Misplaced Pages

#678321

130-717: The Queen Elizabeth Way ( QEW ) is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario linking Toronto with the Niagara Peninsula and Buffalo , New York . The highway begins at the Canada–United States border on the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels 139.1 kilometres (86.4 mi) around the western end of Lake Ontario , ending at Highway 427 as the physical highway continues as

260-467: A 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) limit on select stretches, and various collision avoidance and traffic management systems. The design of 400-series highways has set the precedent for a number of innovations used throughout North America , including the parclo interchange and a modified Jersey barrier design known as the Ontario Tall Wall. As a result, they currently experience one of

390-557: A 400-series highway may be built where the existing highway's traffic counts fall below 10,000. The MTO plans and finances the construction and maintenance of the King's Highway system, which includes the 400-series network. The system includes 1,971.8 kilometres (1,225.2 mi) of freeways. Highway 401 is the longest freeway at 828.0 kilometres (514.5 mi), in addition to being the widest and busiest road in Canada. Highway 420

520-605: A calligraphic signature known as their tughra . All the monarchs of Europe's six other surviving kingdoms use cyphers, with royal crowns above them. King Harald V of Norway uses the letter H crossed with the Arabic numeral 5; King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden uses the letters C and G overlapping with the Roman numeral XVI below them; King Felipe VI of Spain uses the letter F with the Roman numeral; and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark used

650-967: A cost of $ 186 million. 400-series highways The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways in the Canadian province of Ontario , forming a special subset of the provincial highway system . They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the Autoroute system of neighbouring Quebec , and are regulated by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (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

780-474: A dirt lane named because of its position between the two, was not considered since Lakeshore and Dundas were both overcrowded and in need of serious repairs. Construction began on November 8, 1914, but dragged on throughout the ongoing war . It was formally opened on November 24, 1917, 5.5 m (18 ft) wide and nearly 64 km (40 mi) long. It was the first concrete road in Ontario, as well as one of

910-404: A minimum 4 lane cross-section with grade separation at all junctions. Interchanges tend to be spaced at least 1.5 kilometres apart in urban areas unless there are basket weave ramps or collector lanes to facilitated shorter merge distances. In rural areas, interchanges tend to be spaced at least 3 kilometres apart, although exceptions exist. When the cross-section of highway is larger than 10 lanes,

1040-462: A new single structure wide enough to accommodate both directions of the expanded freeway. Plains Road was redirected to the existing service road (Queensway Drive/Harvester Road) that meets Guelph Line at an intersection just south of Guelph Line's interchange with the QEW. The interchange with Guelph Line (originally a full cloverleaf when built, with the northern half modified to a diamond in the mid-1960s)

1170-572: A particular ruler. For example, the insignia of "N III" for Napoléon III is seen on some Paris bridges, such as the Pont au Change . The use of a royal cypher in the Commonwealth realms originated in the United Kingdom , where the public use of the royal initials dates at least from the early Tudor period , and was simply the initial of the sovereign with, after Henry VIII 's reign,

1300-428: A short collector-express system about ten lanes wide to serve the interchanges with Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue. East of Grand Avenue, the municipality's shaded high-mast lighting has been erected as the freeway crosses Parklawn Avenue and a CN rail line followed by offramps to Lake Shore Boulevard , then it curves as it passes the residential condominium towers of The Queensway – Humber Bay neighbourhood along

1430-400: A ten-week period in the late spring and early summer of 1940, 58 km (36 mi) were paved, completing the four-lane highway between Hamilton and Niagara Falls. It soon came time to name the new highway, and an upcoming visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth proved to be the focal point for a dedication ceremony. On June 7, 1939, the two royal family members drove along both

SECTION 10

#1732764881679

1560-489: A westward extension of the Gardiner Expressway. Provincial control of the freeway ends shortly after an onramp from Highway 427; municipal ownership is evident from the use of different high-mast illumination poles that are shaded to reduce light pollution at the underpasses with Wickman Road and a railway line. East of that point the freeway retains its provincial-installed conventional lighting as it splits into

1690-497: Is also built to 400-series standards, however a 400-series designation has yet to be applied. Most other freeways and expressways in Ontario that lack a 400-series designation have lower construction standards, lower design speeds and lower speed limits. The MTO began planning for the use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes with the HOV Opportunities Study, contracted to McCormick Rankin in 2001. This led to

1820-514: Is as a symbol not only of the sovereign him- or herself, but of Canada's full sovereignty. The royal cypher is also found on post offices and some government buildings in Australia . British royal cyphers are still visible on several public buildings and old post boxes in the Republic of Ireland . Other royal houses have also made use of royal or imperial cyphers; Ottoman sultans had

1950-576: Is considered to be part of the Province of Ontario's 400-series highway network. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario designates the QEW as Highway 451 for internal, administrative purposes. A monument was originally in the highway median at the Toronto terminus of the highway west of the Humber River bridges, dedicated to the 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and known as

2080-521: Is gradually replacing the cypher of Elizabeth II in everyday use. The design was selected by Charles himself from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms and features the King's initial "C" intertwined with the letter "R" for Rex with "III" denoting Charles III, with a Tudor Crown above the letters. Charles's Scottish cypher uses the Crown of Scotland instead. The late queen's cypher

2210-485: Is the shortest of the routes at 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi). There are four examples of 400 series standard highways in Ontario that are not signed as such. The Gardiner Expressway between Highway 427 and Parklawn Road was originally built as a section of QEW (Hwy 451) and therefore is built to 400-series standards but lost its QEW designation after being downloaded to the City of Toronto. The section of Highway 7 between

2340-475: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices , Ontario utilizes green signs for guidance purposes, including distances to nearby interchanges and destinations. Generally, blue signage is used to list services and attractions at upcoming exits, known as Tourism-Oriented Directional Signing . However, several exceptions exist, notably blue guidance signage for toll highways such as Highway 407 , in addition to

