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All photographs displayed on this page were taken by the
Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 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!
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Page 2: Historical Highway 400 Photographs (1970 to 1999)
 Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 towards the Hwy 11 Interchange north of Barrie in September, 1973. Note the pre-Metric 60 mph speed limit sign. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Willow Creek Bridge on Hwy 400 north of Barrie in September, 1973. The existing 1950s structure was widened in the early 1970s to accommodate four northbound lanes and four southbound lanes on Hwy 400. The old structure was only designed to accommodate a four-lane divided highway. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of Hwy 400 at the Barrie Service Centre (1974) 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 Hwy 90 (Dunlop Street) 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 - Aerial view of Hwy 400 at the St. Vincent Street Overpass in Barrie (1974) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of Hwy 400 at the Duckworth Street Interchange in Barrie (1974) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of the Hwy 400 and Hwy 11 Interchange at Crown Hill north of Barrie (1974) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of Hwy 400, just north of the Hwy 11 Interchange at Crown Hill in 1974. Note the end of the divided four-lane section of Hwy 400 at left. When the Hwy 400 Extension to Coldwater was built in 1959, it was only a two-lane highway from this point to Coldwater. Beginning in 1975, a multi-year reconstruction project began which saw Hwy 400 expanded to four lanes between Crown Hill and Coldwater. 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 south along Hwy 400 between Duckworth Street and St. Vincent Street in Barrie (October, 1976)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Willow Creek Bridge on Hwy 400 north of Barrie (October, 1976) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 towards the Sheppard Avenue Overpass in Toronto in 1977. This attractive concrete rigid frame structure graced the southern end of Hwy 400 in Toronto from the time of its construction in 1955 until it was demolished in 1993. Photo taken on September 12, 1977. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing south along Hwy 400 towards the Sheppard Avenue Overpass in Toronto (September 12, 1977) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation The box-beam median barrier seen in this photo was replaced by a sheet metal IBC median barrier in the early 1980s. An interesting overhead sign warning drivers to "Slow Down on Wet Pavement" with an 80 km/h advisory speed was installed on this bridge in the mid 1970s. The sign remained in place until the Sheppard Avenue Overpass was demolished and replaced with a new wider structure in 1993. The warning sign, however, was never reinstalled. A similar sign existed on the Conlins Road Overpass on Hwy 401 in Scarborough, a bridge which was also demolished in the early 1990s.  Above - Facing west across the Sheppard Avenue Overpass on Hwy 400 in Toronto (September 12, 1977) 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 Hwy 400 towards the Hwy 88 Overpass near Bradford (July 24, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing east along Hwy 88 towards Bradford at the Hwy 400 Overpass (July 24, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - View underneath the Hwy 88 Overpass, facing north towards Barrie (July 24, 1978) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation When Hwy 400 was widened to six lanes between Toronto and Barrie in 1971-1972, the width of the weaving lane at all of the cloverleaf interchanges on Hwy 400 had to be reduced in order to fit the lane through the overpass alongside the new six-lane freeway. This proved to be a very economical interim solution, since it spared the exorbitant cost of having to rebuild all of the overpasses on Hwy 400 or reconfigure the cloverleaf interchanges. Many of the old cloverleaf interchanges were later reconfigured to diamond interchanges to improve traffic operations. Interestingly, the Hwy 88 Cloverleaf is the only surviving interchange of this design left on Hwy 400. 
 Left - Facing south along the southbound lanes of Hwy 400 towards the Willow Creek Bridge north of Barrie in 1978. Note the extra space provided across the bridge for a future fourth lane (at right), which was barricaded off until the widened on-ramp to Hwy 400 was completed in the 1990s. Photo taken on July 24, 1978. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing south along the northbound lanes of Hwy 400 from the Hwy 11 Interchange north of Barrie (July 24, 1978) 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 - Facing west along Hwy 88 towards Bond Head from the Hwy 400 Overpass near Bradford (April 29, 1981) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing east along Hwy 88 towards Bradford at the Hwy 400 Overpass (April 29, 1981) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Steel handrail on the Hwy 88 Overpass on Hwy 400 near Bradford (April 29, 1981) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing north along Hwy 400 towards the new Hwy 93 Interchange near Hillsdale (April 29, 1981)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing south along Hwy 400 towards the new Hwy 93 Interchange near Hillsdale (April 29, 1981)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Close-up view of the "angled" turn-off sign marking the exit to Hwy 93 from Hwy 400 South. These signs were used
extensively on Ontario freeways during the 1970s. The angled freeway signs were gradually phased out and replaced with rectangular signs beginning in the
1980s. In my opinion, these angled turn-off signs were an excellent idea. Their unique shape helped drivers to immediately differentiate turn-off signs
from all other rectangular-shaped ground-mounted guide signs on the freeway, even at a considerable distance. These angled signs were particularly useful at
"Parclo-B" interchanges such as the Hwy 93 Interchange, where the exit ramp is hidden on the far side of the grade separation and would therefore be less
apparent to a driver. Photo taken on April 29, 1981.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing south along Hwy 93 at the Hwy 400 Interchange. Until 1980, these two highways met at an at-grade intersection. Photo taken on April 29, 1981.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing south across the newly-completed Hwy 93 Overpass on Hwy 400 (April 29, 1981)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  Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 towards the St. Vincent Street Overpass in Barrie (April, 1982)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Sign on Hwy 400 marking the St. Vincent Street Overpass in Barrie (April, 1982)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing north across the St. Vincent Street Overpass on Hwy 400 in Barrie (April, 1982)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing south along Hwy 400 towards the Hwy 401 Interchange in Toronto (December 10, 1982)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing south along Hwy 400 towards the Hwy 93 Interchange near Hillsdale (July, 1983)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing south across the Hwy 93 Overpass on Hwy 400 near Hillsdale (July, 1983)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Green guide sign on Hwy 93 marking the ramp to Hwy 400 North (July, 1983)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing north across the Hwy 93 Overpass on Hwy 400 near Hillsdale (July, 1983)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Northern side of the Hwy 88 Overpass near Bradford in September 1985, showing the new parapet wall built when the bridge was rehabilitated in 1983. 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 - Rehabilitation of the Hwy 89 Overpass at Hwy 400 near Cookstown (April 1989) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - During the rehabilitation of the Hwy 89 Overpass, the decorative Ontario coat-of-arms were removed from the bridge (April 1989) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Rehabilitation of the Hwy 89 Overpass at Hwy 400 near Cookstown (April 1989) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - The rehabilitation of the Hwy 89 Overpass was one of several bridge reconstruction projects on Hwy 400 in the 1980s and early 1990s (April 1989) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing north along Hwy 400 from the St. Vincent Street Overpass in Barrie (November 9, 1989)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 
 Left - North side of the Sheppard Avenue Overpass on Hwy 400 on November 5, 1991. This structure was demolished and replaced by a new bridge in 1993. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Vertical clearance signs on the Sheppard Avenue Overpass on Hwy 400 on November 5, 1991. Note the unusual sheet metal IBC median barrier on this section of Hwy 400, which was removed and replaced with a standard concrete barrier during a highway widening project in the mid 1990s. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing east across the Sheppard Avenue Overpass on Hwy 400 in Toronto (November 5, 1991) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Facing north along Hwy 400 from the Hwy 93 Overpass near Hillsdale (August 18, 1992)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation |
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