History of King's Highway 8A (Alt):
This route was a city-posted truck bypass that was created after Main Street and King Street were converted to one-way streets through Downtown Hamilton in
1957. Large trucks were prohibited from using a portion of King Street (Highway 8 Westbound), as the street was very narrow and congested. An alternate
route was set up to allow large trucks to bypass the downtown area altogether. At King Street and Victoria Avenue, Highway 8 (Alt) departed from Highway 8
and went north for four blocks. At Cannon Street, Highway 8 (Alt) turned west, and ran parallel to King Street. At Cannon and Queen Streets, Highway 8
(Alt) turned south, and joined up with Highway 8 at Queen and King Streets. This route was only posted going westbound, as there were no truck
restrictions on Main Street (Highway 8 Eastbound). This route was established exclusively by the City of Hamilton, and was apparently never considered to
be a true King's Highway by the MTO. The route is not marked on any road maps, nor is the route listed in the MTO's Highway Distance Tables. The route was
decommissioned on March 31, 1997, along with the rest of Highway 8 from Peter's Corners easterly.
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