Highways in Canada

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Here's one possible explanation for it, from The King's Highway.ca
Q. Why does Ontario not have a Highway 1?
A. The exact reason is not clear, but reportedly, Highway 1 was omitted from the 1925 route numbering system to eliminate conflicts between many of Ontario's larger towns, who all demanded to be on a highway bearing the route number "1". Given the geographic shape of Ontario, it would have been impossible for the Department of Highways to number a route that would pass through every major town in Ontario. Rather than risk any accusations of favouritism, the Department decided that they would simply not designate a Highway 1, and thus began the route numbering at 2.
Source page

The Q/A just above that one notes: The QEW is sometimes referred to internally by the Ministry of Transportation as either "Highway 1" or "Highway 451"

A bit of historical trivia - The QEW between Toronto and Burlington was built during the mid-1930s along what was known as the "Middle Road" between Hwy 2 (Lakeshore Rd) and Hwy 5 (Dundas St.). That section was complete by 1937, and then over the next few years extended to Niagara Falls. It was given its name in 1939 when King George VI and wife Queen Elizabeth visited... so it's actually named for the Queen Mum.

Before 1937, the MTO (then the Department of Highways) only managed roads in southern Ontario. During that time, all roads in northern Ontario were managed by the Department of Northern Development and Mines. Today's Highway 17 between the Soo, and Pembroke, was the major east-west road through northern Ontario and was known as the trunk road. Legend has it, (I have never seen an official source to back this story up), that it was to be designated as Trunk Highway 1 by the MNDM, before they were amalgamated with the DHO. This was reportedly going to be the shield:


http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=ON19280011

[ScreamingViking]

Interesting - so if true, we could very well have had a Highway 1 if history had been a little bit different.

I wonder if there were duplicate road numbers between north and south? Or did they coordinate that when the highway numbering system was introduced.

[vid]

They were called trunk roads, not truck roads, and the roads that trailed off of them were branch roads. They were never numbered, they were named. Some names, like Dawson Road (Ontario 102 and 17 and Manitoba 207) and The Devon Road (Highway 593) are still in use today. Both routes pre-date the highway system. 11/17 from Thunder Bay to Nipigon was The Nipigon Highway before 1937, and from there to Marathon was The Marathon Highway. Thunder Bay wasn't connected to Ontario by road until the late 1930s when Highway 11 was connected to the Nipigon Highway, and shortly after the Nipigon Highway from Marathon to Manitoba was called Highway 17.

They usually named trunk roads after the person who created them. Dawson Road was named after Simon James Dawson who surveyed it, Scott Highway (Highway 61 between Thunder Bay and the US) was named after a lumberjack who pioneered the area, the Furgeson Road in Northeastern Ontario was named after a premier. In other cases, Devon Road was named after the township is was located in, Highway 131 was originally called Oliver Road and then became that again when the province removed the designation, it connected Port Arthur to the township of Oliver. The various *town name* Highways were simply named after what was at the end of them. We still typically refer to them like that, since most of our highways end at something. Everyone knows where the Armstrong Highway is but few people know that it's numbered 527. Highway 589 is Dog Lake Road because it goes to Dog Lake, but few people know the number it has (or that it's even a highway) unless they travel it and see the signs.

Another concept we had up here was Colonization Roads or Government Roads, roads built by the government to open land. A lot of those still have the name Colonization or Government. They were never numbered and rarely made highways.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by vid

They were called trunk roads, not truck roads, and the roads that trailed off of them were branch roads.

Thunder Bay wasn't connected to Ontario by road until the late 1930s.

Thunder Bay wasn't connected to the rest of Ontario by road until the early 1940s.

[vid]

Same difference.

More people go through our airport in a year than down that highway out of town. About 730,000 head east by road, and 780,000 go through the airport.

[sonysnob]

^ The lore of the Dawson Road isn't that dissimilar from southern Ontario's Danforth Road, named after Asa Danforth, who surveyed the first road between Toronto and Kingston.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Before 1937, the MTO (then the Department of Highways) only managed roads in southern Ontario. During that time, all roads in northern Ontario were managed by the Department of Northern Development and Mines. Today's Highway 17 between the Soo, and Pembroke, was the major east-west road through northern Ontario and was known as the trunk road.

