Misplaced Pages

#382617

105-640: King's Highway 16 , commonly referred to as Highway 16 and historically as the Prescott Highway , is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario . The highway once travelled from near Prescott to Ottawa , traversing the distance between the St. Lawrence River and the Ottawa River . However, its length was truncated significantly when most of the route was twinned with

210-495: A completely new alignment, and featured interchanges at nearly all crossroads. Construction of an extension around Barrie began in 1950, and the completed freeway was opened on July   1, 1952. The expressway between Highland Creek and Oshawa was also completed in this period, and opened as far as Ritson Road in December 1947, becoming the progenitor to Highway   401. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario The MTO

315-450: A decade, no new construction took place. Then, during the summer of 1982, the MTO awarded a contract to begin constructing the route north from Dilworth Road towards Manotick , bypassing North Gower . Following the completion of this first contract, which extended the route as far north as Roger Stevens Drive (Regional Road   6) and included a structure over Stevens Creek, a second contract

420-410: A house within a year, and resided on the grant for at least five years would receive the title to that land. The government subsequently built over 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) of roads over the following 20   years to provide access to these grants, although the roads were often little more than a trail cut through the forest wide enough for a wagon. Like the lands to the south, statute labour

525-741: A name instead; these are the Central Ontario Route , Georgian Bay Route , Lake Superior Route , Northern Ontario Route and Ottawa Valley Route . Several portions of the King's Highway are designated as part of the Trans-Canada Highway system within Ontario, with the TCH having a main route and several branches, often only following sections of any given provincial highway. They are: In addition to these classes of highways,

630-671: A network of east–west and north–south roads between the Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay . This area was known as the Ottawa–Huron Tract . In 1847, an exploration survey was carried out by Robert Bell to lay out the lines that would become the Opeongo, Hastings, and Addington colonization roads . The Public Lands Act, passed in 1853, permitted the granting of land to settlers who were at least 18. Those settlers who cleared at least 12 acres (4.9 ha) within four years, built

735-491: A new right-of-way between Highway   401 and Century Road by late 1967 and constructed a two lane bypass of the original alignment, avoiding all the built up areas that the original Highway   16 encountered. This route, dubbed "Highway 16 New", was designed to easily accommodate the eventual upgrade to a freeway when traffic volumes necessitated. Construction of the super two bypass took place between 1969 and 1983. The Spencerville Bypass opened by 1971, connecting with

840-516: A provincial highway system. The initial system, between Windsor and Quebec , was bookended by branches to Niagara and Ottawa . In 1919, the federal government passed the Canada Highways Act , which provided $ 20,000,000 to provinces under the condition that they establish an official highway network; up to 40% of construction costs would be subsidized. The first network plan was approved on February 26, 1920. At this time, Campbell

945-459: A resource road, allowing for vehicles otherwise prohibited from public roads. Industrial roads are privately owned routes with which the MTO has entered an agreement to improve or allow public access, and are not considered part of the provincial highway network. The 407 ETR is likewise not considered part of the provincial highway network. While it is still subject to the rules set forth by the HTA, it

1050-535: A second roadway, and renumbered as Highway 416 . A short stub remains through Johnstown , providing access to the Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge across the St. Lawrence River to Ogdensburg, New York , where New York State Route 812 continues south. The Ottawa–Prescott Road, designated in 1918, was one of the first three highways designated in Ontario. By the time the route

1155-488: A sleigh or carriage to pass. He completed the first 101 kilometres (63 mi) to Port Hope by December. The government ultimately decided that his road was unacceptable, and reportedly paid him less than owed. Portions of Danforth's road were later incorporated into Highway 2 , as well as several local roads in Scarborough . The majority of settlers up to this point were United Empire Loyalists — settlers of

SECTION 10

#1732801155383

1260-497: A statute labour system that required landowners to make improvements in lieu of taxes. Private companies constructed corduroy and later plank roads and charged tolls in the second half of the 19th century. The rising popularity of the bicycle led to the formation of the Ontario Good Roads Association, which advocated for the improvement of roads and recreation as the automobile rose to prominence. By

1365-481: Is Highway 537 in Greater Sudbury . They generally serve to connect remote communities to the King's Highway, or to interconnect the King's Highway. A few secondary highways remain gravel -surfaced, although most have been paved. The speed limit on nearly all of these routes is 80 km/h (50 mph), although Highway 655 is posted at 90 km/h (55 mph). The Secondary Highway system

1470-515: Is 21-kilometre (13 mi) was built alongside Borisokane Road and Cedarview Drive to connect with Highway 417 (The Queensway). Highway   16 is now a very brief route, though it was much longer before the construction of Highway   416 truncated it. The highway begins near the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Johnstown at the former Highway 2, now Leeds and Grenville County Road   2. From there it travels northwest adjacent to

