Hwy 807 #2 Sign Graphic Hwy 807 #2 Title Graphic Hwy 807 #2 Sign Graphic   

Ontario Highway 807 (#2) Quick Facts:
  • Years in Existence: 1984-1990
  • Current Status: Renumbered as Secondary Highway 622 in 1990
  • Location: Northwestern Ontario
  • Districts Served: Rainy River & Kenora
  • Towns Served: Atikokan
  • Southern Terminus: Hwy 622 - Atikokan Township Boundary
  • Northern Terminus: End of Bending Lake Road
  • Length in 1989 (Prior to highway's completion): 66.8 km / 41.5 miles
HWY 807 ROUTE MARKER - © Cameron Bevers
Tertiary Highway 807 Sign © Cameron Bevers

History of Tertiary Highway 807 (#2):

The second Tertiary Highway 807 was a temporary designation applied to a new highway that was under construction between Atikokan and Ignace in the 1980s. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) completed a transportation needs study for Northwestern Ontario in 1974. One of the recommendations of this study was to construct a new resource access road between Atikokan and the Ignace area. The plan involved a combination of improvements to an existing forest access road north of Atikokan known as the Bending Lake Road and the construction of a new road link from the northern end of the Bending Lake Road to connect to Highway 17 near Ignace. The first clearing contracts for the extension of the Bending Lake Road got underway in 1979 at both the northern and southern ends of the proposed highway's route. A grading contract for the construction of 17 km of new road was also started in 1979 from the northern end of the existing Bending Lake Road, located about 43 km north of the Highway 622 Junction near Atikokan. This northerly extension was completed in 1980. In 1982, a further 13 km of grading was commenced from the end of the completed road roughly 60 km north of the Highway 622 Junction. This work extended the length of the Bending Lake Road to a point 73 km north of Highway 622. Work was also undertaken in 1981-1982 to upgrade the existing Bending Lake Road to provincial highway standards. By the end of 1983, Bending Lake Road was completed from Highway 622 northerly for 73 km, while a further section of road was completed northerly to the Turtle River by the end of 1985.

All completed sections of the Bending Lake Road were assumed into the provincial highway system in 1984. Two Preliminary Assumption Plans were prepared dated February 23, 1984, which showed the entire completed section of the Bending Lake Road lying within the Districts of Rainy River and Kenora. The Kenora District Plan was registered on March 26, 1984, while the Rainy River District Plan was registered on April 2, 1984. The entire highway lying north of the Township of Atikokan Boundary was designated as a Tertiary Highway by an Order-in-Council, effective May 17, 1984. The new highway was designated as Highway 807, and was essentially just a northerly continuation of Highway 622. This newly-established route of Highway 807 was 66.8 km in length. The route of Highway 807 began at the northern boundary of the Township of Atikokan near South Twin Lake and ended near Manion Lake Road, a short distance east of Side Lake.

Construction began at the proposed northern terminus of the Bending Lake Road at Highway 17 in 1985. A grading contract was called for the construction of a new road from Highway 17 southerly for 9 km in 1985, with another 10 km section of new highway grading commenced in 1986 extending south from the southern end of the 1985 contract. In 1987, yet another 10 km section of grading was awarded, which extended the northern section of the new Bending Lake Road to a point 29 km south of Highway 17. It was decided not to open the completed northern sections of the new Bending Lake Road to traffic until the road was connected to the south section of the Bending Lake Road near Turtle River. The contract to grade the final 19 km link between the north and south sections was awarded in 1988, along with two paving contracts to surface the entire highway from the Atikokan Generating Station to Highway 17. The northern extension of the Bending Lake Road was completed during the summer of 1989 and the entire highway link from Atikokan to Highway 17 was officially opened to traffic in September, 1989. The new highway link shortened the road distance between Atikokan and Ignace by approximately 140 km.

After the completion of the Bending Lake Road in 1989, the newly-built road was assumed into the provincial highway system. A Preliminary Assumption Plan was prepared dated November 29, 1989, which showed the new 48 km extension of the Bending Lake Road from the Side Lake area northerly to the Highway 17 Junction. The plan was registered on February 7, 1990, and was designated as Highway 622 by an Order-in-Council, effective March 21, 1990. The two sections of Highway 807 within the Districts of Kenora and Rainy River were formally re-designated as Highway 622 by two Orders-in-Council, effective March 21, 1990 and April 4, 1990, respectively. Since 1990, the entire 131 km route from Atikokan to Highway 17 west of Ignace has been signed as Highway 622. A different, unrelated Highway 807 existed in the Smooth Rock Falls area during the 1960s and 1970s.



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