Ontario Highway 11 Photographs - Old Route Via Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Port Sydney

Left - Facing south along Old Hwy 11 (Bethune Drive) towards the Hwy 11 Interchange at the south entrance to Gravenhurst. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Bethune Drive (Old Hwy 11) in Gravenhurst. Bethune Drive was actually the first Gravenhurst Bypass, which was built in 1948-1949. The diversion allowed through traffic to bypass Downtown Gravenhurst and eliminated two at-grade railway crossings on the original highway route. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) was designated as a Controlled-Access Highway (CAH) in 1951, shortly after completion. Although it wasn't a freeway by any means, there are clues that access to the first Gravenhurst Bypass was once very limited. A service road was constructed along parts of the route to restrict the number of access points onto the new highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along Bethune Drive (Old Hwy 11) approaching Pinedale Drive in Gravenhurst. The service road (Kelly Drive) can be seen at left. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) near Phillip Street. Although Bethune Drive hasn't been the route of Hwy 11 in several decades, the wide right-of-way and road cross section is unmistakably a former King's Highway. Gravenhurst was the first major town along Hwy 11 to be bypassed. In the decade following the completion of the first Gravenhurst Bypass in 1948-1949, virtually every major town between Barrie and North Bay was bypassed. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching Brock Street (Hwy 169) on northbound Bethune Drive. Up until 1998, Hwy 169 turned left at this intersection and passed through Downtown Gravenhurst. The former route of Hwy 11 continues straight ahead. The routes of Hwy 11 and Hwy 169 through the Town of Gravenhurst have not been under provincial jurisdiction in many decades. Both routes through town were non-assumed sections of the King's Highway. In 1998, the provincially-owned sections of the route of King's Highway 169 between Gravenhurst and Foot's Bay were turned over to the District of Muskoka. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Bethune Drive (Old Hwy 11) approaching Brock Street. A long left turn lane was built at this intersection for traffic wishing to access Hwy 169 (Brock Street). In the summer months, Hwy 169 carries heavy cottage country traffic volumes through Gravenhurst, particularly on Friday evenings when most traffic is heading north. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Junction of Old Hwy 11 (Bethune Drive) and Brock Street (Hwy 169) in Gravenhurst, facing north. The northbound left-turn onto Hwy 169 operates as a fully-protected movement, with left turns permitted only when green arrows are displayed on the two left-most traffic signal heads. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Junction assembly at Bethune Drive (Old Hwy 11) and Brock Street (Hwy 169) in Gravenhurst. The route of Hwy 11 is trailblazed along both directions of Bethune Drive. Traffic wishing to access Hwy 11 South can actually use either of the two Gravenhurst Interchanges. However, traffic bound for Hwy 11 North must turn left here and use the North Gravenhurst Interchange. There is no access ramp to Hwy 11 North at the South Gravenhurst Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching Brock Street (Hwy 169) on Bethune Drive, facing south. Up until 1998, Hwy 169 joined Bethune Drive at this intersection and headed south out of Gravenhurst concurrently with Hwy 11. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The right turn from southbound Bethune Drive (Old Hwy 11) to Brock Street (Hwy 169) is a fully-protected right-turn movement. Presumably, this signal phasing is in place because of the at-grade railway crossing immediately adjacent to this intersection. It is very unusual to see a fully-protected traffic movement at a traffic signal in Ontario guided by a single traffic signal head, as is the case here. For that matter, it is unusual to see cable-mounted "span-wire" signals in this province, unless the traffic signals are a temporary installation. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Junction assembly at Bethune Drive and Brock Street in Gravenhurst, facing south. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) from Brock Street. Even though this former section of Hwy 11 hasn't been a King's Highway since the early 1970s, it still looks like a highway today. Once a cross section for a road has been established, it is very difficult to change the road's "body language" after it has been constructed. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along the first Gravenhurst Bypass from Winewood Avenue in Gravenhurst. This first Gravenhurst Bypass was the route of Hwy 11 from 1948 until the completion of the current (second) Gravenhurst Bypass in 1970. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Junction of the original 1937 route of Hwy 11 (Winewood Avenue) and the first (1948) Gravenhurst Bypass. Prior to 1948, the original route of Hwy 11 continued straight ahead (centre of photo) onto Ferguson Road. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Old Hwy 11 (Bethune Drive) at Winewood Avenue. The old route of Hwy 11 through Gravenhurst via Muskoka Road and Winewood Avenue was decommissioned in the 1940s, in anticipation of the construction of a new bypass around the eastern side of Downtown Gravenhurst. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Winewood Avenue from the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive). When Hwy 11 was first assumed through the District of Muskoka in 1937, the highway's route entered Gravenhurst from the north along Winewood Avenue and then turned south towards Downtown Gravenhurst along Muskoka Road. This route was bypassed in 1948 by the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) which diverted traffic away from two at-grade railway crossings on the former highway's route, as well as the town centre. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The right turn from the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) onto Winewood Avenue is channelized. Note the original 1937 alignment of Hwy 11 (Ferguson Road) straight ahead beside the car dealership lot. The revised 1948 alignment curves in from the left. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Above - Date stamp (1958) on the luminaire at the junction of the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) and Winewood Avenue. Many of Ontario's King's Highway junctions were illuminated in the 1950s in an effort to increase traffic safety. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) approaching Winewood Avenue. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Ferguson Road was the original route for Hwy 11, but it was bypassed by a new highway alignment almost 70 years ago. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along the first Gravenhurst Bypass (Bethune Drive) from Winewood Avenue (Old Hwy 11B). Note the distance guide sign at right, indicating the distance to Bracebridge and North Bay. This was likely a "legacy" distance sign, left over from the days when this road was owned by the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO). Although the sign itself is not original (it was replaced and updated to Metric distances), the location of the signpost is typical for a DHO installation, just downstream from a King's Highway junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Old Hwy 11 (Winhara Road) north of Gravenhurst. This section of Hwy 11 was bypassed by a new Controlled-Access Highway (CAH) realignment of Hwy 11 between Gravenhurst and South Falls in 1950. Originally, the new CAH route for Hwy 11 was only two lanes. This Historic 1950 Photograph shows the new highway shortly after it was completed. The new route of Hwy 11 was expanded to four lanes in the early 1970s. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The original route of Hwy 11 via Winhara Road followed the railway tracks very closely. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The old route of Hwy 11 along Winhara Road was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Department of Highways to the Township of Muskoka in 1951. The wide pavement on this road provides some clues that this was once a busy King's Highway. Even today, many of Muskoka's roads don't exhibit pavement widths like this. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The new Controlled-Access route of Hwy 11 through Muskoka bypassed several curves such as this one on the original route of Hwy 11 (Winhara Road). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The old route of Hwy 11 along Winhara Road emerges at the current route of Hwy 11 a few kilometres south of Bracebridge. Note the truck on the freeway in the background, approaching the Hwy 118 Interchange. The new Controlled-Access Highway route of Hwy 11 tied into the original highway alignment here temporarily in the early 1950s, until the Bracebridge Bypass was completed a few years later. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Originally, the route of Hwy 11 curved to the left on its route north towards Bracebridge. Today, the route of Winhara Road curves to the right where it joins with Hwy 118. A section of Hwy 118 south of Bracebridge actually follows the original 1937 route of Hwy 11. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The original 1937 route of Hwy 11 followed Coulter Lane. This former alignment of Hwy 11 was truncated at Hwy 118 many years ago. The old highway alignment now serves as a short access road to a number of properties located along the old highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Bracebridge Canadian National Railway (CNR) Subway on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11, later known as Hwy 532), facing south towards Gravenhurst. This former section of Hwy 11 was bypassed by a new Hwy 11 route which was established east of Bracebridge in the early 1950s. Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) was subsequently renumbered as part of Hwy 532, and more recently, as part of Hwy 118. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 12, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) at the Bracebridge CNR Subway. This single-span concrete slab structure was completed in 1930. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 12, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Considering when it was built, the Bracebridge CNR Subway on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) has an extraordinarily high vertical clearance of 17 feet (approximately 5.2 metres). Many railway subways built in the first half of the 20th Century had much lower vertical clearances, as vehicles on the roads at that time had smaller dimensions and required less room to navigate through these structures. Railway subways with poor vertical clearances often created physical barriers for transport trucks using the provincial highway system. As trucks became progressively larger, the low vertical clearances designed into some railway subways resulted in the premature replacement of these structures. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 12, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Close-up of the date stamp (1930) on the Bracebridge CNR Subway on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11). Careful observers will notice faded paint on this historic structure, which reads "CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS" and CNR's corporate pledge of "COURTESY - SAFETY - SERVICE". See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 12, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11), facing north towards the town centre. This tiny underpass allowed traffic on the historical Ferguson Highway to exit and enjoy the scenic views of Bracebridge's waterfront and the nearby Silver Bridge. Although the term "motor park" is rarely used anymore, it was a name often given to municipal parks constructed in the 1920s and 1930s which had day-use facilities catering to tourists travelling into town by motor car. Often, these motor parks featured scenic driveways through the park for motorists to enjoy at their leisure. Many Ontario towns established these motor parks as tourism by automobile increased in popularity, although these parks often go by different names today. The Bracebridge Motor Park is now known as Kelvin Grove Park. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11). This single-span concrete slab and girder structure was completed in 1935. This historical structure was only designed to accommodate passenger vehicles, as it has a limited vertical clearance of 2.5 metres (approximately 8 feet, 2 inches). Once traffic exited from the Ferguson Highway, the park's driveway looped around and passed underneath the old highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Soffit of the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11). Completed in 1935, this structure is comprised of a concrete slab on concrete girders, which were all cast-in-place. Note the impressions of the timber planks used for falsework to support the poured concrete until curing had been completed. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south towards the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Western side of the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - A sidewalk was constructed in recent decades on the Bracebridge Motor Park Underpass. The sidewalk is supported on a newer steel beam deck extension on the western side of the structure, while Ecclestone Drive is carried on the original concrete structure. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 3, 2019 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Muskoka River Bridge on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. This bridge is known locally as the Silver Bridge. Constructed in the 1930s, the Silver Bridge formed the south gateway to Bracebridge for almost two decades. In the early 1950s, a new alignment of Hwy 11 was completed east of Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The south approach to the Silver Bridge on Old Hwy 11 was an incredibly ambitious highway construction project, given the date of construction. The Muskoka River Bridge and approach consisted of almost 200 metres of retaining walls, a separate steel deck truss span and a steel through truss main span. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north across the Muskoka River Bridge on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Western side of the Silver Bridge on Old Hwy 11 (Ecclestone Drive) in Downtown Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - A scenic view of the Muskoka River from the Silver Bridge on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south across the Muskoka River Bridge on Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. According to historical DHO records, the Silver Bridge was completed in 1931. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Ecclestone Drive (Old Hwy 11) towards the Silver Bridge in Downtown Bracebridge. Note the green-and-white trailblazer sign, directing traffic to Hwy 11 South. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Manitoba Street (Old Hwy 11) from Ontario Street in Downtown Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Manitoba Street (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. From 1955 until the mid-1970s, Hwy 118 followed Manitoba Street through Downtown Bracebridge. Historically, the route of Hwy 118 turned left onto Taylor Road at the traffic signals at the bottom of the hill. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along Manitoba Street (Old Hwy 11) in Downtown Bracebridge. Despite being bypassed by a new highway in the 1950s, the Bracebridge Town Centre has remained quite vibrant and active. Even in this late evening photograph, many of the parking spaces along the main street are still occupied. Unfortunately, Bracebridge was the exception rather than the rule. Many small and mid-sized towns in Ontario were not as successful, and experienced some degree of decline in their downtown areas after being bypassed by new highways. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Manitoba Street (Old Hwy 11) departing Downtown Bracebridge. Historically, the route of Hwy 118 turned left onto Monck Road about 500 metres ahead, and continued west towards Port Carling. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 11, 2015 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Parkersville Creek Bridge on Old Hwy 11 (Lone Pine Drive). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 11, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Lone Pine Drive (Old Hwy 11) at the Parkersville Creek Bridge north of Bracebridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 11, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Western side of the Parkersville Creek Bridge on Old Hwy 11 (Lone Pine Drive) between Bracebridge and Parkersville. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 11, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The Parkersville Creek Bridge on Old Hwy 11 is a typical Department of Northern Development design. This structure likely dates from the early 1930s, before the Ferguson Highway was assumed by the Department of Highways as Hwy 11. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 11, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Bypassed Hwy 11 alignment (Greer Road) south of Huntsville at Port Sydney. Note the old truck climbing lane at right, which looks strangely out of place on this lightly-traveled township road. This section of Hwy 11 was bypassed by the current four-lane highway in 1977-1978. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

Above - Abandoned section of Hwy 11 near Port Sydney, which was bypassed during a highway improvement project which took place in 1938. This former alignment of Hwy 11 was transferred from the province to the Township of Stephenson in 1945. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)