1575-677: Is 80 km/h (50 mph), although design standards generally prevent such. Unlike other roads in the Provincial Highway Network, the MTO is not responsible for winter maintenance nor liable for damage incurred as a result of using these routes. The MTO introduced the Tertiary Road system in 1962. With the exception of Highway 802 , none end in settlements. The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) forms several major routes across Canada. The provincial governments are entirely responsible for signage and maintenance of

1680-987: Is in charge of various aspects of transportation in Ontario, including the establishment and maintenance of the provincial highway system , the registration of vehicles and licensing of drivers, and the policing of provincial roads, enforced by the Ontario Provincial Police and the ministry's in-house enforcement program (Commercial vehicle enforcement). The MTO is responsible for: Early roads in Ontario were cleared when needed for local use and connections to other settlements. Key roads such as Yonge Street and Kingston Road were cleared by order from officials by various parties such as settlers, British Army units (portion of Yonge c.  1795 Queen's Rangers ) or private contractors (Toronto to Trent section of Kingston Road c. 1799-1800 by Asa Danforth ). Road standards varied (poor in winter or after rainfall) and used by horses or horse drawn stagecoaches. With

1785-438: Is nearly 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long, while the shortest is less than a kilometre. Some roads are unsigned highways , lacking signage to indicate their maintenance by the MTO; these may be remnants of highways that are still under provincial control whose designations were decommissioned , roadway segments left over from realignment projects, or proposed highway corridors. Predecessors to today's modern highways include

1890-621: Is no mention in the Annual Reports of what agency actually performed this function; it is, however, likely that it was a form of, or precursor to, the Motor Vehicles Branch. In 1919, a Registrar of Motor Vehicles, as head of the Motor Vehicles Branch, is clearly identified. In 1917, the Provincial Highway Act was passed, giving the department authority to maintain and construct leading roads throughout

1995-708: Is otherwise governed independently under the legislation of the Highway 407 Act. Speed limits on provincial highways are legislated by sections of the road, and vary between 50 km/h (30 mph) and 110 km/h (70 mph). Freeways, including the 400-series highways, are generally signed at 100 km/h (60 mph), although sections exist that are signed lower. Three segments of freeway are part of an ongoing pilot project to test speed limits of 110   km/h in rural areas that are not subject to congestion. A fourth segment, located in Northern Ontario ,

2100-505: Is provided by the Ontario Provincial Police , certain law enforcement functions are provided by MTO Transportation Enforcement Officers and Ministry of Environment Emissions Enforcement Officers. Ministry of Transportation Enforcement Officers (TEOs) enforce a variety of provincial highway safety legislation specific to operators of commercial vehicles. Driver hours of service, cargo securement, dangerous goods transportation, weights and dimensions, and vehicle maintenance and roadworthiness are

2205-475: The Ministry of Transportation and Communications in 1972 as part of a government wide reorganization. In September 1987, the responsibilities for communications were transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Communications , and the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Transportation . Maintenance work is performed in two different ways: A list of Area Maintenance contractors currently under contract with

SECTION 20

#1732801155383

2310-670: The Rideau River along Leeds and Grenville County Road 44 . Beyond the River it followed Ottawa Road   5 to North Gower , and thereafter Ottawa Road   73 ( Prince of Wales Drive ) into downtown Ottawa . Early impetus for a route connecting Ottawa to the St. Lawrence River began with lobbying by automobile clubs in the early 1910s. The Prescott Highway was established as a provincial highway in 1918, shortly after The Provincial Highway (which would become Highway   2). The 92.7 km (57.6 mi) Ottawa–Prescott Highway

2415-471: The Thirteen Colonies loyal to Britain who fled north to the new colony. These pioneers endured starting anew in untamed wilderness, with little provisions beyond what they could carry. Many were strategically placed along Yonge Street and Dundas Street, and given the duty of clearing half the width of a road along the front of their property lot. Settlers were responsible for the upkeep, and often

2520-476: The rules of the road . The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act (PTHIA) sets forth the regulations concerning roads that are under the authority of the Province of Ontario. The act distinguishes and sets out the applicability of the HTA to provincial highways, which are designated as part of The King's Highway (primary), a secondary highway, or a tertiary road. Tertiary roads may also be designated as

2625-517: The shape of a shield , topped by a St Edward's Crown . In other cases, particularly when approaching the junction of another highway, a square crown marker is used, featuring the route number within an outline of the St Edward's Crown, paired with an arrow plate; exit signs on freeways and at major junctions also use this crown symbol. For secondary highways, the route number is within an outline of an isosceles trapezoid , while tertiary roads place

