Ontario Highway 107 Photographs - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Facing west along Hwy 18 towards Kingsville from the intersection of Union Avenue (Essex Road 45). Although it is no longer a King's Highway today, Union Avenue has been a part of the provincial highway system in years' past, as it served as a strategic cutoff route for Hwy 18 traffic to bypass Leamington. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching the intersection of Union Avenue on Hwy 18 in Kingsville, facing east towards Leamington. Over the years, Union Avenue has been known by several different King's Highway route numbers. In August 1937, Union Avenue was acquired by the DHO as a short King's Highway which connected Hwy 18 to Hwy 3 at Ruthven. Originally, this highway to Ruthven was numbered as Hwy 18B, but the designation was changed to Hwy 107 in 1953. More recently, Hwy 18 was temporarily rerouted via Union Avenue up to Ruthven during 1997, when the easternmost section of Hwy 18 from Union Avenue to the Town of Leamington's western limits was downloaded to the County of Essex. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Southern terminus of Former Hwy 107 (Union Avenue) at the Hwy 18 Junction between Leamington and Kingsville. Union Avenue's most recent role in the provincial highway system was in 1997, when it was reassumed as a King's Highway in order to form a temporary route for Hwy 18 around Leamington. Jurisdiction over a 6 km section of Hwy 18 from Union Avenue to Forest Avenue in Leamington was transferred to the County of Essex in March 1997. For the balance of 1997, Hwy 18 was rerouted along Union Avenue from this intersection up to Hwy 3 (today's Essex Road 34) at Ruthven. On January 1, 1998, the entire route of Hwy 18 was transferred from the province to the County of Essex, including the temporary Union Avenue route of Hwy 18. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Former Hwy 107 (Union Avenue) from the Hwy 18 Junction between Leamington and Kingsville. The tiny route of Hwy 107 came to an end at Hwy 3 (today's Essex Road 34) in nearby Ruthven. This was one of the shortest King's Highways to ever exist in Ontario, with a length of just under one mile. Although Hwy 107 was decommissioned as a King's Highway and transferred to the County of Essex in June 1970, the road was briefly reassumed as a King's Highway in 1997 to serve as a temporary route of Hwy 18 around the western side of Leamington. The temporary route proved to be rather short-lived. Jurisdiction over this section of Hwy 18 was transferred to the County of Essex on January 1, 1998, along with all other provincially-maintained sections of Hwy 18 lying between Windsor and Ruthven. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Junction of Hwy 18 and Union Avenue (Former Hwy 107) between Kingsville and Leamington, facing west. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along Hwy 18 towards Leamington from Union Avenue (Former Hwy 107). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of Former Hwy 107, facing south towards Hwy 18 from Ruthven. The entire length of this short highway can be seen in this photo. The highway ended at the traffic signals at the Hwy 18 Junction in the distance. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of the historical junction of Hwy 3 & Hwy 107 at Ruthven, facing south. Between 1937 and 1970, Union Avenue (Essex County Road 45) located straight ahead was a provincially-maintained highway. The route was originally known as Hwy 18B, but it was renumbered as Hwy 107 in 1953. It was one of the shortest King's Highways in the Ontario provincial highway system, with an official length of only 1 mile (1.6 km). The route of Hwy 107 came to an end at Hwy 18, which lies a short distance to the south. Provincial jurisdiction over Hwy 107 ended in June 1970, when ownership of the highway was transferred over to the County of Essex. The route of Hwy 3 turned left at this intersection and resumed its route east towards Leamington up until 1999. A handful of MTO guide signs still stand at this highway junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Old Hwy 3 from the Former Hwy 107 Junction at Ruthven. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of Union Avenue (Former Hwy 107) from the Old Hwy 3 Junction at Ruthven, facing south. Union Avenue very briefly became a section of Hwy 18 in 1997, when the extreme eastern leg of Hwy 18 via Seacliff and Leamington was transferred or "downloaded" to the County of Essex. The route of Hwy 18 temporarily followed Union Avenue before jurisdiction over the remainder of Hwy 18 was transferred from the province to the County of Essex on January 1, 1998. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of the northern terminus of Former Hwy 107 at Ruthven. Since Hwy 3 was considered to be the "through highway" at this intersection, northbound traffic on Hwy 107 was under Stop-control and had to yield to all traffic approaching on Hwy 3 from the north. Interestingly, this legacy right-of-way control was left in place even after jurisdiction of Old Hwy 3 was transferred from the province to the County of Essex after the completion of the Leamington Bypass. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west towards the Former Hwy 107 Junction at Union Avenue on Old Hwy 3 at Ruthven. Prior to 1999, Hwy 3 turned to the right at this intersection and briefly headed north towards Olinda. At the Hwy 3 New Junction (Cottam Bypass), Hwy 3 turned left and resumed its route west towards Windsor. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)