Highway 518 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Secondary Highway 518, commonly referred to as Highway 518, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Highway 518 spans 72.7 kilometres (45.2 mi) between Parry Sound
and Kearney
. It serves as one of the many links between Highway 400 and Highway 11. The highway was assumed in 1956, and has remained generally unchanged since, aside from being truncated slightly at both ends.
.
It begins at Exit 220 of Highway 400, south of the town of Parry Sound, where the road continues west as Hunter Street to the former route of Highway 69 (Oastler Park Drive). From Highway 400, the route travels straight east to Orrville, where it turns north onto Star Lake Road. The route zig-zags through rugged Canadian Shield
and thick forests, generally arching northeast until meeting the Nipissing Colonization Road north of the ghost town
of Seguin Falls. The highway crosses the Seguin Trail, turns east and parallels it through Bear Lake, Whitehall and Sprucedale. The trail arcs south at this point, and Highway 518 continues east. South of Doe Lake, the highway turns northeast, while Star Lake Road continues east.
The highway interchanges
with Highway 11 at Exit 248, then immediately turns south and parallels Highway 11 until it meets Star Lake Road, which it turns east and follows through Emsdale. Within that town, it intersects Highway 592, the original route of Highway 11 before the freeway bypass
opened. Highway 518 continues east through forests, ending at the entrance to Kearney
. However, signage has not been removed east of this point.
it was 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) long.
Its route remained unchanged until January 1, 1998, when the easternmost 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) were decommissioned, establishing the eastern terminus at the boundary into Kearney.
The westernmost section of 518, between Highway 400 and Oastler Park Drive, has also since been decommissioned by the extension of Highway 400, and is now known as Hunter Drive.
The entirety of Highway 518 is located within Parry Sound District.
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 518 spans 72.7 kilometres (45.2 mi) between Parry Sound
Parry Sound
Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian Bay, while it is bordered on the south side by Parry Island, home of...
and Kearney
Kearney, Ontario
Kearney is a town and municipality in the Parry Sound District of Ontario, Canada. With a landmass of 529 square kilometres and a year round population of 798 in the Canada 2006 Census, Kearney claims to be the "Biggest Little Town in Ontario."-History:...
. It serves as one of the many links between Highway 400 and Highway 11. The highway was assumed in 1956, and has remained generally unchanged since, aside from being truncated slightly at both ends.
Route description
Highway 518 generally parallels the Seguin Trail, a recreational trail along the old rail bed of the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound RailwayOttawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway
The Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in central and eastern Ontario from 1897 until 1959.It was a common carrier railway, although it was primarily used to transport timber from logging operations as well as haul cargo from western Canada via the...
.
It begins at Exit 220 of Highway 400, south of the town of Parry Sound, where the road continues west as Hunter Street to the former route of Highway 69 (Oastler Park Drive). From Highway 400, the route travels straight east to Orrville, where it turns north onto Star Lake Road. The route zig-zags through rugged Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
and thick forests, generally arching northeast until meeting the Nipissing Colonization Road north of the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Seguin Falls. The highway crosses the Seguin Trail, turns east and parallels it through Bear Lake, Whitehall and Sprucedale. The trail arcs south at this point, and Highway 518 continues east. South of Doe Lake, the highway turns northeast, while Star Lake Road continues east.
The highway interchanges
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...
with Highway 11 at Exit 248, then immediately turns south and parallels Highway 11 until it meets Star Lake Road, which it turns east and follows through Emsdale. Within that town, it intersects Highway 592, the original route of Highway 11 before the freeway bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
opened. Highway 518 continues east through forests, ending at the entrance to Kearney
Kearney, Ontario
Kearney is a town and municipality in the Parry Sound District of Ontario, Canada. With a landmass of 529 square kilometres and a year round population of 798 in the Canada 2006 Census, Kearney claims to be the "Biggest Little Town in Ontario."-History:...
. However, signage has not been removed east of this point.
History
Highway 518 was first assumed by the Department of Highways in early 1956, along with several dozen other secondary highways, but was likely maintained as a development road prior to that;it was 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) long.
Its route remained unchanged until January 1, 1998, when the easternmost 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) were decommissioned, establishing the eastern terminus at the boundary into Kearney.
The westernmost section of 518, between Highway 400 and Oastler Park Drive, has also since been decommissioned by the extension of Highway 400, and is now known as Hunter Drive.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 518. In addition, it includes some minor junctions that are noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.The entirety of Highway 518 is located within Parry Sound District.
| Location | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parry Sound Parry Sound, Ontario Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the... |
0.0 | Exit 220 | |
| Stisted Road – Hunstville Huntsville, Ontario Huntsville is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Toronto and south of North Bay.... |
Stisted Road becomes Muskoka Regional Road 2 at the Parry Sound – Muskoka boundary | ||
| Perry Perry, Ontario Perry is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Parry Sound District.The township had a population of 2,252 in the 2001 Canadian census.-Demographics:Population trend:... |
62.4 | Exit 248 | |
| Emsdale | 65.2 | Former route of Highway 11 | |
| Kearney Kearney - Companies :* A.T. Kearney, management consulting firm* Kearney & Company, American accounting firm* Kearney and Black Hills Railway, a short line railroad between Kearney and Callaway, Nebraska- Places :* Kearney, Ontario, Canada... |
72.7 | Boundary line |