2730-470: The 500s and 600s, with existing highways numbered between 502 and 673. Tertiary roads are remote routes entirely within Northern Ontario that provide access to resources (e.g. mining and forestry). Tertiary roads are numbered in the 800s, with the five existing highways numbered between 802 and 811. Most of these roads are gravel-surfaced and of low-standard. The speed limit on these routes

2835-542: The Department of Highways, thus bringing all highway work in the province under one administration. On July 1, 1957, legislation was passed which established a separate Department of Transport , and the Motor Vehicles Branch was transferred to this new department. The new department assumed responsibilities for vehicle licensing, vehicle inspection, driver examination, driver licensing and improvement, traffic engineering, accident claims, and highway safety. In addition, it

2940-705: The Department of Public Works prior to 1931 and seems to have been in a quasi-subordinate relationship with this department. In 1916, the Motor Vehicles Branch was established within the Ontario Department of Public Highways. Prior to this, responsibility for the registering and licensing of motor vehicles rested with the Provincial Secretary (a responsibility it held since 1903). Although there are references to motor vehicle licensing and registration between 1916 and 1918, there

3045-670: The Harbour or from remaining within it.   ... I have good Information that a Road is very easy to be made to communicate with those Waters which fall into Lake Huron.   ... In regard to Lake Huron, tho' it is not so immediate an object of Attention, yet I consider it ultimately of the most extensive and serious Magnitude. John Graves Simcoe John Graves Simcoe , the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada , landed at Niagara on July   26, 1792, after overwintering in Quebec City , from England and set forth to colonize

3150-503: The Highway   416 interchange to the west. North of the interchange, the road curves gently to the northwest, intersecting Cedar Grove Road. After this, the opposing directions of travel diverge and become ramps to northbound and from southbound Highway   416. The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 16, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario .  Ontario Provincial Highway Network The Ontario Provincial Highway Network consists of all

3255-513: The King's Highway" or "the King's Highway known as n ". However, in common parlance they are simply referred to as "Highway n ". Ontario highways rank second safest in North America for fatality rates, with 0.55 fatalities per 10000 licensed drivers in 2019. The phrase "King's Highway" is used regardless of the gender of the monarch. The 400-series highways and the QEW form the backbone of

Ontario Highway 16 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-414: The King's Highway, with other routes numbered from 2 to 148. The Ministry of Transportation never designated a Highway 1. Some highway numbers are suffixed with a letter A ("alternate route"), B ("business route"), or N ("new route"). In the past, there have also been routes with C and S ("scenic route") suffixes. The entire King's Highway network is fully paved. The term "the King's Highway"

3465-440: The MTO includes: Area term contracts (ATCs) are the latest maintenance and construction alternative being reviewed by the MTO. ATCs, if they are approved for tender, will cover all maintenance operations now performed by AMC contractors, but will also include annual pavement maintenance and replacement work, bridge rehabilitation, minor capital construction programs and corridor management. While policing on most MTO-managed roads

3570-578: The MTO maintains other roads, such as resource roads or industrial roads, that are of strategic importance to the provincial government. These roads are designated with 7000-series numbers for internal inventory purposes, though they are not publicly marked as such. They are often, but not always, former highway segments which were decommissioned as a King's Highway, but remain important as connecting routes to communities or other highways in areas without municipal governance. There were formerly several designated Ontario Tourist Routes that were located throughout

3675-776: The Middle Road , which would become the Queen Elizabeth Way in 1939. In 1937, the DHO merged with the Department of Northern Development , extending the highway network into the Canadian Shield and Northern Ontario . Significant traffic engineering and surveying through the war years , during which construction came to a near standstill, led to the planning and initial construction of controlled-access highways . The 400-series highways were built beginning in

3780-446: The Middle Road and construction began to convert the existing sections to a divided highway. Work also began on Canada's first interchange at Highway 10. The Middle Road was ceremoniously renamed the Queen Elizabeth Way during the 1939 royal tour of Canada , taking its name from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , and was completed between Toronto and Niagara Falls on August   26, 1940. Beginning in 1935, McQuesten applied

3885-596: The Office of the Commissioner of Highways from 1900 until 1910. He was tasked with training Provincial Road Building Instructors. These instructors worked to establish specifications for the almost 90,000 kilometres (56,000 mi) of county - and township - maintained roads. The name of the office was changed to the Commissioner of Highways and transferred to the Department of Public Works in 1900. By 1910,

3990-644: The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, which lies to the southwest. A customs plaza lies at the end of the bridge, north of which the road to the bridge meets the highway; to the northeast is single-detached housing. The highway continues, exiting Johnstown and curving slightly towards the north. Immediately after crossing over a Canadian National track, the route encounters an interchange with Highway   401 at Exit   721B. This interchange features full access to Highway   401, including movements not possible at