2470-562: The Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway , the second high-level bridge along the route. As it crosses over the entrance to Hamilton Harbour , the freeway enters the Regional Municipality of Halton and descends into the city of Burlington. After descending into Burlington, the QEW crosses North Shore Boulevard (former Highway 2 ) and Fairview Street/Plains Road as it passes by Mapleview Centre . Next to

2600-556: The Burlington Interchange ) and Northshore Boulevard (then Highway 2) including a collector lane for Niagara-bound traffic and on/off-ramps to Eastport Drive. Eastport Drive was built at the same time to relieve traffic on Beach Boulevard . This work was completed between late 1984 and 1990. With the expanded capacity of the Burlington Skyway, and the unanticipated traffic volumes on Highway 403,

2730-663: The College of Arms or Court of the Lord Lyon and are subsequently approved by the monarch. See the Gallery section for example of the cyphers of other monarchs. The royal cyphers have been incorporated by the Canadian Heraldic Authority into the various royal standards of Canada . The use in Canada of the reigning monarch's cypher, which is sometimes uniquely surrounded by a garland of maple leaves ,

SECTION 20

#1732764881679

2860-511: The Diversion . Work on the new bridge and Diversion proceeded over the next six years. The Freeman Diversion opened to traffic in August 1958, with the old alignment becoming an eastward extension of Plains Road (still directly accessible via a split west of Guelph Line). Premier Frost opened the 2,700-metre-long (8,900 ft), four-lane skyway two months later on October 30. Although

2990-570: The Don Valley Parkway ), while the old steel guardrail in the median was replaced by an Ontario "tall-wall" concrete barrier in 2007. Worn-out bilingual provincial signage have received unilingual replacements, while billboards which the province had long prohibited have been erected in proximity of the now-municipal freeway. The Shook's Hill rotary interchange (originally opened in 1960) with Erin Mills Parkway and Southdown Road,

3120-888: The Gardiner Expressway into downtown Toronto . The QEW is one of Ontario's busiest highways, with an average of close to 250,000 vehicles per day on some sections. Major highway junctions are at Highway 420 in Niagara Falls , Highway 405 in Niagara-on-the-Lake , Highway 406 in St. Catharines , the Red Hill Valley Parkway in Hamilton , Highway 403 and Highway 407 in Burlington , Highway   403 at

3250-554: The Niagara Escarpment , a World Biosphere Reserve . Highway 405 merges with the QEW along the short rural stretch between Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. While there is no Toronto-bound access to Highway 405, Niagara-bound drivers can follow this short freeway to the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge , which crosses the U.S. border into Lewiston, New York . The QEW continues west into St. Catharines. As

3380-534: The Oakville – Mississauga boundary, and Highway   427 in Etobicoke . Within the Regional Municipality of Halton the QEW is signed concurrently with Highway   403. The speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) throughout most of its length, with the exception being between Hamilton and St. Catharines where the posted limit was raised to 110 km/h (68 mph) on September 26, 2019 as part of

3510-715: The Ontario Tall Wall median barrier and the Parclo A-4 interchange design, 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. Ontario highways rank fourth in North America for fatality rates, with 0.61 fatalities per 10,000 licensed drivers in 2017. However, this also includes two-lane provincial highways. On May 1, 2019,

3640-548: The W.E. Fitzgerald struck the two-lane lift bridge at the entrance to Hamilton Harbour. Damage to the crossing resulted in the QEW's closure until a temporary bridge was erected. To remedy what was becoming a major delay and hazard, the Department of Highways began planning a high-level bridge to cross the shipping channel. Immediately west of the Guelph Line interchange, construction also began to improve access to

3770-401: The collector lanes of highways. The baseline standard for the construction of or expansion to a freeway in Ontario is an average daily traffic count of 10,000 vehicles per day. However, other factors are considered as well, particularly future traffic volume forecasts. To promote economic development in a disadvantaged region (e.g., the current extension of Highway 400 to Northern Ontario ),

3900-406: The "Lucky Lion." The column, with a crown at the top and a lion at the base, was designed by W. L. Somerville and sculptors Frances Loring and Florence Wyle for $ 12,000 (equivalent to $ 235,650 in 2023). The monument was removed in 1972 in order to accommodate widening of the original QEW, and relocated in August 1975 to the nearby Sir Casimir Gzowski Park along Lake Ontario, on the east side of

4030-427: The 1930s. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) was first, an upgrade to the partially constructed Middle Road in 1934. McQuesten also sought out the economic opportunities that came with linking Toronto to Detroit and New York state by divided roadways with interchanges at major crossroads. Although he no longer served as Minister of Highways by the onset of World War II , his ambitious plans would come to fruition in

Queen Elizabeth Way - Misplaced Pages Continue

4160-460: The 1950s, more or less taking on its current form by 1975. Since then, various projects have continued to widen the route. In 1997, the provincial government turned over the responsibility for the section of the QEW between Highway   427 and the Humber River to the City of Toronto, which redesignated this segment as a westward extension of the Gardiner Expressway. The Queen Elizabeth Way

4290-471: The 1960s and 1970s, additional freeways were planned or built, including Highway 427 in Toronto, Highway 403 through Mississauga, Highway 410 north to Brampton and Highway 416 to connect Highways 401 and 417. Highway 420 was designated in Niagara Falls, though it had been built as part of the QEW in 1941. Other major works included the skyway bridges along the QEW and

4420-424: The 400-series network, several extensions of existing freeways have been built or are underway, including Highway 410 north of Brampton in 2009, Highway 400 to north of Parry Sound in 2010, Highway 417 to Arnprior in 2012, Highway 404 to Keswick in 2014, Highway 401 through Windsor in 2015, and four-laning Highway 406 to Welland in late 2015. The 400-series highways always have

4550-709: The Bartlett Avenue interchange, the freeway enters Grimsby , where it becomes sandwiched between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. The route passes under three overpasses that have remained unchanged since the highway was built: Maple Avenue, Ontario Street, and Christie Street, all served by a single diamond interchange . South of the Fifty Point Conservation Area, the freeway exits the Niagara Region and enters

