Living in northeastern North America, I meet a lot of keeners who want to ride the Trans Labrador Highway, and these days, I’m hearing some misconceptions and misinformation. Let’s lay one big piece of confusion to rest right now. Yes, the Trans Labrador Highway is entirely paved as of 2022. But be prepared! You’ll still have to ride some dirt, if you’re planning to do the “The Loop” that includes a section in Northern Quebec.
The reason is this: The Trans Labrador Highway is made of two sections of Newfoundland and Labrador’s official highway system, Route 500 (which runs through the central/western regions of Labrador) and Route 510 (which runs through the coastal sections of Labrador). Route 510 runs from the Blanc-Sablon ferry on the coast (technically part of Quebec) and heads inland towards Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Route 500 runs from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and terminates just outside Labrador City, where it meets Quebec’s Route 389. Almost all riders consider Route 389 as part of the Trans Labrador Highway run.
And, at time of writing (June, 2024). Route 389 is still only partially paved. If you wish to return south via this road, you will have to ride some dirt. See this video of a Trans-Lab run last summer for proof:
Route 389 runs 350 miles (570 kilometers) south from Labrador City to the Quebec town of Baie-Comeau. It’s a very rugged road; the paved sections can be quite rough, and when I rode it last, the dry summer had turned the road dust into a sand with consistency close to fesh-fesh. My Dunlop D605s really didn’t like that, and despite all the warnings of greasy roads in wet weather through this trip, I actually found the dry, dusty sections worse.
Quebec’s provincial road crews keep Route 389 well-graded, though. You’ll end up passing a grader, most likely, as you travel this section. Beware of the lip between the two lanes of the road, left there by the grader; this has caused riders to crash over the years.
The real danger on this stretch is oncoming traffic. Quebec’s provincial government is putting big bucks into Route 389, straightening out the corners, fixing culverts and railway crossings and putting in passing sections. I have mixed feelings on this, as I’m glad to see the road improved, but I think it was a lot of fun before-hand and will probably evolve into a yucky gravel super-highway. Similar work is also ongoing on Route 138 as well, meaning Canada’s northeastern settlements are becoming a lot more accessible. Still, phone reception is limited, breakdown and medical services are practically non-existent on Route 389, and the only real sign of humans is the Manic 5 dam, a few fishing camps, the Fire Lake mine complex and the Relais-Gabriel gas station, which looks like a set from Mad Max. Make no mistake; this is still The End Of The World.
How to ride the Trans-Lab and stay on pavement
Of course, there is one way to avoid dirt if you want to do a Trans-Lab run. Ride to the Newfoundland-Labrador ferry in St. Barbe, cross to Labrador, ride to the end of the Trans Lab in Labrador City… then pull a U-turn and ride back to the ferry. You could do this on any motorcycle, easily, with zero dirt. But very few riders want to do a run like this; almost all of us want to do the round-trip, as it’s more fun and would also be shorter and less expensive for most riders.
