Ontario Highway 20A (Windermere Cut-Off) History - The King's Highways of Ontario

There have been four different routes in Ontario numbered as King's Highway 20A. This section of Highway 20A ran along the eastern side of Hamilton Harbour and joined Highway 20 north of Stoney Creek. The route was often referred to as the Windermere Cut-Off. Three other discontinuous sections of Highway 20A existed south of Bismarck, west of Elfrida on Hamilton Mountain and south of Thorold.

The Windermere Cut-Off near Stoney Creek was first assumed as a provincial highway on October 5, 1927. Originally, the road was considered to be a portion of Highway 8A, but the road was renumbered as Highway 20A in 1932. The highway ran from the eastern Hamilton City Limits out to the Highway 20 Junction at Hamilton Beach. Department of Highways' records indicate that Highway 20A was 2.2 km long, and only went as far west as the Hamilton City Limits. However, the City of Hamilton decided to sign a continuation of Highway 20A's route through the city in order to provide a connection to Highway 8 (Main Street). The city-posted route of Highway 20A continued west along Beach Road from Strathearne Avenue to Ottawa Street. At this point, the city-posted route of Highway 20A turned south to join with Main Street. The city-posted route of Highway 20A was rerouted from Ottawa Street onto Kenilworth Avenue in 1947. In 1952, Highway 20A was decommissioned altogether. The former route of Highway 20A is now known by its local street names only.