4680-741: The Burlington Bay Skyway. Tolls were collected beginning on November 10. Elsewhere, in St. Catharines, planning was already advanced on a second skyway to cross the Welland Canal. The Homer Lift Bridge, a longstanding feature along Highway 8, was another point where the QEW narrowed to two lanes and traffic faced regular delays. Construction of the Homer Skyway, as it was tentatively known, began in July 1960 and progressed over

4810-640: The Burlington Transmission Station, the QEW encounters the Freeman Interchange, originally opened in 1958 to allow construction of Highway 403 and expanded in the early 1990s to accommodate the western terminus of Highway 407. The freeway turns to the east, becoming concurrent with Highway 403 through Burlington and Oakville. The two routes travel straight though a commercial office area. Service roads reappear through this stretch to serve businesses fronting

4940-963: The Chedoke Expressway (Highway 403) through Hamilton ; the Don Valley Parkway Extension (Highway 404) northward from the soon-to-be constructed Toronto expressway; Highway 405 to connect with the American border near St. Catharines ; Highway 406 south from St. Catharines to Welland ; Highway 407 encircling the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), though not built for another 40 years; Highway 409 to connect Highway 401 with Toronto International Airport ; and The Queensway (Highway 417) through Ottawa. The first sections of these freeways were opened in 1963, 1977, 1963, 1965, 1997, 1974, and 1960, respectively. Throughout

5070-604: The Crown of Scotland image rather than the E II R cypher, which continued to be used in the rest of the United Kingdom and in the other realms and territories. The production of the cypher was an early step in the preparations for her coronation in 1953 as it had to be embroidered on to the uniforms of the Royal Household and on other articles. Cyphers for other members of the royal family are designed by

5200-557: The Don River it ends at Lake Shore Boulevard (where it ceded the Highway 2 provincial routing back to Lake Shore until 1998), although a partial interchange connects to the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) which turns ninety degrees and heads northbound when it eventually meets Highway 401 . As automobile use in southern Ontario grew in the early 20th century, road design and construction advanced significantly. A major issue faced by planners

5330-466: The Freeman Interchange and east of Brant Street. This six-laning was extended west from Ninth Line to Kerr Street by 1968. The remaining section of four-lane highway along the Burlington to Toronto stretch, between Brant Street and Kerr Street, was reconstructed beginning in 1970 and completed by 1972. The late 1960s and early 1970s also saw the complete reconstruction of three important interchanges:

Queen Elizabeth Way - Misplaced Pages Continue

5460-524: The Freeman Interchange was now faced with a capacity problem. To resolve this, the renamed Ministry of Transportation began planning for the missing link of Highway 403 between Burlington and Mississauga that would run parallel to the QEW; this right-of-way would be sold to the 407 ETR consortium in 1995 and built as part of that route. Work began in August 1991 to reconfigure the Directional T interchange to modern standards, which included realigning

5590-542: The Garden City Skyway. The collection of tolls on both skyways continued until December 28, 1973. On September 15, 1960, the Shook's Hill interchange, a rotary junction or grade-separated traffic circle (the only example in Ontario, although this interchange type is common in the United Kingdom ), was completed at what is now Erin Mills Parkway . It was opened to traffic the following day, and completed

5720-479: The Hamilton–Toronto section into a full-fledged freeway. Over the next three years, the route was improved west to Highway 10 (Hurontario Street). This work was completed in early 1956. Service roads were installed and 13 intersections eliminated, resulting in a 50% reduction of the accident rate along that section. In Toronto, work began in 1955 to construct the Gardiner Expressway , which would tie in with

5850-486: The Humber River. The QEW is a 139 km (86 mi) route that travels from the Peace Bridge ;– which connects Fort Erie with Buffalo, New York – to Toronto, the economic hub of the province. It runs as a freeway circling the western lakehead of Lake Ontario, cutting through Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, and Mississauga en route. A 22 km (14 mi) portion of

5980-506: The MTO introduced a multibillion-dollar Horseshoe Network Project, which included plans to incorporate HOV lanes into numerous 400-series highways. By then, work was already advanced on several projects, including the northbound HOV lane on Highway 404 (that opened on July 23, 2007) and an HOV lane along both directions of Highway 403 between Highway 407 and Highway 401. A third pair of HOV lanes has since been introduced to

6110-534: The Niagara Fruit Belt ; numerous wineries line the south side of the freeway. Interchanges at Victoria Road (Regional Road 24) and Ontario Street (Regional Road 18) provide access to the communities of Vineland and Beamsville , respectively. The latter encroaches upon the south side of the QEW, interrupting the otherwise agricultural surroundings of the highway in Lincoln. Immediately east of

6240-614: The Niagara-bound carriageway's left-hand exit to Plains Road, so the Toronto-bound carriageway could be shifted next to the Niagara-bound carriageway where the opposing directions would be separated by a concrete median barrier and high mast lighting. This complemented the replacement of the existing railway grade separation (where each carriageway had its own underpass in order to accommodate the Plains Road off-ramp) with

6370-472: The North Service Road) connecting to the future Burlington-Mississauga freeway sat unused until that segment finally opened on July 30, 2001, as part of Highway 407 ETR. Budgetary restraints in the 1990s forced the provincial government to sell off or download many highways to lower levels of government, or, in the case of Highway 407, to a private consortium. As part of recommendations,

6500-489: The QEW carriageways as mainline traffic, and adding a fourth leg for the future Burlington-Mississauga link. Due to land and cost constraints of the reconstruction, this necessitated replacing the directional ramp with a lower-capacity loop ramp for the movement from Toronto-bound QEW to the Brantford-bound Highway ;403 (as some traffic was expected to be diverted away from the Burlington Skyway to

6630-462: The QEW east of Highway 427 to the Humber River was transferred to the responsibility of Metro Toronto. The transfer took place on April 1, 1997. The city subsequently renamed it as part of the Gardiner Expressway. After the provincial downloading and Amalgamation of Toronto , much of this former QEW has remained largely unchanged though some segments have received a mix of high mast and low masts with shaded high pressure sodium lamps (similar to