4095-460: The QEW, which feature yellow text on a reflective blue background. For secondary highways, trailblazers simply add the word "TO" above the route number. Since August 2004, "Highway of Heroes" shields featuring a diagram of a poppy have been posted along Highway   401 between Toronto and CFB Trenton . These were erected to honour fallen Canadian soldiers, whose bodies were repatriated from Afghanistan in funeral convoys along that stretch of

4200-649: The US into Upper Canada in July 1794 — would complete the opening of the route to Bond Lake by the end of 1794. The remainder to Holland Landing was opened by the Rangers, under the supervision of Augustus Jones, between December   28, 1795, and February   16, 1796. In 1798, Asa Danforth was hired by the government of Upper Canada to build a road to the Trent River , in what in now Trenton , by July   1 of

4305-568: The approach to roads and roadbuilding in the first years of the 20th century. In 1900, the provincial Instructor in Roadmaking was renamed as the Commissioner of Public Highways in 1900, as well as the Deputy Minister in the new Department of Public Works in 1905. The first legislation on driving was introduced in 1903, and included the first speed limits (15 miles per hour (24 km/h)). The first license plates were created that year,

Ontario Highway 16 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4410-614: The arrival of motor vehicles proper road development an maintenance was needed. The earliest Ontario government office responsible for roads and transportation was the position of the Provincial Instructor in Road-Making , first appointed in 1896 and attached to the Ontario Department of Agriculture . A.W. Campbell held the position of Provincial Instructor in Road-Making from 1896 to 1900 and Director of

4515-633: The arrival of news in May of France's declaration of war against Britain . Having reformed the Queen's Rangers , whom he fought alongside during the American War, Simcoe set out to establish military roads to connect his new capital with the Upper Great Lakes and other strategic points. The first road he ordered built was Dundas Street, from the head of Lake Ontario near present-day Dundas to

4620-516: The building of roads in this period, with each male over 21   years of age required to perform three or more days of statute labour per year, based on the value of their land. The intention was for settlers throughout the length of the roads to work on the portion fronting their lot, which was generally twenty chains , or 400 metres (1,300 ft) long. However, many lots were given to absent clergymen and English nobles, resulting in these "roads" being poorly-maintained quagmires of mud. During

4725-629: The concept of a dual-highway to several projects along Highway   2, including along Kingston Road in Scarborough Township. When widening in Scarborough reached the Highland Creek ravine in 1936, the Department of Highways began construction on a new bridge over the large valley, bypassing the former alignment around West Hill . From here the highway was constructed on a new alignment to Oshawa, avoiding construction on

4830-584: The congested Highway 2. As grading and bridge construction neared completion on the new highway between West Hill and Oshawa in September 1939, World War II broke out and gradually tax revenues were re-allocated from highway construction to the war effort. As the war came to a close, planning began in 1945 on the Toronto–Barrie Highway to ease the congestion on the parallel routes of Highway 11 and Highway 27 . The highway followed

4935-498: The construction of a complete realignment of Highway   16 north of Johnstown. This two-lane highway, known as Highway   16 New, was built between 1969 and 1983; enough land was purchased to build a second two-lane roadway to twin the highway. The twinned roadway was completed between 1989 and 1999, after which the route was renumbered with a 400-series designation. Former portions of Highway   16 can be followed north from Johnstown, through Spencerville and Kemptville to

5040-457: The early 1800s, the government of Upper Canada appropriated settlers to various lots which had been surveyed along the lake shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . The townships established along these fronts contained generally fertile land composed of glacial till and clay-rich loam . As these townships filled up, business opportunities presented themselves for investors to purchase native lands and open them to settlement. The Canada Company

5145-417: The early 20th century, the province had taken interest in road improvement and began funding it through counties. The increasing adoption of the automobile resulted in the formation of the Department of Public Highways of Ontario (DPHO) in 1916. The passing of the Canada Highways Act in 1919 resulted in the establishment of a provincial network of highways. The DPHO assigned internal highway numbers to roads in

5250-544: The early years of the 21st century, although several major infrastructure projects including the Herb Gray Parkway and expansion of Highway 69 have proceeded. Recent construction has included the controversial Bradford Bypass and Highway 413 . In Ontario, all public roads are legally considered highways under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), which sets forth regulations for traffic, or

5355-496: The entire province. However, beginning in February 1997, Tourism-Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) began to appear on highways. Tourist Routes no longer appeared on maps after 1998. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century, transportation across what became Ontario was generally via the thousands of lakes and rivers. Short trails existed between bodies of water, known as a portage or carrying place, as well as along

