| 
| |
|
|
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. 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!
|
|---|
|
Page 1: Historical Highway 27 Photographs
 Above - Cloverleaf interchange construction at QEW & Hwy 27, facing east towards Toronto (1940) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-3 Photo #3262S) This photograph shows the area around the Hwy 27 (now Hwy 427) and QEW interchange in 1940. The fields in the lower left corner are now the site of the Sherway Gardens Shopping Centre. Evans Avenue can be seen to the right of the QEW, while Queen Street (Queensway) can be seen to the left of the QEW. Also, note the construction crew at centre left and upper left removing the old curved pavement of the former Queen Street-to-Middle Road transfer.  Above - Facing west along the Queen Elizabeth Way towards Hamilton from the Hwy 27 Cloverleaf in Toronto (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Looking through the new Hwy 27 (Essa Road) underpass on Hwy 400 in Barrie (1949) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Centre - Looking north along Hwy 400 approaching Hwy 26 & Hwy 27 in Barrie (1953) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Aerial view of Hwy 400 and Hwy 26 & Hwy 27 interchange in Barrie (1954) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Paving operations on Hwy 27 south of Kleinburg (1949) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Aerial view of QEW & Hwy 27 Cloverleaf in Toronto in 1954. Note the reconstruction along Hwy 27 North, which eventually converted the two-lane highway into a freeway. This freeway was redesignated as Hwy 427 in 1972. Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
Above - Overpass construction at Burnhamthorpe Road and Hwy 27 in Toronto (1953) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
Above - Aerial view of Hwy 27 facing south from Hwy 401 interchange (July 9, 1954) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2, Photo #550) This great photograph shows the reconstruction of Hwy 27 as a freeway (today's Hwy 427) as it passes through a rural section of Etobicoke before urban sprawl completely devoured the area. The overpasses over Hwy 27 (from foreground to background) are the Toronto Bypass (Hwy 401, still under construction), Richview Sideroad (today's Eglinton Avenue), Rathburn Road, Burnhamthorpe Road, and Bloor Street. Today's Pearson Airport is located just off the photo to the right, and the massive Hwy 401 & Hwy 427 interchange is now located just to the right of the centre of this photo.  Above - Postcard view of the Hwy 400 and Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Interchange in Barrie (ca. 1955) Photo courtesy of Alex Wilson Publishing Ltd.  Above - Queen Elizabeth Way at Hwy 27 Cloverleaf, facing east towards Toronto (1958) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Aerial view of traffic jam on Hwy 401, facing west towards Hwy 27 (June 17, 1959) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-151-5-26, Box B1106, Photo #ES12-712) Right - Aerial view of traffic jam on Hwy 401, facing northeast from Hwy 27 (June 17, 1959) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-151-5-26, Box B1106, Photo #ES12-711)  Above - Hwy 401 and Hwy 27 Interchange, looking north along Hwy 27 (November 12, 1959) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2-27, Box B983, Photo #1169C) 
 Left - Aerial view of the Queen Elizabeth Way & Hwy 27 Cloverleaf, looking north along Hwy 27 (June, 1960). See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (RG-14-151-5-26, Photo #ES-13-894) Right - Aerial view of the Queen Elizabeth Way & Hwy 27 Cloverleaf, looking northwest (June, 1960) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (RG-14-151-5-26, Photo #ES-13-892) This wonderful photo shows the entire area around the QEW & Hwy 27 (now 427) interchange, including the open farm fields just beyond the cloverleaf. This is where the Sherway Gardens Shopping Centre is located today. See an Enlarged Photo here. 
Above - Postcard view of Dunlop Street in Barrie at the Junction of Hwy 11, Hwy 27 & Hwy 90 (ca. 1965) Photo courtesy of Stewart Wholesale Co. Ltd.  Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 across the Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Underpasses in Barrie (August 1967). When Hwy 400 was widened to six lanes through Barrie in 1972, the highway's grass median was filled in and the Hwy 27 Underpasses were spliced together to form one structure in order to accommodate the extra lanes. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing north along Hwy 27 (Essa Road) towards the dual Hwy 400 Underpasses in Barrie (August 1967) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Aerial plan of proposed Hwy 27 subway north of Midhurst (1969) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Aerial plan of proposed Hwy 27 diversion at Simcoe Road 22 (1969) Photo Courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Interchange in Barrie (1974) 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 - Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Underpass at Hwy 400 in Barrie (July 19, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing south along Hwy 400 at the Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Interchange in Barrie (July 19, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation What makes this photo particularly interesting is the location from which it was taken. Traffic volumes on Hwy 400 were apparently low enough in 1978 that the photographer was able to cross one side of the freeway relatively safely and stand on the box-beam median to take the photograph. With current traffic volumes nearing 100,000 vehicles per day at Essa Road, it would be virtually impossible to take a photo from this vantage point on Hwy 400 today. 
 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 - Rehabilitation of the Hwy 27 (Essa Road) Underpass at Hwy 400 in Barrie (September 29, 1988) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - The original 1940s concrete bar and post railing on the Hwy 27 Underpass was replaced by a new parapet wall during this project (September 29, 1988) 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 |
|---|