SECTION 50

#1732764881679

6760-429: The QEW from four to six lanes through St. Catharines from Highway 406 to the Garden City Skyway. This segment whose original design dated back to 1939, saw several interchanges improved and numerous structures replaced, although the widened Henley Bridge kept its classic architecture while existing service roads and local properties beside the freeway were largely retained. Work was completed on August 26, 2011, at

6890-420: The QEW have always used blue lettering on a yellow background instead of the black-on-white scheme other provincial highway markers use. They originally showed the highway's full name only in small letters, with the large script letters "ER" placed where the highway number is on other signs. In 1955, these were changed to the current design, with the lettering "QEW." Although the QEW has no posted highway number, it

7020-895: The QEW/403 through Oakville, and a fourth individual HOV lane travels eastbound on Highway 417 from just west of Eagleson Road in Ottawa to just east of Moodie Drive. More than 450 kilometres (280 mi) of HOV lanes are currently proposed for construction by 2031. Future plans include extending existing HOV lanes and introducing them to other 400-series freeways. as of October 2014 , two projects have been confirmed: Highway 410 between Highway 401 and Queen Street in Brampton, and Highway 427 between Highway 409 and Highway 7. The MTO has stated that HOV lanes will only be introduced through new construction and that no general-purpose lanes will be converted. The general goals of

7150-660: The QEW: in Mississauga over the Credit River , in Oakville over Bronte Creek , and in St. Catharines over Twelve Mile Creek . In addition Highway 420 in Niagara Falls and its extension, Falls Avenue, has these "ER" light standards installed since 2002, as a nod to this route being part of the original QEW upon its inauguration in 1940 until being bypassed by QEW's extension to Fort Erie in 1941. The markers identifying

7280-468: The Queen Elizabeth Way enters St. Catharines, it ascends the Garden City Skyway to cross the Welland Canal . This 2.2 km (1.4 mi) structure replaced the lift bridge south of it, one of two major bottlenecks prior to the early 1960s, and is one of two high-level skyways along the route. As the QEW was the first long distance freeway in North America, several modern engineering concepts were not considered in its original 1939 design, and although it

7410-596: The Rainbow Bridge Approach (later Highway 420) in Niagara Falls, Highway 20 (Centennial Parkway) in Hamilton, and Highway 27 in Toronto. The former two were traffic circles in place since the QEW was opened in 1940; the third was a large cloverleaf interchange that had become outdated with the expansion of Highway 27 to twelve lanes throughout the 1960s. The connections with the Rainbow Bridge Approach and with Highway 27 required new massive high-speed interchanges to accommodate freeway-to-freeway traffic movements. The four-level junction with Highway 27

7540-489: The United Kingdom (except in Scotland) and the Commonwealth realms by a stylised version of the Tudor Crown or St Edward's Crown ; in Scotland , the Crown of Scotland is used instead. Though royal symbols (including, most notably, the coat of arms, royal standards and great seals ) differ among the 15 Commonwealth realms, as they are separate monarchies, the one sovereign uses the same cypher throughout all of his or her countries. Distinction continues to be made between

7670-440: The addition of the letter 'R' for ' Rex ' or ' Regina ' . The letter 'I' for ' Imperatrix ' was added to Queen Victoria 's monogram after she became Empress of India in 1877. The initials – which had no set pattern or form of lettering laid down – were usually shown in company with the royal arms or crown as on the king's manors and palaces – such as those of Henry VIII on

7800-442: The approach at the QEW and Dorchester Road. The interchange between the QEW and Lundy's Lane (Highway 20) was also removed; instead, the new interchange provided access to Montrose Road. The work was completed by April 1972, at which point the Rainbow Bridge Approach was designated as Highway 420. Planning for the removal of the Stoney Creek traffic circle was completed by 1970, and reconstruction began in 1974. This involved

7930-448: The boundary between Peel Region and Toronto, the route passes through a sprawling four-level interchange with Highway 427, as the freeway continues eastward as the municipal Gardiner Expressway . The QEW formerly continued beyond the Highway 427 interchange to the Old Toronto city limits at the Humber River , although this section between was downloaded from provincial to municipal authorities on April 1, 1997 and became

SECTION 60

#1732764881679

8060-439: The city of Hamilton. Within Hamilton, the highway passes almost entirely within an industrial park, with interchanges at Fifty Road, Fruitland Road, and Centennial Parkway (formerly Highway 20 ). The third of these is intertwined with the Red Hill Valley Parkway interchange (completed in 2009), at which point the freeway widens to eight lanes. From here, the freeway curves northwest onto Burlington Beach and begins to ascend

8190-434: The city, Highway 420 meets the QEW at a large four-level junction and widens to six lanes. The opposing carriageways split at this interchange to accommodate the left-hand exit/entry of the flyover ramps accessing Highway 420, with the Toronto-bound traffic passing under these flyovers and a CN rail crossing. Exiting the northern fringe of Niagara Falls, the freeway again curves northwest and begins to descend through

8320-512: The cloverleaf interchange with the QEW with larger loop ramps. This interchange would become one of the worst bottlenecks in the province only a decade after its completion, according to Highways Minister Charles MacNaughton . On September 11, 1957, construction began to widen the QEW to six lanes between Highway 27 and the Humber River. It was completed by December 1958, as were interchanges with Mississauga Road and Kerr Street. Service roads allowed engineers to separate local access from

8450-430: The design to be similar to the autobahns of Germany, dividing the opposite directions of travel and using grade-separated interchanges at major crossroads. When opened to traffic in 1937, it was the first intercity divided highway in North America and featured the longest stretch of consistent illumination in the world. While not a true freeway at the time, it was gradually upgraded, widened, and modernized beginning in