SECTION 50

#1732801155383

5460-442: The first concrete road in Ontario. The highway became the favourite drive of many motorists, and it quickly became a tradition for many families to drive it every Sunday. Roads and highways in Ontario were given their first serious consideration by the provincial government when the Department of Public Highways (DPHO), predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation of Ontario , was established on January 17, 1916. Until then,

5565-566: The first highway patrol established in 1907, licences for chauffeurs in 1909 (regular drivers did not require a licence until 1927), and safety requirements such as headlights. These laws culminated in the creation of the Highway Traffic Act in 1923. Roadbuilding advanced considerably, with the most notable project of the period being the Toronto–Hamilton Highway, the first paved intercity road in Ontario. The highway

5670-460: The following year. He began at the Don River , where Queen Street crosses it today, on June   5 of that year, and proceeded east. Danforth was paid $ 90 per mile to cut a road 10 metres (33 ft) wide, of which the middle half was cut to the level of the ground. He was also to build 5.0-metre (16.5 ft)-wide causeways "wherever necessary" and ensure that slopes were gradual enough for

5775-489: The foot trails and portages used by indigenous peoples in the time before European settlement. Shortly after the creation of the Province of Upper Canada in 1791, the new government under John Graves Simcoe built overland military roads to supplement water-based transportation, including Yonge Street and Dundas Street . At the time, road construction was under the control of the township and county governments. Local township roads were financed and constructed through

5880-563: The forks of the Thames River in present-day London . His Rangers began work on this route on September   10, 1793. Between September   25 and October   14, Simcoe travelled with native guides to Penetanguishene and back. Following the advice of an Ojibwa named Old Sail, the return voyage followed the east branch of the Holland River and thence south to Toronto (known as York from 1793 to 1834); this would become

5985-583: The goal of creating a provincial highway network. The department assumed all the functions of the Highways Branch. The department assumed its first highway, the Provincial Highway , on August 21, 1917. On February 20, 1920, the department assumed several hundred kilometres of new highways, formally establishing the provincial highway system. Although established as a separate department, the Department of Public Highways shared ministers with

6090-410: The highway. Ontario has several distinct classes of highways: The King's Highway is the primary highway network of Ontario, and constitutes the majority of the principal inter-urban roadways in the province. As a whole, it is referred to in the singular form as opposed to as a group of its parts (i.e. "the King's Highway", not "the King's Highways"). Individual highways are known as "part of

6195-488: The increasing adoption of the bicycle as a means of transport, and the desire of farmers to get their goods to market quicker, the Ontario Good Roads Association was formed in 1894 by representatives from numerous townships, villages and cities. The Good Roads Movement encouraged education on the building of proper roads, and later equipment to aid in the improvement of roads, as well as lobbying

6300-691: The late 1940s and numbered in 1952. The vast majority of modern road infrastructure in Ontario was built throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. The cancellation of the Spadina Expressway and the introduction of the Environmental Assessment Act in the 1970s resulted in a decline in new highway construction in the decades since. In the late 1990s, nearly 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) of provincial highways were transferred, or "downloaded" back to lower levels of government. Few new provincial highways have been built in

6405-418: The latter which became standard in the design for the widening of Highway 401 through Toronto in 1962. The Institute of Traffic Engineers subsequently recommended this design to replace the cloverleaf interchange throughout North America. Secondary highways exist solely within the districts of Northern Ontario that lack a county road system , to which they are analogous. The sole exception to this

SECTION 60

#1732801155383

6510-573: The lay of the land, as opposed to the straight tangents of the surveyed roads yet to come. Some roads in Ontario still closely follow these early Native and European trails, including the Kente Portage Trail (Old Portage Road) in Carrying Place , the oldest continuously used road in the province. The Spit of Land which forms its Entrance is capable of being fortified with a few heavy Guns as to prevent any Vessel from entering

6615-593: The local First Nations. For the next 150   years, France and Britain wrestled for control of the colony of Canada while simultaneously exploiting the land for the fur trade of North America . This culminated in the global Seven Years' War that ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 , which ceded Canada to the British. The colony of Canada was renamed the Province of Quebec until 1791, when it

6720-426: The majority of the primary roads through southern Ontario formed part of the county road systems. The Department of Public Works paid up to 60% of the construction and maintenance costs for these roads, while the counties were responsible for the remaining 40%. The Ontario government passed an act in 1917 to permit the newly formed Department of Public Highways (DPHO) to take over (or assume) responsibility and upkeep of

6825-407: The need for a controlled-access highway between Ottawa and Highway 401. Highway   16, which crosses the geologically subdued St. Lawrence Lowlands, was selected over Highway   15, which crosses the undulating Canadian Shield to the west, as the ideal route for the new link. To overcome the issue of abutting properties established along the Highway   16 corridor, the DHO began purchasing

