.gif)
Highway 131 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Highway 131 was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, located in Simcoe County and the city of Barrie
. The route, which connected Highway 27
with Highway 90
, existed from 1984 through 1997, after which it was transferred to the responsibility of Simcoe County.
Highway 131 was a straight rural highway, located west of Barrie's suburban fringe, though since then those suburbs have grown out to reach the former highway. Otherwise, the highway is abutted by the occasional farm and surrounded by several forests.
, then west of the suburb of Holly. North of Mapleview Drive, the route entered a forested area. After travelling through a valley, the highway met Ardagh Road. It crossed the newly commissioned Barrie Collingwood Railway and shortly thereafter ended at Highway 90 (Dunlop Street), which travelled east to Barrie and west to Angus and CFB Borden
.
The purpose was to divert Georgian Bay
and Wasaga Beach
-bound traffic from Highway 26 in Downtown Barrie.
On January 1, 1998, as part of the second round of Mass downloading, the MTO transferred responsibility for the maintenance and signing of the route to the County of Simcoe and City of Barrie.
The route was quickly redesignated as Simcoe County Road 27; the former route of Highway 27 into Barrie is now known as Essa Street.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!Division
!Location
!km
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Simcoe County
|Innisfil
|0.0
|
|Now Simcoe County Road 27
|-
|colspan="2"|Barrie
|6.7
|
|Now Simcoe County Road 90
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, located in Simcoe County and the city of Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
. The route, which connected Highway 27
Ontario Highway 27
Highway 27, formerly known as King's Highway 27, was a provincially maintained highway in southern Ontario that is now cared for by the city of Toronto, York Region and Simcoe County. It is considered an undivided expressway in Toronto's municipal expressway network...
with Highway 90
Ontario Highway 90
King's Highway 90, commonly referred to as Highway 90, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route connected Barrie with the town of Angus and CFB Borden. The highway was designated in 1937...
, existed from 1984 through 1997, after which it was transferred to the responsibility of Simcoe County.
Highway 131 was a straight rural highway, located west of Barrie's suburban fringe, though since then those suburbs have grown out to reach the former highway. Otherwise, the highway is abutted by the occasional farm and surrounded by several forests.
Route description
Highway 131 began at an intersection with Highway 27 (Essa Road), travelling north through the outskirts of Barrie. Although the city of 125,000 residents lay immediately east of the highway, Highway 131 was a two lane road throughout its length. North of Highway 27, the route travelled north through farmlandFarmland
Farmland generally refers to agricultural land, or land currently used for the purposes of farming. It may also refer to:*Arable land, land capable of cultivating crops*Farmland, Indiana, a town in the United States...
, then west of the suburb of Holly. North of Mapleview Drive, the route entered a forested area. After travelling through a valley, the highway met Ardagh Road. It crossed the newly commissioned Barrie Collingwood Railway and shortly thereafter ended at Highway 90 (Dunlop Street), which travelled east to Barrie and west to Angus and CFB Borden
CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
.
History
In 1984, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) assumed ownership of Simcoe County Road 31.The purpose was to divert Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
and Wasaga Beach
Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Wasaga Beach is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is a popular four-season tourist destination situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern end of Georgian Bay approximately two hours north of Toronto, and abuts, to the west, the town of Collingwood...
-bound traffic from Highway 26 in Downtown Barrie.
On January 1, 1998, as part of the second round of Mass downloading, the MTO transferred responsibility for the maintenance and signing of the route to the County of Simcoe and City of Barrie.
The route was quickly redesignated as Simcoe County Road 27; the former route of Highway 27 into Barrie is now known as Essa Street.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 55. In addition, it includes some minor junctions that were noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!Division
!Location
!km
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Simcoe County
|Innisfil
|0.0
|
|Now Simcoe County Road 27
|-
|colspan="2"|Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
|6.7
|
|Now Simcoe County Road 90