History of Secondary Highway 620A:
Secondary Highway 620A was a local highway in the County of Peterborough that served as a short connector route between Highway 504 and Highway 620 in Apsley. The
highway was created out of a route renumbering in 1963, when parts of the confusing, multi-legged route of Highway 504 were assigned new route numbers. Prior to 1963,
Highway 504 formed almost a complete "Figure 8" around both Apsley and nearby Chandos Lake. This configuration resulted in two very closely-spaced Highway 504
Junctions along Highway 28 near Apsley. It also resulted in two intermediate T-junctions of Highway 504 within Apsley where all legs of the intersection were
designated as Highway 504. In order to rectify this messy highway numbering situation, the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) chose to renumber the entire north
part of the Highway 504 Loop around Chandos Lake as Highway 620, along with the main street of Apsley (Burleigh Street). Following the 1963 highway renumbering,
Highway 620 began at the Highway 28 Junction at the south entrance to Apsley. Highway 504 was subsequently truncated at the Highway 620 Junction (Burleigh Street),
which meant that Highway 504 no longer connected directly to Highway 28.
This new route numbering scheme left the north entrance road to Apsley without a route number, so the DHO elected to number this route as Highway 620A. Accordingly,
the original route of Highway 620A began at the Highway 620 Junction (Burleigh Street) in Apsley and ended at the Highway 28 Junction at the northern entrance to
Apsley. This diminutive highway was only 1/4 mile (400 metres) in length. If it was actually a posted designation, Highway 620A would have been Ontario's shortest
signed provincial highway. However, it is believed that Highway 620A was never actually a posted designation during the highway's entire 35-year existence.
Highway 620A was apparently signed with "TO 28" green-and-white trailblazer route markers northbound and "TO 620" green-and-white trailblazer route markers
southbound. Although Highway 620A appeared in DHO mileage logs in the mid-1960s, the highway was not even marked on the Official Ontario Road Map until 1972.
A change was made to all highway route numbers through Apsley in 1977, in an effort to improve the logic of the highway connections to Highway 28. The route of
Highway 504 was extended out to Highway 28 via the south entrance road (previously known as Highway 620), which essentially reversed the 1963 route renumbering at the
south entrance to Apsley. In turn, Highway 620 was extended out to Highway 28 via the north entrance road (previously known as Highway 620A). The Highway 620A
designation was instead applied to Burleigh Street through Apsley between the Highway 620 and Highway 504 Junctions. The revised route of Highway 620A was a mere 800
metres (1/2 mile) in length. Reportedly, the route of Highway 620A continued to be an non-posted route even after the 1977 highway renumbering. Highway 620A was
apparently signed with "TO 620" green-and-white trailblazer route markers northbound and "TO 504" green-and-white trailblazer route markers southbound. The change in
route numbers through Apsley was first reflected on the 1978 Official Ontario Road Map.
No further changes were made to the route of Highway 620A until the late 1990s. Jurisdiction over Highway 620A was transferred from the province to the County of
Peterborough, effective January 1, 1998. The highway is now officially known as Peterborough County Road 620A (Burleigh Street). Unless posted otherwise, the speed
limit on Highway 620A is 50 km/h (30 mph). Services are available on Highway 620A at the Highway 504 Junction in Apsley.
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