6930-474: The north were instead under the mandate of the Department of Northern Development . The two primary trunk routes were extensions of Highway 11 and Highway 17 , to North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie , respectively. Seeking to open the far north, construction of a road to connect North Bay and Cochrane began in 1925, The new gravel highway was officially opened on July   2, 1927, by Minister of Lands and Forests William Finlayson . He suggested at

7035-465: The number within an outline of a rectangle. When these markers appear along or at an intersection with the indicated highway, they feature black text on a reflective white background. There are two exceptions to this: The QEW, which features blue text on a yellow background; and the provincially-maintained section of the tolled Highway 407 , which feature white text on a blue background, with an orange plate with TOLL below in black. Signs prior to 1993 had

7140-469: The office was generally referred to as the Highways Branch . In 1910, W.A. McLean, Provincial Engineer of Highways, succeeded A.W. Campbell as the director of the Highways Branch. Under considerable pressure from the Ontario Good Roads Association and the ever-increasing number of drivers, which the province itself licensed at that time, the Department of Public Highways was formed in 1916 with

7245-472: The old highway in the south near Crowder Road and in the north near Ventnor Road. By the end of 1973 the new highway was completed from immediately north of Highway   401 through Leeds and Grenville United Counties and into Ottawa–Carleton . This included a bypass around Kemptville and a new structure over the Rideau River. The new highway ended at Dilworth Road (Regional Road   13). For nearly

7350-741: The opening that the road be named the Ferguson Highway in honour of premier Ferguson. The name was originally suggested by North Bay mayor Dan Barker. Despite the official opening, a section between Swastika and Ramore wasn't opened until August. The Ferguson Highway name was also applied to the Muskoka Road between Severn Bridge and North Bay. During the 1920s, the DPHO began to examine possible remedies to chronic congestion on along Highway   2, particularly between Toronto and Hamilton ( Lakeshore Road ), eventually deciding upon widening

7455-504: The position was established on April   15, 1896, under the Department of Agriculture . Doolittle, a Toronto physician, became one of the earliest automobile owners in Canada, and spurred the good roads movement. He became the first person to drive across Canada in 1925, utilizing the railways around Lake Superior where no roads existed, and is known as the "Father of the Trans-Canada Highway". The arrival of automobiles rapidly changed

7560-1143: The predominant focus of TEO inspection activities. Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, its regulations, the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, and the Dangerous Goods Transportation Act are core pieces of legislation from which TEOs derive their enforcement authorities. TEOs conduct commercial vehicle inspections using a standardized procedure established by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Transportation Enforcement Officers inspect commercial vehicles, their loads, and driver's qualifications and documentation. They collect evidence, issue provincial offence notices or summons to court for violations, and testify in court. Transportation Enforcement Officer deployment ranges from highway patrol and Truck Inspection Station (TIS) duties, audits of commercial vehicle operators, inspection and monitoring of bus and motor-coach operators, and

7665-407: The province as provincial highways (designated King's highways in 1930). The Department of Public Highways was renamed the Department of Highways in 1931 and was assigned its own minister, Leopold Macaulay , though Macaulay later held both portfolios in 1934. In 1937, the Department of Northern Development , previously responsible for highways in the northern parts of the province, was merged into

7770-515: The province in the image of Britain. The ambitious abolitionist statesman, whom served the British during the American Revolutionary War , was appointed to lead the new colony on September   12, 1791. Although Niagara-on-the-Lake (then known as Newark) served as the capital for a year, Simcoe moved it to what is now Toronto after July   30, 1793, at the behest of French merchant Philippe de Rocheblave , following

7875-615: The provincial highway network. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the Autoroute system of neighbouring Quebec , and are regulated by the MTO. The 400-series designations were introduced in 1952, although Ontario had been constructing divided highways for two decades prior. Initially, only Highways   400, 401 and 402 were numbered; other designations followed in

7980-482: The roads in Ontario maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), including those designated as part of the King's Highway, secondary highways, and tertiary roads. Components of the system—comprising 16,900 kilometres (10,500 mi) of roads and 2,880 bridges —range in scale from Highway 401 , the busiest highway in North America, to unpaved forestry and mining access roads. The longest highway

8085-482: The roadway midway between Lakeshore Road and Highway 5 (Dundas Street), or the Middle Road . It was to be more than twice the width of Lakeshore Road at 12 m (39 ft) and would carry two lanes of traffic in either direction. Construction on what was then known as the Queen Street Extension west of Toronto began in early 1931. Before the highway could be completed, Thomas McQuesten

8190-420: The route of Yonge Street . Simcoe's Rangers would commence "run[ning] the line of the new road" with Surveyor General Augustus Jones in February 1794. By mid-May, the Rangers had cleared and marked 14   lots from Eglinton Avenue to just north of Sheppard Avenue before being redirected to defend Fort Miami . William Berczy — and the nearly 200 Pennsylvania Dutch settlers whom accompanied him from

