Present Day Highway 11 Photographs (Barrie to Bracebridge)
Left - Old 1920s corner diversion on former Hwy 11 alignment south of Orillia
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Old culvert on former Hwy 11 alignment - "ONTARIO PROVINCIAL HIGHWAY 1921"
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Culvert inscription on Old Hwy 11 (Memorial Avenue) Diversion - "THE KING'S HIGHWAY 1931"
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Old 1921-dated culvert on former Hwy 11 alignment south of Orillia on Memorial Avenue
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Above - King's Highway 11 sign on Memorial Avenue ramp south of Orillia
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Memorial Avenue Overpass on Hwy 11 south of Orillia. Structure completed in 1956.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Hwy 12 Overpass on Orillia Bypass (Hwy 11). Structure completed in 1956.
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Laclie Street Underpass on Hwy 11 north of Orillia. Structure completed in 1957.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Former CNR Grade Separation on Hwy 11 north of Laclie Street near Orillia
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Orillia CNR Grade Separation on Hwy 11. Structure completed in 1953, and widened in 1979.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Former CPR Grade Separation on Hwy 11 north of Laclie Street near Orillia
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - The former CPR Grade Separation north of Orillia is actually a very complex structure, comprised of four different bridges all built at different times. The original 1930s structure was only designed to carry a two lane roadway, and was subsequently widened in the 1950s and again in the 1970s as traffic volumes on Hwy 11 increased.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The oldest span (centre left) was completed in 1931. It carries the northbound Hwy 11 lanes. The span at centre right was completed in 1957, and carries the centre median and most of the southbound lanes. Two additional structures were built on each side of the bridge in 1979 to accommodate the present divided expressway. The northbound 1979 span (just visible at extreme left) carries the northbound shoulder, while the southbound 1979 span (at right) carries part of the outermost southbound lane and the southbound shoulder.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - A complex V-shaped pier underneath the original 1931 span.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Comparison of the piers of the original 1931 span (left) and 1957 span (right).
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Eastern side of Orilla CPR Grade Separation on Hwy 11
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Staggered transverse support beam underneath the original span of the Orillia CPR Grade Separation. The 1931 span in this structure is the most complex and by far the most interesting in terms of its design.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing south towards Orillia along Hwy 11 from Telford Line Overpass. This section of Hwy 11 is known as a "RIRO" Expressway (Right-in, Right-out). This type of roadway operates in a similar fashion to a traditional freeway, except for the fact that the road is not completely controlled-access. Local access is permitted from adjacent properties along much of Hwy 11 from Barrie to Gravenhurst, although access is only provided for right-turning vehicles. Left turns are prohibited. All intersecting roads are either grade-separated or connected by on/off ramps as seen on a normal freeway. Note the driveways to adjacent properties at right.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing north towards Gravenhurst from Telford Line Overpass. Note the ramps linking Telford Line to Hwy 11 in the background. Apart from the rather obvious (and unfortunate) presence of driveways and other forms of local access along this highway, the operation is similar to that of a traditional freeway.
(Photograph taken on June 3, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Eastern side of Trent-Severn Waterway Bridge on Hwy 11 south of Washago. Structure originally completed in 1954, and widened in 1965.
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Close-up of original embossed concrete parapet on northbound Hwy 11 span, completed in 1954
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst at Trent-Severn Waterway Bridge near Washago
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Site of former Washago Swing Bridge over the Trent-Severn Waterway. This opening bridge created large traffic tie-ups on Hwy 11 until it was bypassed by the current high-level bridge in the mid-1950s.
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along abandoned Hwy 11 alignment at site of former Trent-Severn Swing Bridge
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Western side of Trent-Severn Waterway Bridge, showing newer 1965 southbound span
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Close-up of parapet on southbound Hwy 11 span, showing 1965 date stamp
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing south at Old Washago Bridge on former Hwy 11 alignment south of Hwy 169 Junction
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north at Old Washago Bridge on former Hwy 11 alignment south of Hwy 169 Junction
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Old Washago Bridge on former Hwy 11 alignment. Structure completed in 1934.
