Hwy 11B Sign Graphic Hwy 11B Huntsville Title Graphic Hwy 11B Sign Graphic   

This page contains historical and present day photos of Ontario's King's Highway 11B (Huntsville Business Route). All photographs displayed on this page were taken by the Webmaster (Cameron Bevers), unless specifically noted otherwise. Historical photographs are arranged in approximate chronological order, while present day photographs (Year 2000 to date) are arranged by location from south to north. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image!

Please note that all photographs displayed on this website are protected by copyright. These photographs must not be reproduced, published, electronically stored or copied, distributed, or posted onto other websites without my written permission. If you want to use photos from this website, please email me first for permission. Thank-you!

Historical King's Highway 11B (Huntsville) Photographs


HWY 11 #691

Above - Postcard view of Hwy 11 in Downtown Huntsville (ca. 1940). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Annabelle Studio)





HWY 60 #8

Above - Department of Highways' Truck Weigh Scale at the Hwy 60 Junction on Hwy 11 (later Hwy 11B) in Huntsville (1941)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  -  © King's Printer for Ontario, 1941)





HWY 11 #1089

Above - Circa 1945 postcard view of the Huntsville Welcome Arch on Hwy 11. Like many towns in Northern Ontario, Huntsville constructed a welcome arch during the 1930s to greet tourists arriving on the highway by automobile. For over 25 years after the arch's completion in 1932, all Hwy 11 traffic passed through the Huntsville Welcome Arch. The arch was designed based on the dimensions of vehicles commonly using the Ferguson Highway (Hwy 11) in the early 1930s. However, vehicles continued to get larger over the next two decades. By the 1950s, the vertical clearance below the arch was insufficient for many trucks. About 18 months before the Huntsville Bypass was scheduled to be opened to traffic, the inevitable happened: The Huntsville Welcome Arch was destroyed when a transport truck hit the overhead sign in May 1958. Sadly, the arch was never rebuilt. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Annabelle Studio)





HWY 11 #68

Above - Postcard view of Hwy 11 in Downtown Huntsville (ca. 1948). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Annabelle Studio)





HWY 11 #47

Above - Circa 1950 postcard view of the Hwy 35 & Hwy 60 Junction on Hwy 11 at the northern entrance to Huntsville, facing north towards North Bay. As originally constructed in the 1930s, this highway junction was in a directional "Y" intersection configuration. At one time, Hwy 35 and Hwy 60 both reached their western terminus in Huntsville. The overlapped route of Hwy 35 & Hwy 60 between Huntsville and Dwight was discontinued in 1966, after which time the route became known as Hwy 60 only. Until the 1970s, it wasn't possible to reach Hwy 60 directly from the Huntsville Bypass (the new route of Hwy 11). This highway junction was extensively reconfigured in 1973, when Hwy 60 was extended west from Old Hwy 11 to the Huntsville Bypass. Both highways were realigned approaching this junction so that the two roads intersected at right angles. Significant re-grading also took place to improve the vertical grades approaching the intersection. Click here to see a Present Day View of the Hwy 60 Junction on Old Hwy 11 (now known as Muskoka Road 3) in Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken circa 1950.
(Photo courtesy of Newt Winger)





HWY 11B #26

NEW Above - View of Main Street (Hwy 11B) in Huntsville, facing south from the Hwy 527 Junction (Brunel Road) in 1964. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken in 1964.
(Photo courtesy of Newt Winger)


Present Day King's Highway 11B (Huntsville) Photographs


HWY 11B #27 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 11B #28 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - Facing south across the Muskoka River Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B) in Downtown Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

NEW Right - View of the Huntsville Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). This historic swing bridge was completed in 1938. It consists of an opening Warren-type steel through truss swing structure and a single concrete rigid frame approach span. The overall length of the bridge is 290 feet (88.4 metres). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 11B #29 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 11B #30 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - Eastern side of the Huntsville Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). Only the southern spans of the bridge could be swung open for marine traffic on the waterway below. The north span of this bridge was fixed in place and could not be opened. Note the round 9 km/h marine speed limit sign affixed to the steel truss span. Narrow waterways throughout Canada often have a maximum speed limit of 9 km/h imposed. While the 9 km/h speed limit may look like a very odd measurement to the casual observer, it represents an approximate conversion from nautical miles, which are still frequently used throughout the world for marine navigation. A nautical mile is equal to 1,852 metres, so the near-shore speed limit of 5 nautical miles per hour (5 knots) converts to 9.26 km/h. This exact conversion is commonly expressed on marine regulatory speed limit signs as 9 km/h. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

NEW Right - View of the main swing spans of the Huntsville Swing Bridge (Site #42-132). This swing bridge was designed to rotate on a large central concrete pier, with the two swing spans supported via cantilever. Although this is otherwise a pony truss bridge design, there is a single transverse member which crosses above the roadway. It is believed that this transverse beam was a retrofit, which was added to the bridge several years after it was originally built. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 11B #31 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 11B #32 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - Close-up view of the swing mechanism of the Huntsville Swing Bridge. This bridge was designed during the steamship era, when large ships plied the waters of Huntsville's interconnected lake system. The swing bridge was designed in such a way that steamships could pass through Downtown Huntsville along the Muskoka River between Lake Vernon and Fairy Lake. After steamship traffic on the Muskoka River ceased, the boats using the waterway below the bridge were much smaller and generally did not require the bridge to be swung open in order to pass through. The swing bridge has not been opened for marine traffic in many years. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

