Ontario Highway 20A (Wellandport) History - The King's Highways of Ontario

There have been three different routes in Ontario numbered as King's Highway 20A. This section of Highway 20A ran from Bismarck to the Highway 3A Junction west of Welland. Two other discontinuous sections of Highway 20A existed north of Stoney Creek and west of Elfrida on Hamilton Mountain.

This route of Highway 20A initially ran from the Highway 20 Junction at Bismarck southerly to Wellandport. A Preliminary Route Plan was prepared by the Department of Public Highways of Ontario (DPHO) dated February 28, 1930, showing the proposed route of a new King's Highway through Lincoln County (a portion of today's Regional Municipality of Niagara). The DPHO assumed this short route as a new King's Highway on June 4, 1930. The new route was designated as Highway 20A. The route was about 5 km in length and was paved from Bismarck to Wellandport during 1930. In 1934, Highway 20A was extended southeasterly through Welland County from Wellandport to join up with Highway 3A at Becketts Bridge. In January 1934, the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) prepared a Preliminary Route Plan showing the proposed Highway 20A extension to Becketts Bridge. The DHO assumed the road between Wellandport and Becketts Bridge on April 4, 1934. This extension added almost 10 km to the length of Highway 20A. In 1937, the entire route of Highway 20A from Bismarck to Becketts Bridge was renumbered as Highway 57.