8580-433: The east, entering Mississauga and the Peel Region . Within Mississauga, the freeway encounters its narrowest right-of-way , wedged between residential subdivisions on either side that prevent further expansion from its six-lane cross section. It crosses the Credit River valley, where a second bridge will soon be under construction. The segment east of the Credit River is being examined for expansion possibilities, but like

8710-426: The end of the QEW. The first section of the Gardiner, connecting the QEW to Jameson Avenue, was officially opened by Metropolitan Toronto chairman Fred Gardiner and Premier Leslie Frost on August 8, 1958. Work was also underway on the Toronto Bypass, involving the upgrade of Highway 27 to a freeway between the QEW and the new Highway 401 . Construction began in 1953, and included an reconstruction of

8840-434: The end of the decade, construction of Highway 407 and Highway 416 had begun, and Highway 410 was expanded from two to four lanes. Highways 407 and 416 opened in the late 1990s. Until early 2015, Highways 407 and 416 were the most-recently designated (and constructed) freeways in Ontario. This has changed with the construction of Highways 412 and 418 . In addition to these new additions to

8970-558: The expansion of Highway 401 through most of Toronto into twelve-lane collector–express systems. By the mid-1980s, the network had more-or-less taken its current shape, with only Highways 407, 412, 416 and 418 yet to be built. Instead, emphasis was placed on expanding existing routes to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. However, extensions of Highway 400 towards Parry Sound , Highway 403 between Woodstock and Hamilton, Highway 404 towards Newmarket , and Highway 427 towards Vaughan were underway. By

9100-479: The following decades as Highways 400, 401, 402, 403 (between Woodstock and Hamilton), and 405. The construction boom following the war resulted in many new freeway construction projects in the province. The Toronto–Barrie Highway (Highway 400), Trans-Provincial Highway (Highway 401), a short expansion of Highway 7 approaching the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia (Highway 402), and an expansion of Highway 27 (eventually designated as Highway 427 by

9230-443: The following three years. The $ 20 million (in $ 1963, 195,000,000 adjusted for inflation) structure was officially opened by Premier John Robarts on November 15, 1963. However, traffic had already been flowing on the 2,200-metre-long (7,200 ft) bridge since October 18. As with the Burlington Bay Skyway, tolls were collected on the new bridge. However, the name was almost unanimously chosen by St. Catharines residents to be

9360-624: The former eastern end of the QEW, the Metro-built Gardiner Expressway also assumed the provincial Highway 2 designation from Lake Shore Boulevard (from Lake Shore Boulevard's on-ramp to the Gardiner), until most of Highway 2 was decommissioned in 1998 leaving both Lake Shore and the Gardiner without a provincial route number. This old demarcation line was quite visible on the freeway as a change in pavement quality and

9490-542: The four-lane freeway proper begins, immediately curving northwest. Within Fort Erie, interchanges provide access to and from the QEW at Central Avenue, Concession Road, Thompson Road, Gilmore Road, and Bowen Road. While there is some urban development at the beginning of the freeway, the majority of the first 25 km (16 mi) are within lowland forests. Numerous creeks flow through these forests, often flooding them. The Willoughby Marsh Conservation Area lies southwest of

9620-467: The four-lane highway between Hamilton and Niagara Falls. Construction on an extension towards Fort Erie, which became known as the QEW Extension , was underway, but the ongoing war delayed its completion. As an interim measure, the unpaved highway was opened during the summer of 1941. Bypassed by the new QEW extension to Fort Erie in 1941, the Niagara Falls bridge approach became a spur route that

9750-475: The freeway crosses Martindale Pond, which forms the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek . West of the crossing is a trumpet interchange with Highway 406 , which travels south to Welland , after which the QEW crosses out of St. Catharines and into the town of Lincoln at Fifteen Mile Creek, continuing with a six-lane cross-section. Throughout Lincoln, the QEW travels along the Lake Ontario shoreline through

9880-411: The freeway in Burlington is signed concurrently with Highway 403 . Unlike other provincial highways in Ontario, the QEW is directionally signed using locations along the route as opposed to cardinal directions . Driving towards Toronto, the route is signed as "QEW Toronto" throughout its length. In the opposing direction, it is signed as "QEW Hamilton", "QEW Niagara", and "QEW Fort Erie" depending on

10010-584: The freeway, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Niagara Falls. After an interchange with Lyons Creek Road, the freeway turns northward. After crossing the Welland River , the original route of the Welland Canal , the freeway exits the forests and enters agricultural land surrounding the suburbs of Niagara Falls, which the highway enters north of the McLeod Road interchange. Within

10140-409: The gatehouse of St James's Palace . The purpose seems to have been simply to identify an individual sovereign, particularly on certain landmarks that he or she has commissioned, as the royal coat of arms in contrast was often used by successive monarchs and is therefore not distinct. The initials are furthermore used on government papers, duty stamps and similar objects, and are surmounted throughout

10270-525: The government of Ontario was looking towards raising the speed limits of the 400-series highways up to 120 km/h (75 mph) Jeff Yurek , Transportation Minister at that time had stated that "The 400-series highways were built for, I believe, a speed limit of 120 km/h safely." A 110 km/h (68 mph) trial was set up on three stretches of highways on September 26, 2019, to test the viability of increasing speed limits. The three trialed sections along with three more sections were permanently changed to

10400-552: The government's plan to raise the speed limits across the province. The history of the QEW dates back to 1931, when work began to widen the Middle Road in a similar fashion to the nearby Dundas Highway and Lakeshore Road as a relief project during the Great Depression . Following the 1934 provincial election , Ontario Minister of Highways Thomas McQuesten and his deputy minister Robert Melville Smith changed

10530-426: The higher speed limit on April 22, 2022, and two more sections were trialed. The two trialed sections were made permanent along with 10 more sections on July 12, 2024. On October 2, 2024, Premier Doug Ford mentioned in a press conference that he had directed Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to raise the speed limit on all remaining 400-series highway sections “where it is safe to do so”. Conforming with

