Ontario Highway 54 History - The King's Highways of Ontario

King's Highway 54 was a minor collector highway which ran from Highway 3 in Cayuga northwesterly to Highway 2 & Highway 53 at Cainsville. The highway followed along the banks of the Grand River for most of its route. Highway 54 was designated in two sections. The section between Cayuga and Caledonia was first assumed by the Ontario Department of Highways on March 27, 1937. On October 6, 1937, the rest of Highway 54 between Caledonia and Cainsville was assumed. The new highway was 44 km in length. Highway 54 was paved between Cainsville and Onondaga even before the highway was first commissioned in 1937. However, the rest of the highway from Onondaga to Cayuga remained gravel-surfaced until the 1950s.

Highway 54's proximity to the Grand River resulted in the highway being susceptible to frequent flooding. After a series of devastating floods in the 1940s, a series of extensive reconstruction projects were carried out to relocate the highway to higher ground. As a result, many sections of Highway 54 were extensively rebuilt in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Highway 54 was paved between Cayuga and Caledonia in 1951. The section between Caledonia and Onondaga was paved in 1954. Highway 54 was formally decommissioned as a King's Highway on March 31, 1997, when it was downloaded to the County of Brant and the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk. The highway is now known as Brant County Highway 54, and Haldimand Regional Highway 54. Services are available in Cayuga, Caledonia, Onondaga and Cainsville. Unless posted otherwise, the speed limit on Highway 54 is 80 km/h (50 mph). Please visit the Highway 54 Mileage Chart page for a list of mileage reference points along Highway 54.