8295-673: The route, which was in many cases only 10 m (33 ft) wide between the overgrown fence lines. Paving began in 1922, starting at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, and progressing in a southerly direction for approximately 6.5 km (4.0 mi). By mid-1923, the route was paved through Spencerville and North Gower, and work was underway to pave it within Manotick . Until the summer of 1925, Ontario highways were named rather than numbered. When route numbering

8400-403: The routes, except through National Parks . It is signed with distinctive green markers with a white maple leaf on them throughout Canada. While other provinces generally place a highway number within the maple leaf of the TCH marker (with a shared "Highway 1" designation across the western provinces ), Ontario places them below or beside provincial shields and either leaves them blank or inserts

8505-521: The settlers themselves were largely left to their own resolve. Statute labour was gradually abolished around the turn of the 20th century. Malden Township was the first to do so in 1890, and a majority of other municipalities followed suit by the 1920s. However, the law remained in place provincially until being officially repealed on January   1, 2022. Beginning in 1852, the Grand Trunk Railway gradually assembled together many of

8610-468: The shorelines of the larger lakes. In 1615, French explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first European to pass through the lands between the Great Lakes , accompanied by Huron and Iroquois guides. His emissary Étienne Brûlé as well as Franciscan Récollets such as Joseph Le Caron and Joseph de La Roche Daillon were the first to explore various lands of the area, all with the assistance of

8715-558: The subsequent decades. While older freeways have some lapses in safety features, contemporary 400-series highways have design speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph), speed limits of 100 km/h (62 mph), various collision avoidance and traffic management systems, and several design standards adopted throughout North America. Of note are the Ontario Tall Wall median barrier and the Parclo A-4 interchange design,

8820-405: The system, and in 1925, the numbers were signposted along the roads and marked on maps. In 1930, provincial highways were renamed King's Highways and the familiar crown route markers created. The DPHO was also renamed the Department of Highways (DHO). The 1930s saw several major depression relief projects built by manual labour, including the first inter-city divided highway in North America along

8925-475: The various shortline railroads in what was soon to become Ontario to form a single route across the province, connecting Sarnia with Montreal via Toronto, by 1884. Simultaneously, the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed a route across northern Ontario, connecting Thunder Bay with Ottawa by 1880. The government largely subsidized these endeavours, and funding for road construction fell to

9030-408: The various levels of government to fund road development and maintenance. Members would travel from town to town and across the countryside, espousing the value of properly built roads to communities. Two of the most influential members in its early days were Archibald William Campbell and Dr. Perry Doolittle . "Good Roads" Campbell would become the province's first Instructor in Roadmaking when

9135-494: The wayside, despite the pleas of townships, villages and settlers. In 1896, the provincial Instructor in Road Making reported "It is doubtful if there is a mile of true macadam road in Ontario outside of a few towns or cities   ... by far the greatest part of the milage of the province is mud, ruts and pitch-holes   ..." The cries of municipalities went unanswered, but it would not stop their ambition. Coupled with

9240-430: The words "The King's Highway" below the crown, but current versions do not have the words. In addition to regular highway markers, there are trailblazers, which indicate a route towards that highway. These are the same shape as their corresponding highway marker. Trailblazers for the King's Highway, which can be shields or crowns, feature white text on a reflective green background, with the exception of trailblazers for

9345-461: Was appointed the new minister of the renamed DHO, with Robert Melville Smith as deputy minister, following the 1934 provincial elections . Smith, inspired by the German autobahns —new "dual-lane divided highways "—modified the design for Ontario roads, and McQuesten ordered the Middle Road be converted into this new form of highway. A 40 m (130 ft) right-of-way was purchased along

9450-475: Was assumed by the Department of Public Highways (DPHO) on August   15. The new route was initially in an unfit condition for traffic. For example, the 1918 DPHO Annual Report noted that in North Gower Township , the road "was in places very narrow and the sides grown up with brush and small trees. The road surface was in very bad shape." Work began immediately to clear, widen, grade, and gravel

9555-481: Was awarded for the remaining distance north to Century Road (Regional Road   8). The project was completed in 1983, merging into the original route of Highway   16 northeast of the present Prince of Wales Drive overpass. With the completion of Highway   16 New, there was sufficient right-of-way to construct interchanges and the southbound lanes in order to create a full freeway corridor. The upgrade to Highway   416 took place between 1989 and 1999 and

9660-543: Was chosen to run along the macadamized old Lake Shore Road between the two cities, instead of Dundas Street to the north, because of the numerous hills encountered along Dundas. In November 1914, the proposed highway was approved, and work began quickly to construct the road known today as Lake Shore Boulevard and Lakeshore Road from Toronto to Hamilton. The road was finished in November 1917, 5.5 metres (18 ft) wide and nearly 64 kilometres (40 mi) long, becoming