10660-476: The highway and avoid space-consuming interchanges in many places. Therefore, interchanges were only opened at Bronte Road (then Highway 25 ), Kerr Street, Royal Windsor Drive (then Highway 122 ), Southdown Road (now Erin Mills Parkway north of the interchange), Mississauga Road, Hurontario Street (then Highway 10 ), Cawthra Road, Dixie Road, and Highway 27 . Two major projects were ongoing near Burlington at this point. On April 29, 1952,

10790-496: The highway could be completed, Thomas McQuesten was appointed the new minister of the Department of Highways, 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 that the Middle Road be converted into this new form of highway. A 40 m (130 ft) right-of-way

10920-487: The highway. The segment, which was expanded in 2011, is eight lanes wide, including one high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV lanes) in each direction, which required the construction of a second structure over Sixteen Mile Creek . In the eastern end of Oakville, the route curves northeast, passing the Ford Motor Assembly Plant . Highway 403 then diverges north from the QEW while the QEW turns back to

11050-737: The letter M with the Arabic numeral 2 and the letter R (for Regina) below it during her reign. King Philippe of the Belgians uses the letters P and F intertwined, referring to the fact that his name is Philippe in French and Philipp in German , but Filip in Dutch , the three main languages in Belgium . King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his Queen Maxima share a joint cypher consisting of

11180-529: The location. The Queen Elizabeth Way begins at the Canada–United States border on the three-lane undivided Peace Bridge, which connects with I-190 (via NY 955B ) in Buffalo, New York. A customs booth is located just west of the bridge, beyond which a toll is charged to Canada-bound drivers. West of there, access is provided to nearby Highway 3 and the Niagara Parkway . Through customs,

11310-496: The longest stretches of concrete road between two cities in the world. Though many minor improvements in alignment were made, the original highway was without modern bridges for the crossings of the Credit River and Bronte, Etobicoke, and Mimico Creeks. Modern concrete arch bridges for all crossings except Bronte Creek were completed in 1919. Over the next decade, vehicle usage increased substantially, and by 1920 Lakeshore Road

11440-476: The lowest accident and fatality rates comparative to traffic volume in North America. When the 400-series designations were first applied to Ontario freeways in 1952, several divided highways had already been opened in Southern Ontario. Originally inspired by German Autobahns , Minister of Highways Thomas McQuesten planned a network of "Dual Highways" across the southern half of the province during

11570-488: The mid-1970s) into part of the Toronto Bypass were all underway or completed by the early 1950s. Seeking a way to distinguish the controlled-access freeways from the existing two-lane King's Highways, the Department of Highways created the 400-series designations in 1952. By the end of the year, Highway 400, 401, and 402 were numbered, although they were only short stubs of their current lengths. Highway 401

11700-615: The new bridge with the Freeman Diversion , a new routing of the QEW that would bypass the existing Middle Road section which passed through the community of Freeman that was becoming increasingly built-up, then connect to a new three-way junction (the Freeman Interchange ) with the proposed Chedoke Expressway , and continue to the existing Burlington Interchange which would retain the underpass for Middle Road but be reconfigured to accept traffic primarily from

11830-467: The newly connected Toronto-Hamilton and Hamilton-Niagara Falls highways and passed through a light beam near the Henley Bridge in St. Catharines. This caused two Union Jacks to swing out, revealing a sign which read The Queen Elizabeth Way . However, the ceremony only named the segment of the highway between St. Catharines and Niagara Falls as The Queen Elizabeth Way . The remainder of the road

11960-468: The one at Kerr Street. In Mississauga, work commenced at Cawthra Road, while in Burlington a new interchange was built at Appleby Line. Now functioning as a freeway, the QEW was already overburdened by the ever-increasing number of vehicles. The Burlington Bay Skyway, which was built to bypass Hamilton Harbour and the Port of Hamilton , was the lone four-lane link on the route between Hamilton and Toronto. It

12090-474: The opposing shore of Lake Ontario. Work began at the end of March to grade the route between Stoney Creek and Jordan . The Hamilton-Niagara Falls Highway connected to the Middle Road via a trumpet junction known as the Burlington Interchange. The prospect of removing hundreds of acres of farmland did not sit well with many, especially farmers in the path of the new highway. Rumours spread

12220-484: The original skyway. The new name was not well received by locals, and debate erupted once again whilst the original bridge was closed and repaired for several years. It reopened on August 22, 1988, with Toronto-bound traffic crossing the original bridge. The twin structure was renamed the Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway, though it is commonly referred to as simply the Burlington Skyway. Alongside

12350-426: The personal cypher and the simpler, more workaday public initials, the former being the sovereign's own monogram and the latter simply a means of identifying a reign. Nowadays, the initials are also called the royal cypher, but, to aid clarification, the monogram is referred to as the royal cypher interlaced and reversed. On 26 September 2022, Buckingham Palace unveiled the cypher of the new king, Charles III , that

12480-419: The previous section, there is little room for more lanes without property acquisition. Some of the interchanges through Mississauga have ramp meters on the entrances onto the QEW, meaning only one vehicle is allowed to enter the on-ramp per each green light on a traffic signal, depending on the time of day, or the amount of traffic is on the highway at a certain time. After crossing Etobicoke Creek , which forms

12610-427: The prices paid for land were to be well below market value, and local protests erupted throughout the summer. However, the purpose of the new highway was to replace the congested, winding and hilly route of Highway 8 along the escarpment; several groups of collisions that summer gradually persuaded the public to support the new highway. By the autumn, 340 acres (140 ha) of fruitland were cleared to make way for

12740-511: The program to make the QEW a freeway between Burlington and Toronto. A project to reconstruct the intersection with Brant Street into a interchange was completed 1964 and made the QEW a freeway between Hamilton and Toronto. By 1963, work was underway to improve the Niagara Falls–Hamilton stretch of the QEW into a controlled-access highway. At the end of 1966, the QEW was six lanes wide through Mississauga and Toronto, as well as between

