Highway 2A (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
King's Highway 2A, commonly referred to as Highway 2A, was the designation of five separate provincially maintained highways in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Highway 2A was an alternate route to Highway 2
in London
, Chatham
and Cornwall
; these routes were all eventually redesignated. Highway 2A was also a highway that extended from Windsor
to Tilbury
, which was redesignated as Highway 98 in 1938.
The final and most significant section of highway to be designated Highway 2A was the bypass of Highway 2 between Toronto
and Newcastle
, most of which became part of Highway 401 in July 1952. The short stub of dual carriageway
connecting Kingston Road
with Highway 401 was once again renumbered 2A in 1956 with the completion of the Toronto Bypass. Despite losing its provincial highway status in 1998, Highway 2A was never renamed and is now part of Toronto's municipal expressway system. The speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph), and it is patrolled by the Toronto Police Service
.
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, a dirt lane named because of its position between the two, was not considered since Lake Shore and Dundas were both overcrowded and in need of serious repairs.
By November 1914, the proposal was approved,
and work began quickly to construct the road from Toronto to Hamilton known today as Lake Shore Boulevard and Lakeshore Road
. The road was formally opened on November 24, 1917, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and nearly 40 mi (64.4 km) long. It was the first concrete road in Ontario, as well as one of the longest stretches of concrete road between two cities in the world.
Over the next decade, vehicle usage increased substantially, and by 1920 Lakeshore Road was again highly congested on weekends.
In response, the Department of Highways examined improving another road between Toronto and Hamilton. Middle Road, a continuation of Queen Street west of the Humber River
, was chosen to avoid delays on Dundas or Lakeshore. The road was to be more than twice the width of Lakeshore Road at 40 ft (12.2 m), and would carry two lanes of traffic in either direction.
Construction on what was then known as the Queen Street Extension between Highway 10 and Highway 27
began in early 1931,
and between Highway 27 and the Humber River on November 1, 1931.
Before 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 Autobahn's—new "dual-lane divided highway
s"—modified the design for Ontario roads,
and McQuesten ordered that the Middle Road be converted into this new form of highway.
A 132 ft (40.2 m) right-of-way was purchased along the Middle Road and construction began to convert the existing sections to a divided highway, as well as on Canada's first interchange
at Highway 10.
Beginning in 1935, McQuesten applied the concept of a dual-highway to several projects along Highway 2
:
a 4 mi (6.4 km) stretch west of Brockville,
a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) stretch from Woodstock
eastward,
and a section between Birchmount Road and east of Morningside Avenue in Scarborough Township. When widening in Scarborough reached the Highland Creek
ravine in 1936, east of Morningside, 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 the congested Highway 2. As grading
and bridge construction neared completion between Highland Creek and Ritson Road in September 1939, World War II
broke out and gradually money was siphoned from highway construction to the war effort.
Following the war, construction resumed on roadways throughout Ontario. The expressway between Highland Creek and Oshawa was completed in December 1947. The Toronto–Barrie Highway was the primary focus of the Department of Highways at the time, and the onset of the Korean War
in 1949 continued to stall construction. Despite the delays, highway minister George Doucette officially announced the plans for construction of the new trans-provincial expressway in 1950, with the Toronto to Oshawa expressway serving as a model for the design. Work on the most important link, the Toronto Bypass, began in 1951, but it would not open with that name.
Along with an extension of the Highway between Oshawa and Highway 35 and Highway 115, most of Highway 2A was redesignated Highway 401 in July 1952. A short stub between West Hill and the planned Toronto Bypass retained the Highway 2A designation until 1998, when it was transferred to the City of Toronto as part of a provincial downloading of highways to municipalities. Despite this, the highway has retained its name.
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....
. Highway 2A was an alternate route to Highway 2
Ontario Highway 2
King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Chatham
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
and Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
; these routes were all eventually redesignated. Highway 2A was also a highway that extended from Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
to Tilbury
Tilbury, Ontario
Tilbury is a community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is located between Chatham and Windsor on Highway 401.-History:...
, which was redesignated as Highway 98 in 1938.
The final and most significant section of highway to be designated Highway 2A was the bypass of Highway 2 between Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Newcastle
Newcastle, Ontario
Newcastle is a community in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. The Town of Newcastle was also the original name of what is now Clarington....
, most of which became part of Highway 401 in July 1952. The short stub of dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
connecting Kingston Road
Kingston Road (Toronto)
Kingston Road is the southernmost major road along the eastern portion of Toronto, specifically in the districts of East York and Scarborough. Until 1998, it formed a significant portion of Highway 2...
with Highway 401 was once again renumbered 2A in 1956 with the completion of the Toronto Bypass. Despite losing its provincial highway status in 1998, Highway 2A was never renamed and is now part of Toronto's municipal expressway system. The speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph), and it is patrolled by the Toronto Police Service
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
.