9765-594: Was completed and opened to traffic. Premier Howard Ferguson officially opened the completed highway on October 7, 1929, at a rail overpass south of Kemptville. After cutting a ribbon spanning the bridge, he dubbed the route the Prince of Wales Highway. In 1966 the Eastern Ontario Highway Planning Study was published by the Department of Highways (DHO), the predecessor to today's Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), identifying

9870-437: Was constructed for Highway   16 to branch off where it continues as a short stub through Johnstown. A short section through downtown Ottawa was not incorporated into Highway   416, instead being downloaded to local authorities where it was redesignated as Ottawa Regional Road 73 ( Prince of Wales Drive ). North of Prince of Wales Drive, a new freeway alignment (known as Highway 416 "North" during construction) which

9975-530: Was created by the twinning of 57 km (35 mi) of Highway   16 New, known as Highway 416 "South" during construction. Instead of using Highway   16's existing Parclo interchange with Highway   401 where some ramps had at-grade intersections, this was bypassed by a separate right-of-way so that Highway   416 would meet Highway 401 at a new freeway-to-freeway interchange serving traffic to/from Kingston . Shortly before Highway   416 reaches its southern terminus, an Y interchange

10080-685: Was divided into Upper Canada (modern Southern Ontario) and Lower Canada (modern Southern Quebec) by the Constitutional Act . This was done to provide a British-style governance to the United Empire Loyalists fleeing north following the American Revolution . In addition to the native portages and lake shore trails, routes developed alongside significant rivers such as the St. Lawrence , Ottawa , Humber and Grand Rivers. These meandering trails followed

10185-410: Was first adopted in place of "provincial highway" in 1930, and signs similar to the current design replaced the previous triangular signs at that time. Some legislative acts refer to roads that are under the jurisdiction of the province as "provincial highways". The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways throughout the southern portion of Ontario, forming a special subset of

10290-458: Was introduced in 1956 to service regions in Northern and Central Ontario , though it once included a route as far south as Lake Ontario. Many routes that would become secondary highways were already maintained by the province as development roads prior to being designated. Since 1998, none have existed south of the districts of Parry Sound and Nipissing . Secondary highways are numbered in

10395-471: Was introduced, the Prescott Highway became Provincial Highway   16. That year also saw paving completed through Kemptville to the Rideau River, as well as beyond North Gower in to Ottawa. This left unpaved segments south of Kemptville (except through Spencerville), and from the Rideau River to the village of North Gower. On October   22, 1928, the pavement between Johnstown and Spencerville

10500-494: Was now the Federal Commissioner of Highways. Until the summer of 1925, Ontario highways were named rather than numbered. When route numbering was introduced, the following numbers were allotted: The number of Provincial Highways—as they were initially known—expanded quickly from there. The provincial highway network did not extend into the Canadian Shield nor Northern Ontario initially, and Trunk Roads in

10605-508: Was numbered as Provincial Highway   16 in August 1925, it was mostly paved, except for portions south of Kemptville , which were paved by 1930. It immediately became the primary route between Toronto and Ottawa, via Highway 2 , and as such saw many improvements and realignments carried out over the next three decades. In the 1960s, plans arose for a controlled-access highway to connect Highway 401 with Ottawa, which resulted in

10710-617: Was responsible for the Ontario Highway Transport Board. In May 1971, the Department of Transport and the Department of Highways were amalgamated to form the Department of Transportation and Communications . The new department was presided over by the Charles MacNaughton , who had been both the Minister of Highways and the Minister of Transport prior to the amalgamation. The department was renamed

10815-489: Was responsible for the majority of road development and maintenance. However, by 1860, due to the unsuitability of much of the land for any kind of settlement or agriculture, the roads were almost impassable in many places, except when frozen in winter or dry in summer. The large timber drive that was clearing the forests of the Ottawa–Huron Tract in this period contributed somewhat to road construction and maintenance, but

10920-402: Was set to be announced in 2020, but has been delayed since. Ontario uses two distinct shapes of signage to mark the King's Highways. Confirmation markers, or reassurance markers , are utilized along the designated road to confirm (near intersections) or reassure (elsewhere) drivers that they are on the correct route. The markers, known as shields , feature the route number within an outline in

11025-424: Was the most successful of these ventures and brought settlers to vast areas of land in what would become Southwestern Ontario by building routes such as Huron Road and Toronto–Sydenham Road during the 1830s and 1840s. As the second township frontage along Lake Ontario also filled, the government came under pressure to open up the unforgiving terrain of the Canadian Shield to settlement and sought to establish

#382617