12870-806: The project are to help increase highway efficiency (an HOV lane is claimed by the Ontario government to have the ability to move as many people as four general-purpose lanes), reduce congestion, conserve energy and help protect the environment. During the 2015 Pan American Games and 2015 Parapan American Games held in Toronto , several HOV lanes had their minimum requirements increased from two passengers to three, and some highways had their general-purpose lanes temporarily converted to HOV lanes to accommodate increased traffic. These temporary restrictions lasted from June 29 to August 18. 2021 saw several new HOV lanes opened. The southbound HOV lane on Highway   400 between King Road and Major Mackenzie Drive

13000-406: The recently expanded Highway 27 (which would be renumbered as Highway 427 on December 4, 1971) and Lake Shore Boulevard, the QEW was also expanded to 8–10 lanes which included a short collector-express system between Kipling Avenue and Royal York Road. Construction of the four-level interchange between the QEW and Rainbow Bridge Approach began in 1971, removing the two traffic circles along

13130-409: The removal of a rail line which crossed through the circle, and was the demise of one of two major features along the route. The new interchange opened in 1978, completing the transformation of the QEW into a controlled-access highway. During the late 1970s, construction was carried out on several new interchanges between Hamilton and Toronto. New interchanges at Dorval Drive and Trafalgar Road replaced

13260-782: The road is usually arranged into a local–express lane system, which exist on sections of Highways 400, 401, 403, 404 and 427. On all but a few interchanges in the whole system, ramps merge freely on the highway except if there are ramp meters in use, and stop or yield controlled ramps are rare. An interchange with stop-controlled ramps onto Highway 400 at Canal Road is currently scheduled for replacement. While older freeways have some lapses in safety features, contemporary 400-series highways have design speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph), speed limits ranging from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 110 km/h (68 mph), various collision avoidance and traffic management systems, and several design standards adopted throughout North America. Of note are

13390-423: The road. In addition, the majority of the crossroads encountered along the route were at-grade intersections. This, combined with the ever-increasing number of automobiles, traffic jams, accidents, and deteriorating pavement, led the Department of Highways to state it had begun "salvaging" the QEW in its 1953 annual report. The first new interchange opened at Dixie Road in 1953, beginning a seven-year program to make

13520-469: The route. Over the next two years, numerous bridges and cloverleaf interchanges along the new highway were constructed. In addition, a large traffic circle was built in Stoney Creek to connect with Highway 20. The majority of this structural work was completed by June 1939. However, despite being opened to traffic between Stoney Creek and Jordan, the majority of the new route was gravelled. Over

13650-535: The skyway greatly reduced traffic delays, it was not without controversy due to its height, cost, tolling, and most especially its name. Residents in Burlington demanded it be named the Burlington Skyway, while Hamilton residents countered with the Hamilton Skyway. As a compromise, the Thomas B. McQuesten Skyway was proposed. However, the provincial government had the final say in the matter, and opted to name it

13780-466: The subsequent decades. To this day, not all controlled-access highways in Ontario are a part of the 400-series highway network. The network is situated almost entirely in Southern Ontario , although Highway 400 extends into the more remote northern portion of the province. Modern 400-series highways have high design standards, speed limits of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph), with

13910-629: The test trial of three HOV lanes in the GTA in December 2005: southbound Highway 404 between Highway 7 and Highway 401, with a dedicated HOV ramp built to connect with westbound Highway 401, and Highway 403 in both directions between Highway 407 and Highway 401 in Mississauga. Since then, HOV lanes have been opened on several 400-series freeways around the Golden Horseshoe and National Capital Region . In May 2007,

14040-429: The town of Carleton Place and its junction with Highway 417 is also built to 400-series standards, but a 400-series designation has yet to be applied. Highway 69 between Sudbury and Key River is built to 400-series standards in anticipation of it becoming part of Highway 400 once the 70-kilometre (43 mi) gap between the two freeways is filled. Highway 115 north of Highway 35/Highway115 concurrency and Peterborough

14170-431: The twinning of the skyway to eight lanes, the QEW was widened to at least six lanes from the Freeman Interchange to Centennial Parkway. A variable lighting system, changeable message signs and traffic cameras were added to create a new traffic-management system called COMPASS . Modern interchanges were constructed for Fairview Street/Plains Road (steel tub girder bridges replaced the 1937-built structure originally used for

14300-473: The under-construction Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway and planned Red Creek Expressway ). The rebuilt Freeman Interchange was partially opened on October 23, 1993 to serve the existing QEW and Highway 403 segments; the first sod for what would open as Highway 407 was turned that day. The completed ramps (the first to be built were cast-in-place post-tensioned bridges to cross Highway 403 westbound, followed in 2000 by precast girder bridges to pass over

14430-468: The use of different guardrail and lighting (since the late 1960s the province used conventional truss poles originally fitted with mercury halide lamps before being replaced by high-pressure sodium lamps in the 1990s, while Metro installed had the distinctive cobra-neck 30-foot (9.1 m) poles with fluorescent tubes that were since swapped for orange low-pressure sodium lamps in 1978). The Gardiner Expressway continues through downtown Toronto, and after crossing

14560-653: The visit; it was unveiled on June 7 as the King and Queen ceremonially opened the highway at a site near the Henley Bridge in St. Catharines. Originally, the highway featured stylized light standards with the letters " ER ", the Royal Cypher for Elizabeth Regina , the Latin equivalent to "Queen Elizabeth." While mostly replaced with modern lighting masts like other Ontario highways, replicas of these stylized "ER" poles have been installed upon three bridges along

14690-666: The waterfront, the Mr. Christie cookie factory (which later became a part of Mondelēz International ) and the Ontario Food Terminal on the north side, and then a tunnel leading to the Humber Loop streecar right-of-way . As the freeway crosses the west bank of the Humber River this marks the QEW's old eastern terminus and the beginning of the Metro Toronto -constructed portion of the Gardiner. Coincidentally at

