Historical Highway 400 Photographs (1946 to 1969)
Left - Steel bridge frame construction at Maple Sideroad (now Major Mackenzie Drive) on the Toronto-Barrie Highway (1949)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Centre - New underpass on the Toronto-Barrie Highway at Hwy 27 (Essa Road) in Barrie (1949)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Right - Toronto-Barrie Highway under construction in 1950, showing the new Hwy 7 overpass near Woodbridge
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Concrete pavement construction on the new Toronto-Barrie Highway near Woodbridge (1951)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Left - New Hwy 400 looking north from Finch Avenue in Toronto (1951)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Centre - View of Hwy 400 from the Hwy 7 overpass in 1951, looking north towards Barrie
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Right - Looking north along Hwy 400 approaching Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & 27) in Barrie in 1953
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Zone painting on the new Hwy 400 at the Hwy 7 Cloverleaf (1952)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Aerial View of the Hwy 400 & Hwy 401 Cloverleaf, looking southeast (October 1, 1953)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2, Box B986, Photo #648-10)
This cloverleaf formed the junction of Hwy 400 and Hwy 401 for almost 15 years. The interchange was completely redesigned in the mid-1960s in response to the widening of Hwy 401 and the extension of Hwy 400 south to Jane Street. Compare the 1953 aerial photo above to this 2004 aerial photo which I took of the current semi-directional three-level interchange from the same angle (facing southeast).
Above - Hwy 400 & Hwy 7 Interchange looking northeast (October 1, 1953)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2, Box B986, Photo #650-15)
Compare the 1953 aerial photo of the Hwy 400 & Hwy 7 Interchange in Vaughan shown above with this 2004 aerial photo, which I took to illustrate the unfortunate and irresponsible urban sprawl that has subjugated this part of York Region since the 1990s.
Left - Looking north along Hwy 400 from the Wilson Avenue Underpass in Toronto (October 29, 1953)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-163, Box B986, Photo #575)
Right - Hwy 400 facing north approaching the Hwy 88 Cloverleaf near Bradford (November 5, 1953)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-163, Box B986, Photo #607)
Above - Hwy 400 facing north approaching the Hwy 27 Interchange in Barrie (November 5, 1953)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-163, Box B986, Photo #609)
Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and King Side Road Interchange in 1953. Shortly after this photo was taken, a service centre was constructed within the loop ramp in the foreground. This service centre was removed in the 1970s, and replaced by an MTO carpool parking lot. The King Road Service Centre was actually the second service facility opened along Hwy 400. Ontario's very first highway service centre was opened in 1953 at Hwy 400 and Cookstown Road (today's Hwy 89). The Cookstown Service Centre at the Hwy 400 & Hwy 89 Interchange is still in operation today.
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Hwy 400 looking north towards Holland Marsh from the Newmarket Side Road (Hwy 9) Overpass in 1954
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and Bayfield Street (Hwy 26 & 27) Interchange in Barrie. Photo taken in 1954.
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
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 - Grading for the Hwy 400 Extension north of Barrie (1959)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Above - Construction of the Steeles Avenue Overpass on Hwy 400 in Toronto (1961)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Left - Hwy 88 Overpass on Hwy 400 near Bradford (May 1962)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Right - Facing west along Hwy 88 across the Hwy 400 Overpass (May 1962)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Left - Facing west along Cookstown Road (Hwy 89) across the Hwy 400 Overpass in Innisfil Township (May 1962)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Right - Cookstown Road (Hwy 89) Overpass on Hwy 400 in Innisfil Township, facing northwest (May 1962)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
The Cookstown Service Centre, with its original British-American (B-A) Station sign, is visible on the far side of the interchange. The Cookstown Service Centre sold B-A gasoline products from its opening in 1953 until 1968, when the station was taken over by Gulf Canada. The station was acquired by Petro-Canada in 1985 and has operated under that company's name ever since.
Above - Facing south along Hwy 400 from the Dunlop Street (Hwy 90) Overpass in Barrie (1963)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Compare the 1963 photo of Hwy 400 shown above with this present day photo, which I took from the Hwy 90 Overpass in 2007.
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
