Ontario Highway 26 History - The King's Highways of Ontario

King's Highway 26 is a major trunk highway which links the towns and communities along the south shore of Georgian Bay with Owen Sound and Barrie. The highway traverses a mostly rural portion of Southern Ontario, occasionally passing through some cities and small towns. The principal towns located along the highway are Barrie, Stayner, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Meaford and Owen Sound. The highway was first established in 1927 when the road from Barrie to Owen Sound was assumed as a provincial highway. Out of all of Ontario's King's Highways, the route of Highway 26 has changed the least since it was designated. Only minor revisions have been made to the highway's route since the 1920s. In 1998, a 1.3 km section of Highway 26 from Highway 400 to Highway 11 in Barrie was downloaded. This section of Former Highway 26 in Barrie is now known as Bayfield Street.

Increased traffic volumes on Highway 26 between Barrie and Collingwood prompted the Ministry of Transportation to relocate a section of Highway 26 in the Wasaga Beach area. Construction began on this new Highway 26 diversion in 2003. This new highway is being built as a four-lane divided highway which will eventually bypass a very congested section of the current Highway 26 route between Stayner and Collingwood. Unfortunately, progress on the new highway has been rather slow. The new four-lane section of Highway 26 is tentatively scheduled for completion in 2011. The new highway will provide much needed relief for through traffic on Highway 26, by providing a new high speed through route around Wasaga Beach for long-distance traffic between Barrie and Collingwood.

The eastern section of Highway 26 from Barrie to Midhurst is a four-lane undivided highway. The remainder of the highway is two lanes, with some short undivided four-lane sections near towns. Passing lanes are rather infrequent along Highway 26, although more passing lanes are being added to the highway as various sections are reconstructed. Services along Highway 26 are generally quite plentiful. The speed limit on Highway 26 is 80 km/h (50 m.p.h.), unless posted otherwise. Please visit the Highway 26 Mileage Chart page for a list of mileage reference points along Highway 26.

Winter Driving Tip: Highway 26 is known for poor winter road conditions. Sections of the highway are sometimes closed during periods of poor winter weather, due to blowing and drifting snow. Blowing snow will often result in zero-visibility conditions. The weather conditions on this highway can deteriorate very rapidly when snowsqualls blow in from nearby Georgian Bay. On cold, windy days, it is a good idea to check the Road Closures and Winter Road Conditions pages on the Ministry of Transportation's Website, or verify road conditions by telephone at 1-800-268-4686 before using Highway 26.