to Shemogue (33km) (Sackville) | 21.3 |
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| 39 | Exit #506 to Bridge St (route 106), SW to community of Dorchester, NE to camping & Vogue Cinema (Sackville) | 7.9 |
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| 40 | River Crossing Tantramar River (Sackville) | 3 |
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| 41 | Access on N side to Coles Island & Tantramar Marshes | 4.9 |
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| 44 | River Crossing Aulac River | 4 |
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| 46 | Exit #513 W to community of Aulac & Fort Beausejour, E to Hwy 16 Port Elgin, Cape Tourmentine and PEI (Aulac) | 21.3 |
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| 48 | River Missaguash, NB-NS provincial boundary. Highway changes from #2 (NB) to #104 (NS) | 7.6 |
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| 50 | Exit 1, SE to Fort Lawrence Historical site & rest stop, NE to Gateway Parklands camping & Riverbend Golf | 18.3 |
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| 50.5 | Weigh Scales both sides of highway | 9.4 |
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| 51 | Underpass Laplanche St (No Access), and railway underpass (Amherst) | 5.8 |
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| 53 | Exit 3 Victoria St (Hwy 6 ), NW to town of Amherst, all services & accommodation (Amherst) | 18.9 |
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| 54.5 | Pass Blair Lake to S, access via Exit #4 (Amherst) | 10.4 |
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| 57 | Exit 4 Hwy #2 (Albion St) S to hospital, Loch Lomond camping, Fenwick PP, community of Springhill (23 km), North to Town of Amherst, all services & accommodation (Amherst) | 11.3 |
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| 58 | overpass MacDonald Rd (no access) (Amherst) | 26.5 |
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| 58.1 | emergency U-turn | 22.9 |
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| 59 | River Crossing Nappan River | 18.3 |
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| 60 | overpass Nappan Rd / route 302 (no access) | 32.6 |
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| 65 | overpass Fenwick Rd (no access) | 137.5 |
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| 69 | River Crossing Styles Brook | 105.8 |
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| 88 | Exit 6 route 321 S and route 301 N to Oxford (2 km), River Phillip, and Heather Beach PP (18 km), and town of Pugwash (25 km) | 15.8 |
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| 89 | Crossing Steepbank Brook | 6.7 |
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| 91 | Transmission Line | 32.9 |
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| 97 | Exit 7 Hwy 4 E to Wentworth Center (23 km), and Wentworth PP (25 km) | 63.7 |
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| 107 | Exit 8 to Wentworth-Collingwood Rd, east of here is start of toll section of Hwy 104 (Cobequid Pass) | 131.1 |
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| 115 | underpass for Westchester Rd (no access) NE to Rushton Beach (Cobequid Pass) | 192 |
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| 119 | Toll booth for the Highway 104 Cobequid Pass (west bound traffic, car $4, trucks $3 per axle) 1877-727-7104 (Cobequid Pass) | 249.3 |
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| 125 | Juct of Mines Bass River Rd, East to Londonderry Community and Provincial Park (Cobequid Pass) | 120.1 |
| |
| 130 | Crossing the Great Village River (Cobequid Pass) | 43.6 |
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| 132 | Exit 10, S to Great Village (3 km), N to Londonderry (7 km), Begin of Toll Road (west bound traffic, car $3.5, truck $2.5 per axle) (Cobequid Pass) | 50.3 |
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| 135 | Crossing Peppard Brook | 48.5 |
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| 137 | Exit 11 to Hwy 4, N to community of Folly Lake (16 km), Wentworth Prov Park (25 km), Wentworth Ski Resort, S to scenic Hwy 2 west along coastline of Minas Basin | 21 |
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| 138 | Crossing Folly River | 27.1 |
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| 140 | Crossing Debert River | 16.2 |
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| 141 | Exit 12 to Masstown Road and Hwy 2, N to Debert (6 km) & Airport, S to Elm River camping and to McElmons Pond PP | 21.6 |
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| 146 | Exit 13 S to McElmons Pond Prov Park | 19.2 |
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| 147 | Crossing Chigancis River (Truro) | 8.8 |
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| 148 | underpass Belmont Rd (no access) (Truro) | 12.8 |
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| 151.3 | underpass Crowes Mills Rd (no access) (Truro) | 26.2 |
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| 154.8 | Exit 15 to Hwy 102, S to Truro, Halifax, E to New Glasgow (Truro) | 34.1 |
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| KM | (metres) | Info |