14820-498: The way to Fort Erie, all named as the QEW – was officially opened on October 14 of that year, completing the envisioned highway 25 years after work had begun. Despite some modern infrastructure, including traffic circles, interchanges, and some grade-separations, the majority of the new superhighway was not controlled-access. This meant exiting farmers and homeowners along several segments that were once concession roads were permitted to build driveways and entrances onto

14950-580: The widening of the QEW to eight lanes, which included a collector lane on the Niagara-bound QEW to avoid weaving that otherwise would have resulted from the close proximity to the Red Hill Valley Parkway junction. Construction was completed in 2009. From 1998 to 2003, the QEW between Brant Street and Guelph Line was expanded from four to eight lanes, necessitating the removal of the underused Freeman Diversion split including

15080-564: The world until the Second World War. McQuesten also foresaw the financial opportunities that came with cross-border tourism and opening the "Ontario frontier" to Americans. In 1937, construction began on a new dual highway from Hamilton to Niagara Falls (first known as the Hamilton-Niagara Falls Highway ) along the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment. This route was intended to connect with the Middle Road on

15210-523: Was E II R , standing for Elizabeth II Regina . Elizabeth's cypher was usually surmounted by a stylised version of St. Edward's Crown. In Scotland, as a result of the ' Pillar Box War ', which was a dispute over the correct title of the new monarch ( Elizabeth I of England and Ireland was not a monarch of Scotland, so the new queen would have been Elizabeth I, not II, in Scotland according to that view), after 1953 new post boxes carried only

15340-513: Was again highly congested on weekends. In response, the Department of Highways examined improving another road between Toronto and Hamilton. The road 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 as a Great Depression relief project. Before

15470-468: Was assembled across the province in a patchwork fashion, becoming fully navigable between Windsor and the Quebec border on November 10, 1964; Highway 400 was extended north to Coldwater on Christmas Eve 1959; Highway 402 was extended to London between 1972 and 1982. In addition to this network backbone, plans for additional 400-series highways were initiated by the late 1950s, comprising

15600-497: Was built over 48.5 ha (120 acres) and required the construction of 19 bridges and the equivalent of 42 km (26 mi) of two-lane roadway, as well as the temporary diversion of QEW traffic to an overpass that would eventually be used for The Queensway . Construction began in September ;1968, although preliminary work had been ongoing since 1966; the interchange opened to traffic on November 14, 1969. Between

15730-488: Was completely reconstructed to a conventional Parclo A4 from May 1999 to 2001. The nearby Hurontario Street interchange, originally a cloverleaf junction, was reconfigured to a five-ramp Parclo by 2010. The Red Hill Valley Parkway , which opened on November 16, 2007, added a significant new interchange to the QEW. The ramp to the southbound parkway did not open until December 2008. The nearby interchange to Burlington Street had its 1958-built overpass replaced to accommodate

15860-549: Was initially designed to handle 50,000 vehicles daily, but by 1973 there were 60,000 vehicles crossing it. Preliminary work on a second parallel structure began a decade later in 1983. In July of that year, Transportation Minister James Snow broke ground for the new bridge. Construction was carried out over two years, and the twinned structure was opened on October 11, 1985. It was named the James N. Allan Skyway, in honour of James Allan , Minister of Highways during construction of

15990-486: Was modernized in a recent reconstruction that concluded in 2011, further expansion of the highway is inhibited by the proximity of properties throughout most of its length. Consequently, most of the route beyond the Welland Canal is wedged between service roads which provide access to and from the QEW as well as to local businesses and residences. After passing the Ontario Street (Regional Road 42) interchange,

16120-531: Was named for the wife and royal consort of King George VI who would later become known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother . It is sometimes referred to as the Queen E. In 1939, the royal couple toured Canada and the United States in part to bolster support for the United Kingdom in anticipation of war with Nazi Germany , and also to mark George VI's coronation. The highway received its name to commemorate

16250-488: Was no longer part of the QEW so it was officially named the Rainbow Bridge Approach for the next three decades (until upgraded and designated as Highway 420 in 1972). Two lanes of pavement were laid in 1946, but the four-lane highway was not fully paved until 1956, with the portion from Niagara Falls to Fort Erie being the last to be fully paved. The entire route – from Toronto's Humber River all

16380-586: Was opened on September   11, 2021; while the northbound lane opened two months later on November   11. The Highway   427 extension, which opened on September   18, included an HOV lane north of Finch Avenue. The following table lists planned expansions to the HOV network by 2031. Royal Cypher Royal cyphers appear on some government buildings, impressed upon royal and state documents, and are used by governmental departments . They may also appear on other governmental structures built under

16510-399: Was purchased along 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 . By the end of 1937, the Middle Road was open between Toronto and Burlington. When it opened, it was the first intercity divided highway in North America and boasted the longest continuous stretch of illumination in

16640-560: Was reconfigured to modern Parlo A4 that exclusively served QEW traffic after the ramps to Plains Road were removed, which was completed in 2006. Starting in 2007, the highway was widened to permit an additional HOV lane in either direction between Guelph Line and Trafalgar Road, which involved twinning the Bronte Creek and Sixteen Mile Creek Bridges following by rehabilitating the original structures. These lanes were opened to traffic on November 29, 2010. Work began in 2005 to widen

16770-702: Was still known by various names, including the Toronto–Burlington/Hamilton Highway and The New Middle Road Highway . On August 23, 1940, McQuesten cut a ribbon at the Henley Bridge in St. Catharines and officially declared the Queen Elizabeth Way open between Toronto and Niagara Falls, at which point the entire route was given the Queen Elizabeth Way name. Over a ten-week period in the late spring and early summer of 1940, 58 km (36 mi) were paved, completing

16900-632: Was the improvement of the routes connecting Toronto and Hamilton, which were consistently overburdened by the growing traffic levels. Following frequent erosion of the former macadamized Lakeshore Road , a cement road known as the Toronto–Hamilton Highway was proposed in January 1914. The highway was designed to run along the lake shore, instead of Dundas Street to the north, because the numerous hills encountered along Dundas would have increased costs without improving accessibility. Middle Road,

#678321