Present Day Highway 11 Photographs (Bracebridge to Huntsville)
Left - Muskoka River Bridge (South Branch) on Northbound Hwy 11 near Bracebridge
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The Muskoka River Bridge on Northbound Hwy 11 is a steel Warren-type deck truss. This structure was completed in 1952.
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Below-deck view of the steel truss substructure of the Muskoka River Bridge
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Deck view of the Muskoka River Bridge (South Branch), facing south. The 1952 structure originally carried two-way traffic, but it now carries the northbound lanes only. A new bridge was built to carry the southbound lanes of Hwy 11 in the 1970s. The Hwy 118 Interchange can be seen in the far distance.
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Muskoka River Bridge (South Branch) on Southbound Hwy 11 near Bracebridge
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The Muskoka River Bridge on Southbound Hwy 11 is an inclined leg steel rigid frame bridge. This structure was completed in 1973.
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Close-up of the steel rigid frame structure over the Muskoka River (South Branch). Inclined leg steel rigid frame bridges are very rare in Ontario. To my knowledge, the only other example of this bridge design on an Ontario provincial highway is the Seine River Bridge on Hwy 11 between Atikokan and Fort Frances.
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The South Branch of the Muskoka River carved out a narrow but deep chasm in the rocks below the two Hwy 11 structures
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - View of the Muskoka River, facing east towards the dual Hwy 11 structures. The hydro dam located beyond the Hwy 11 bridges controls water flow into the channel from adjacent Spence Lake.
(Photograph taken on June 9, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Huntsville from Fraserburg Road Overpass in Bracebridge
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Gravenhurst from Fraserburg Road Overpass in Bracebridge
(Photograph taken on June 4, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Muskoka River Bridge (North Branch) on Southbound Hwy 11 near Hwy 117 Junction
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Western side of Muskoka River Bridge on Southbound Hwy 11. Structure completed in 1953.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards South Mary Lake Road intersection south of Huntsville. This at-grade intersection will be removed during an upcoming interchange construction project.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Bypassed Hwy 11 alignment south of Huntsville at Port Sydney. Note the old truck climbing lane at right, which is surprisingly still in service on this lightly traveled township road. This section of Hwy 11 was bypassed by the current four-lane highway in 1977.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Abandoned section of Hwy 11 near Port Sydney which was bypassed in the 1940s
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing south along Hwy 11 towards Stevenson Road 1 intersection. This is one of several at-grade intersections along Hwy 11 between Gravenhurst and Huntsville. The MTO plans to replace all at-grade intersections along Hwy 11 with grade separations or interchanges in the future as traffic demands warrant these changes.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards Huntsville from Stevenson Road 1 intersection
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along an old Ferguson Highway alignment south of Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Old 1920s Department of Northern Development Bridge on old Ferguson Highway alignment
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Close-up of parapet design on old Ferguson Highway Bridge south of Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Western side of Ferguson Highway Bridge. Note the stone abutments at right.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing south along Old Ferguson Highway alignment south of Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Vernon Lake Narrows Bridge on Southbound Hwy 11 at Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Western side of Vernon Lake Narrows Bridge on Southbound Hwy 11 at Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Close-up of pier design of Southbound Vernon Lake Narrows Bridge at Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Eastern side of Southbound Vernon Lake Narrows Bridge. Structure completed in 1959.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Western side of Northbound Hwy 11 Bridge across Vernon Lake Narrows
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Date stamp (1978) on Northbound Hwy 11 Bridge across Vernon Lake Narrows
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Close-up of pier design of Northbound Vernon Lake Narrows Bridge at Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Centreline view of the two Vernon Lake Narrows Bridges on Hwy 11 at Huntsville
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Another view of the Southbound Hwy 11 Structure at Vernon Lake Narrows. When the Hunstville Bypass first opened, this single structure carried both northbound and southbound traffic. However, as traffic volumes grew, a second structure was built to accommodate a four-lane divided highway.
(Photograph taken on June 17, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Facing north along Hwy 11 towards the Southbound (1959) Hwy 11 Structure at Vernon Lake Narrows. This bridge was permanently closed to traffic during 2008 and is now slated for demolition. However, before the bridge was closed, it briefly carried two-way traffic while the Northbound (1978) Hwy 11 span was being repaired.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - The Southbound Hwy 11 structure at Vernon Lake Narrows will be replaced with a new bridge during 2009.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - The Northbound Hwy 11 structure will be carrying two-way traffic for the duration of the bridge replacement project. In an effort to increase highway safety, new highway illumination was installed along the northbound span.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Close-up of the parapet design of the Southbound Hwy 11 Vernon Narrows Bridge
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - The new luminaires on the Vernon Narrows Bridge are un updated, modern version of the so-called "truss" light standards that were commonly used to illuminate Ontario's freeways from the mid-1960s until the mid-1980s. The reappearance of this classic lighting design is a welcome change to the now ubiquitous "high mast" luminaires, which have been utilized extensively on Ontario freeways since the 1990s.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Green guide sign on Hwy 11 marking the exit for Hwy 60 in Huntsville. Strangley, the control city on the sign is indicated as "Ottawa", even though most of the traffic using Hwy 60 from Huntsville is bound for Algonquin Park or the Barry's Bay area.
(Photograph taken on September 19, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)