NEW Right - Southern approach to the Huntsville Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). This bridge was constructed shortly after the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) assumed responsibility for the Ferguson Highway as an extension of King's Highway 11 in 1937. A bridge replacement contract was tendered by DHO in November 1937, under Contract #1937-285. Construction got underway on the new structure during the Winter of 1937-1938, and the new swing bridge was officially opened to traffic on July 1, 1938. The new bridge featured an improved 30-foot clear roadway width and a pedestrian sidewalk on each side of the structure. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 11B #33 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 11B #34 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - Western side of the Huntsville Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

NEW Right - Bridge manufacturer's plaque on the Huntsville Swing Bridge. The steel truss structure was manufactured by the Hamilton Bridge Company Ltd. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 11B #35 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 11B #36 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - View of the western sidewalk along Main Street (Former Hwy 11B) at the Huntsville Swing Bridge. At one time, a bridge master was stationed in the operator's booth high above the roadway to watch for approaching marine traffic and swing the bridge open to allow large ships to pass through. With the decline of larger marine vessels using the Muskoka River, this bridge is no longer opened. All warning lights and barriers to stop motor vehicle traffic and pedestrians from using the bridge during swinging operations were removed from the bridge's approaches many years ago. Even though it is no longer used, the operator's booth was thoughtfully preserved during past rehabilitations of this bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

NEW Right - The Huntsville Swing Bridge has been regularly painted and forms an attractive local landmark along Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). This bridge also offers an interesting juxtaposition between the steamship era of yesteryear and an improved King's Highway facility from the late 1930s. Prior to the completion of the Huntsville Bypass in 1959, the swing bridge proved to be a major traffic bottleneck, as traffic flow on Hwy 11 was interrupted each time a ship passed through the swing bridge. Upon completion in 1959, the new Huntsville Bypass carried a relocated route of Hwy 11 across a high-level bridge at nearby Vernon Narrows, which provided Hwy 11 motorists with an uninterrupted crossing over the Muskoka River. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 11B #37 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 60 #145 - © Cameron Bevers

NEW Left - Close-up view of the steel lattice handrail panels on the Huntsville Swing Bridge on Main Street (Former Hwy 11B). This type of handrail design was commonly used on many DHO-built steel highway bridges during the 1920s and 1930s. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Oversized route markers on westbound Hwy 60 at Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) in Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 6, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #245 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 60 #246 - © Cameron Bevers

Left - Facing west along Hwy 60 from the Old Hwy 11 (Muskoka Road 3) Junction in Huntsville. This section of Hwy 60 is comparatively new. It was built in 1972-1973 as a westerly extension of the original route of Hwy 60, which had previously ended at Old Hwy 11. Prior to 1973, traffic wishing to access Hwy 60 from northbound Hwy 11 had to pass through Downtown Huntsville. This new bypass around the northern side of Huntsville greatly improved access to Hwy 60 and Algonquin Provincial Park from Hwy 11. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Distance guide sign on westbound Hwy 60 in Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #247 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 60 #91 - © Cameron Bevers

Left - Approaching the Old Hwy 11 Junction (now Muskoka Road 3) on Hwy 60 in Huntsville, facing east. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) towards the Hwy 60 Junction in Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 6, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #90 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 60 #248 - © Cameron Bevers

Left - Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) and Hwy 60 Junction in Huntsville, facing north. Compare this 2006 photo of this highway junction to this Circa 1950 Postcard View of the Hwy 11 & Hwy 60 Junction as it appeared many decades ago. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 6, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Old Hwy 11 (now Muskoka Road 3) from the Hwy 60 Junction in Huntsville. Old Hwy 11 connects back to the current route of Hwy 11 (the Huntsville Bypass) about 5 km ahead. About 10 km of the original route of Hwy 11 was left behind once the Huntsville Bypass was completed and opened to traffic in 1959. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #249 - © Cameron Bevers             HWY 60 #92 - © Cameron Bevers

Left - Junction signs at the intersection of Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) and Hwy 60 in Huntsville. During reconstruction of this highway junction many years ago, Hwy 11 was realigned so that it intersected Hwy 60 at a right angle. Originally, this intersection was a directional "Y" Junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west towards the Hwy 60 and Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) Junction in Huntsville. With dual left-turn lanes, two through lanes in each direction and channelized right-turn lanes in all four quadrants, this enormous intersection looks like it would be more at home on the suburban fringes of the Greater Toronto Area rather than Muskoka. That said, this intersection is actually quite heavily-trafficked, particularly in the summer months. This intersection also marked the northern terminus of Hwy 35 up until 1966, as Hwy 35 & Hwy 60 once shared an overlapped concurrent route between Dwight and Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 6, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #250 - © Cameron Bevers

Above - View of Hwy 60 facing east from the Muskoka Road 3 (Old Hwy 11) Junction in Huntsville. The highway seen here is actually a diversion of the original 1937 route of Hwy 60. Numerous sections of the old highway were bypassed between Huntsville and Dwight during various highway improvement projects carried out during the 1960s. Reconstruction of Hwy 60 began at Huntsville during 1962 and progressed easterly towards Dwight over the next couple of years. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2021  -  © Cameron Bevers)





HWY 60 #93 - © Cameron Bevers

Above - An older King's Highway 60 Junction signpost with "JCT" tab near Huntsville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006  -  © Cameron Bevers)





More King's Highway 11B Photographs Coming Soon!


Links to Adjacent King's Highway Photograph Pages:


Back to King's Highway 11 Photos    /     King's Highway 11B (Huntsville) History    /     On to King's Highway 12 Photos

Ontario Highway History - Main Menu    /     Back to List of Highways



Website contents, photos & text © 2002-2025, Cameron Bevers (Webmaster) - All Rights Reserved  /  Contact Me



Valid HTML 4.01!   Valid CSS!