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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 west to east. 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!
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Page 1: Historical Highway 26 Photographs
 Above - New Nottawasaga River Bridge on Hwy 26 at Edenvale, shortly after completion (1931) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Single lane concrete pavement on Hwy 26 east of Stayner in 1933. While this method of providing a "paved highway" was economical for the DHO in the lean economic times of the 1930s, the resulting road surface was not popular with the motoring public. Drivers would often deliberately drive on the wrong side of the road, to avoid the unpaved highway lane with a gravel or dirt surface. Vehicle operators driving on the paved lane always had to be on the lookout for traffic heading in the opposite direction in their lane. These single lane paved roads became surprisingly common on less-traveled highways in Ontario by the late 1930s. These roads were soon dubbed "Hepburn Sidewalks" by frustrated motorists of the day. The nickname was derived from the name of Ontario Prime Minister Mitchell Hepburn, whose government was responsible for building many of these single lane concrete highways across rural Ontario in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - New macadam pavement on Hwy 26 west of Craigleith (1934) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Interchange in Barrie. Photo taken in 1954. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Four miles east of Owen Sound on Hwy 26 (1955) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing east along Hwy 26 near Craigleith (1958) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Interchange in Barrie in 1974. This aerial photo shows the original interchange ramp configuration, with the loop ramp from Hwy 400 North to Hwy 26 & Hwy 27 in the northeast interchange quadrant. This loop ramp was closed to traffic shortly after this photo was taken. In 1981, the diamond ramp in the northwest quadrant was realigned to permit the construction of a new loop ramp from northbound Bayfield Street to Hwy 400 South. The construction of this new loop ramp eliminated left turns at the ramp to Hwy 400 South. This allowed for the removal of the problematic traffic signals at the original west ramp terminal, which were situated only 80 metres from the traffic signals at the east ramp terminal. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 approaching the Hwy 26 & Hwy 27 Interchange in Barrie in 1975. The overpass in the foreground is Sunnidale Road. Note the pre-Metric sign for Hwy 26 & Hwy 27 at right, showing the distance to the exit in miles. Ontario's highway signs were converted to Metric measurements in 1977. Photo taken on October 8, 1975. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing north along Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) from the Hwy 400 Interchange in Barrie (August 3, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Overpass on Hwy 400 in Barrie facing north (August 3, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation When the Bayfield Street Interchange was first built in the early 1950s, there was a loop ramp on the north side of the Bayfield Street structure which carried traffic bound for Hwy 26 West and Hwy 27 North. During the mid-1970s, this loop ramp was closed off and abandoned. Note the old overhead bridge-mounted sign support structure which used to have a sign attached to it directing northbound traffic onto this loop ramp. 
 Left - Northern side of the Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Overpass on Hwy 400 in Barrie in 1979, shortly before the interchange was reconstructed. In 1981, the Bayfield Street Overpass was widened and the ramps in the northwest interchange quadrant were reconfigured. The off ramp from Hwy 400 South to Bayfield Street was relocated further to the north and a new loop ramp was constructed for traffic on Bayfield Street North wishing to access Hwy 400 South. The completion of this new loop ramp eliminated the need for left turns at the west ramp terminal, allowing the traffic signals shown in this photo at the original west ramp terminal to be removed. Photo taken on August 8, 1979. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Steel handrail on the Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Overpass on Hwy 400 in Barrie in 1979. The original 1951 Bayfield Street Overpass was widened in 1981 to improve traffic operations at the interchange. During this bridge widening project, the original steel handrails were removed and replaced with concrete parapet walls. Photo taken on August 8, 1979. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Steel frame for the Bayfield Street Overpass widening on Hwy 400 in Barrie (June 23, 1981) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - The original 1951 Bayfield Street Overpass in Barrie was widened in 1981 to provide a southbound left turn lane across the structure. A new loop ramp was also constructed in the northwest interchange quadrant. At the time this photo was taken, preliminary grading on the new loop ramp was just getting underway in the background. Photo taken on June 23, 1981. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Excavating the southeast wingwall during the Bayfield Street Overpass widening project in Barrie (June 23, 1981) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - The expansion of the Bayfield Street Overpass was done entirely on the south side of the original 1951 structure. This bridge widening and interchange ramp reconfiguration project greatly improved traffic flow at the busy Bayfield Street Interchange. Photo taken on June 23, 1981. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - View underneath the Bayfield Street Overpass in Barrie, showing the original 1951 structure and the new extension that was built in 1981 (April 1, 1982) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing south along Hwy 400 towards the Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) Overpass in Barrie (April 25, 1990) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing north along Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & Hwy 27) from the Hwy 400 Interchange in Barrie (April 25, 1990) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation |
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