Ontario Highway 502 (#2) History - The King's Highways of Ontario

The current route of Secondary Highway 502 is a long collector highway located in Northwestern Ontario, within the Districts of Kenora and Rainy River. Highway 502 connects Highway 11 east of Fort Frances with Highway 594 near Dryden. Effectively, Highway 502 serves as a link between Highway 11 and Highway 17, although motorists must use a short section of Highway 594 in order to reach Highway 17 in Dryden from Highway 502's northern terminus. The history of Highway 502 dates back to 1972, when a decision was made to extend the Manitou Road northerly from the Fort Frances area to Dryden. The Manitou Road was designated as a Tertiary Highway Highway 812 in the mid-1970s. Construction continued on the extension of Highway 812 throughout the 1970s. The new paved highway link was completed and officially opened to traffic in the Fall of 1980. In 1981, a decision was made to re-designate Highway 812 as a Secondary Highway, given that the route was now a link in the provincial highway system as opposed to a dead-end resource access road. The change in route numbers from Highway 812 to Highway 502 became effective on February 10, 1981. This change in route numbers was first reflected on the 1982-1983 Edition of the Ontario Official Road Map.

Unless posted otherwise, the speed limit on Highway 502 is 80 km/h (50 mph). Motorists should note that there are no services located along Highway 502. It is advisable to ensure that you have a full tank of fuel before venturing out from either Fort Frances or Dryden via Highway 502, as the gap between services is about 170 km (105 miles). Stations which offer 24-hour services are situated even further apart, so please keep this in mind if using Highway 502 at night.