History of Secondary Highway 610:
Secondary Highway 610 is a local highway in the District of Cochrane that provides access from Highway 67 southwest of Iroquois Falls to Highway 101 at Hoyle.
Highway 610 was designated as a Secondary Highway by an Order-in-Council dated May 9, 1956 and was first depicted on a Preliminary Route Plan prepared by the
Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) in June 1956. Highway 610 was actually a former alignment of Highway 67, which had been bypassed by a newer route known as
the Barbers Bay Cut-Off. As originally established in 1956, Highway 610 began at the Highway 101 Junction at Pamour southwest of Hoyle and continued northeast for
approximately 11.5 miles (18 km) to join the Barbers Bay Cut-Off (New Highway 67) near Frederickhouse Lake. Initially, Highway 610 was only paved between the
Highway 67 Junction at Barbers Bay and Connaught. The balance of the highway was gravel-surfaced between the Highway 101 Junction at Pamour and Connaught, but this
section was paved as well in 1964-1965.
A new diversion was established at the western end of Highway 610 in 1965, in order to provide a more direct connection with Highway 101. A Preliminary Assumption
Plan was prepared by the DHO dated September 23, 1965, which showed a proposed connection of Highway 610 to Highway 101 at Hoyle. The connection to Highway 101 was
assumed by the DHO on October 14, 1965 and was formally designated by an Order-in-Council, effective November 10, 1965. The new Highway 610 Connector at Hoyle
bypassed a section of the original highway. A portion of the bypassed section of Highway 610 beside the Pamour Mine southwest of Hoyle was legally closed to traffic
by an Order-in-Council, effective October 14, 1965. The section of Old Highway 610 lying west of Hoyle was assigned a 7000-series highway number (Highway 7068). That
route was ultimately transferred to the City of Timmins, effective March 31, 1997.
During the late 1990s, the Province of Ontario transferred jurisdiction over several provincial highways in the Timmins-Cochrane area to local municipalities.
Jurisdiction over nearly all of Highway 610 was transferred from the province to the City of Timmins, effective March 31, 1997. However, the Connaught Bridge on
Highway 610 was under construction during 1996-1997, so the transfer of the 0.5 km section of the highway at the bridge was deferred until December 17, 1997. The
former highway is now know as Frederickhouse Lake Road.
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