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Hwy 169 South Overpass on Hwy 11 at Washago. Up until 1998, Hwy 169 ran concurrently with Hwy 11 between Washago and Gravenhurst. As a result, there are actually two interchanges for Hwy 169 along Hwy 11, situated about 18 km apart. The Hwy 169 Interchange located at Washago is the southernmost of the two junctions.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The ramps of the Hwy 169 South Interchange are in a modified "B-Trumpet" configuration, with the loop ramp to Hwy 169 South lying downstream of the overpass. This interchange is situated on a small island at the convergence of the Black and Severn Rivers. The adjacent rivers created considerable space constraints when the interchange was being designed. Accordingly, the layout and ramp geometry of this interchange had to be configured to fit within these natural barriers.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - The loop ramp from Hwy 11 South to Hwy 169 South has a 30 km/h advisory speed. The design of "B" loop ramps for traffic exiting a freeway is normally discouraged in Ontario, because of the potential for traffic to enter the ramp from the freeway at a speed that exceeds the design speed of the loop ramp. However, in this particular case, the interchange design options were limited by the natural constraints of the adjacent river and surrounding topography.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Looking underneath the Hwy 169 South Overpass on Hwy 11 at Washago. The bridge deck has been superelevated to compensate for the reduced radius of the ramps to and from Hwy 11 South. Structure completed in 1984.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Date stamp (1984) and structure identification number on the Hwy 169 South Overpass.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Northern side of the Hwy 169 South Overpass on Hwy 11 at Washago.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst from the Hwy 169 South Overpass at Washago.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Orillia from the Hwy 169 South Overpass at Washago. Note the two "buttonhook" on and off ramps which join Hwy 169 to Hwy 11 North on the left in the distant background.
(Photograph taken on June 6, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst from Sparrow Lake Route "D" Overpass
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Washago from Sparrow Lake Route "D" Overpass
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Bypassed section of Hwy 11 south of Gravenhurst at South Kahshe River
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Abandoned South Kahshe River Bridge on bypassed Hwy 11 alignment south of Gravenhurst
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Close-up of South Kahshe River Bridge parapet south of Gravenhurst
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Abandoned section of Hwy 11 just north of South Kahshe River Bridge
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Time is slowly taking its toll on this abandoned structure. The concrete parapets are starting to break away from the bridge deck, and trees are growing through parts of the structure.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - It has been almost 60 years since this bridge last carried Hwy 11 traffic. In 1947-1948, this part of Hwy 11 was relocated further to the west as a result of a reconstruction project carried out between Severn River and Gravenhurst.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Eastern side of South Kahshe River Bridge. This structure was built by the Department of Northern Development in the 1920s, long before the Department of Highways assumed the Ferguson Highway as King's Highway 11 in 1937.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - View of the superstructure of the South Kahshe River Bridge. Note the widened span and pier at left, which was reconstructed in the mid-1930s, just prior to the transfer of the Ferguson Highway from the Department of Northern Development to the Department of Highways. The fact that this structure was widened so long ago gives us some insight of the early importance of the Ferguson Highway on the development of the Muskoka District and other regions of Northern Ontario.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Not surprisingly, the older 1920s parapet on the eastern side of the South Kahshe River Bridge is showing greater signs of age. The western parapet, constructed when the bridge was widened in the mid-1930s has fared somewhat better.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The western parapet, constructed in the 1930s, is gracefully curved to complement a horizontal curve in the old highway just beyond the bridge.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Washago at Beaver Creek Hill
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst at Beaver Creek Hill. Compare this 2006 photo with the circa 1960 photo, taken from the same location.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Advance overhead guide sign for the Hwy 169 North Junction at Gravenhurst on Northbound Hwy 11. Due to the unusual left-hand exit at this interchange, this extra overhead sign was placed 2 km in advance of the interchange. The Hwy 169 North Interchange is very well signed, when compared to other interchanges on Hwy 11.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - This large arched truss sign gantry south of Gravenhurst carries a secondary exit sign for the Hwy 169 North Interchange on Northbound Hwy 11.
(Photograph taken on June 30, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards the Hwy 169 North Interchange at Gravenhurst.
(Photograph taken on June 30, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Diagrammatic guide sign on Northbound Hwy 11 at the Hwy 169 North Interchange in Gravenhurst.
(Photograph taken on June 30, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 169 North, facing north towards Gravenhurst. Click here to see a photo of this junction as it appeared in 1949.
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - .Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst from Hwy 118 Overpass
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Above - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Bracebridge from Hwy 118 Overpass
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