Toronto–Newcastle
As automobile use in southern Ontario grew in the early twentieth century, road design and construction advanced significantly. Following frequent erosion of the former macadamized Lake Shore 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
Dundas Street (Toronto)
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
to the north, because the numerous hills encountered along Dundas would have increased costs without improving accessibility. Middle Road, a dirt lane named because of its position between the two, was not considered since Lake Shore and Dundas were both overcrowded and in need of serious repairs.
By November 1914, the proposal was approved,
and work began quickly to construct the road from Toronto to Hamilton known today as Lake Shore Boulevard and Lakeshore Road
Lakeshore Road
Lakeshore Road is an arterial road that follows the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario between the cities of Toronto and Hamilton in the Canadian province of Ontario. In 1917 it became the longest intercity stretch of concrete road in the world upon its completion, as well as the first concrete...
. The road was formally opened on November 24, 1917, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and nearly 40 mi (64.4 km) long. It was the first concrete road in Ontario, as well as one of the longest stretches of concrete road between two cities in the world.
Over the next decade, vehicle usage increased substantially, and by 1920 Lakeshore Road was again highly congested on weekends.
In response, the Department of Highways examined improving another road between Toronto and Hamilton. Middle Road, a continuation of Queen Street west of the Humber River
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
, was chosen to avoid delays on Dundas or Lakeshore. The road was to be more than twice the width of Lakeshore Road at 40 ft (12.2 m), and would carry two lanes of traffic in either direction.
Construction on what was then known as the Queen Street Extension between Highway 10 and 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...
began in early 1931,
and between Highway 27 and the Humber River on November 1, 1931.
Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten was a Canadian athlete, militiaman, lawyer, politician and government appointee who lived in Hamilton, Ontario....
was appointed the new minister of the Department of Highways, with Robert Melville Smith as deputy minister, following the 1934 provincial elections
Ontario general election, 1934
The Ontario general election, 1934 was the 19th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect the 90 Members of the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
.
Smith, inspired by the German Autobahn's—new "dual-lane divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
s"—modified the design for Ontario roads,
and McQuesten ordered that the Middle Road be converted into this new form of highway.
A 132 ft (40.2 m) right-of-way was purchased along the Middle Road and construction began to convert the existing sections to a divided highway, as well as on Canada's first interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
at Highway 10.
Beginning in 1935, McQuesten applied the concept of a dual-highway to several projects along Highway 2
Ontario Highway 2
King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
:
a 4 mi (6.4 km) stretch west of Brockville,
a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) stretch from Woodstock
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
eastward,
and a section between Birchmount Road and east of Morningside Avenue in Scarborough Township. When widening in Scarborough reached the Highland Creek
Highland Creek (Toronto)
Highland Creek is a river in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, emptying into Lake Ontario at the eastern end of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is home to several species of fish including trout, carp, and bass. It is a meandering river which, like most rivers in Toronto , travels through a...
ravine in 1936, east of Morningside, 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 the congested Highway 2. As grading
Land grading
Grading in civil engineering and construction is the work of ensuring a level base, or one with a specified slope, for a construction work such as a foundation, the base course for a road or a railway, or landscape and garden improvements, or surface drainage...
and bridge construction neared completion between Highland Creek and Ritson Road in September 1939, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out and gradually money was siphoned from highway construction to the war effort.
Following the war, construction resumed on roadways throughout Ontario. The expressway between Highland Creek and Oshawa was completed in December 1947. The Toronto–Barrie Highway was the primary focus of the Department of Highways at the time, and the onset of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in 1949 continued to stall construction. Despite the delays, highway minister George Doucette officially announced the plans for construction of the new trans-provincial expressway in 1950, with the Toronto to Oshawa expressway serving as a model for the design. Work on the most important link, the Toronto Bypass, began in 1951, but it would not open with that name.
Along with an extension of the Highway between Oshawa and Highway 35 and Highway 115, most of Highway 2A was redesignated Highway 401 in July 1952. A short stub between West Hill and the planned Toronto Bypass retained the Highway 2A designation until 1998, when it was transferred to the City of Toronto as part of a provincial downloading of highways to municipalities. Despite this, the highway has retained its name.
Exit list
| Street | Notes |
|---|---|
| Highway 401 | Access from eastbound 401 and to westbound 401 using Kingston/Port Union Road interchange |
| Port Union Road | Modified Parclo A4 |
| Kingston Road | Westbound entrance; access from eastbound 401 via exit 390 |
| Highland Creek Overpass | Parclo A2 connecting to Old Kingston Road and Lawson Road Additional RIRO Right-in/right-out Right-in/right-out and left-in/left-out refer to a type of road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. RIRO is usual where vehicles drive on the right, and LILO is usual where vehicles drive on the left... lane on westbound side between the Parclo to the east and Highland Creek to the west, separated from main highway by a concrete median strip. The lane has an entrance from Old Kingston Rd westbound, and both entrances from and exits to Military Trail and Morrish Road |