Highway 17 East is still called the Trunk Road in the Sault (note preferred spelling!). East of there the old routing of the main road is still called the Government Road although it is far from the current highway.

There was also the Ferguson Highway, north from North Bay, which was named after Howard Ferguson, the premier.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Highway 17 East is still called the Trunk Road in the Sault (note preferred spelling!). East of there the old routing of the main road is still called the Government Road although it is far from the current highway.

There was also the Ferguson Highway, north from North Bay, which was named after Howard Ferguson, the premier.

I had thought the Ferguson Highway started further south, possibly at Washago. There's a few old Highway 11 alignments, particularly near Huntsville called Ferguson Road or Old Ferguson Road.

[vid]

The roads might share the name, but the Ferguson Highway explicitly was a roadway between North Bay and Cochrane. It was replaced by Highway 11.

Another highway, mentioned in the Ferguson Highway Wiki article, was the Heenan Highway that connected Fort Frances to Kenora. Today, it is Highway 71, which along with Highway 11 forms the southern branch of the Trans-Canada in Northern Ontario.

[GreaterMontréal]

the Décarie Expressway in NDG
Arrondissement Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montréal, Qc DSC_1019m
by djipibi, on Flickr

[MexiQuebecois]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

the Décarie Expressway in NDG
Arrondissement Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montréal, Qc DSC_1019m
by djipibi, on Flickr

Hey, I can see my building in this picture

[1overcosc]

^ The Decarie is probably the best example I've seen of a freeway being integrated into the urban fabric without harming it. It would obviously be better if the freeway wasn't there or if it was tunnelled, but it's still the best I've seen.

[Innsertnamehere]

Its probably because the ROW is so thin, highway ROWs are almost always wider, even in urban settings.

[MexiQuebecois]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

^ The Decarie is probably the best example I've seen of a freeway being integrated into the urban fabric without harming it. It would obviously be better if the freeway wasn't there or if it was tunnelled, but it's still the best I've seen.

I agree, it's not an in-your-face freeway and there is a lower impact when walking right next to it.

With that said, it still sort of creates a mental barrier (just like most highways). To give you an idea, I live in one of those buildings right next to the park in the bottom right corner of the picture (the ones south facing the park) and I think I've only ventured west of Décarie (walking) once in over a year living there. If I end up walking to explore new restaurants, it will be north, east, or south, rarely west.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

^ The Decarie is probably the best example I've seen of a freeway being integrated into the urban fabric without harming it. It would obviously be better if the freeway wasn't there or if it was tunnelled, but it's still the best I've seen.

I love trenched freeways. The design is great because almost every cross street can have an overpass over the highway. I agree its very integrated

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by libtard

I love trenched freeways. The design is great because almost every cross street can have an overpass over the highway. I agree its very integrated

A-Décarie is 6km long and has over 22 overpasses

[GreaterMontréal]

Autoroute des Laurentides (15), Laval, Qc by djipibi, on Flickr

[FrAnKs]

No matter how ugly and doll Laval is, it will always be my born place. Hope they will slowly get better...
And they do, with densifying.

Laval also has a very good expressway system.

Hence, flat terrain always bored me. There is nothing to do with that !

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I had thought the Ferguson Highway started further south, possibly at Washago. There's a few old Highway 11 alignments, particularly near Huntsville called Ferguson Road or Old Ferguson Road.

It might have been a generic name used locally for various stretches of new road sponsored by Ferguson's provincial government.

[1overcosc]

Major reconstruction & upgrades is underway on Highway 417 between Ottawa & Montreal including replacement & rehab of the overpasses, paving of the shoulders & adding rumble strips, and repaving. Many of the original overpasses are now being replaced. The Boundary Road overpass was rebuilt last year, and I think about 5-6 more are currently being rebuilt. Last time I drove to Montreal it seemed like every overpass between Casselman & the QC border was tarped.

The MTO has completed EAs for three additional bridge replacements scheduled to start in the near future, at the Limoges Road, Piperville Road, and Leitrim Road overpasses. All of the original 1970s overpasses in the rural 417 will have been replaced by the end of the decade, if this pace continues.

Resurfacing between Limoges & Carlsbad Springs is also scheduled to start soon; this follows up on last year's resurfacing from Carlsbad Springs to Ottawa's eastern urban limit.