Ontario Highway 401 Photographs - Page 18 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover and Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange in Cambridge, facing west along Hwy 401 towards Woodstock. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing northeast. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of Hwy 8 at Shantz Hill in Preston, facing north towards the Hwy 401 Interchange. Shantz Hill Road was an early diversion of Hwy 8 that was constructed in the 1920s, to allow trucks to bypass the steep hill on the original route of Hwy 8 (Fountain Street and Kitchener Road). The much newer Hwy 8 Bypass can be seen in the upper right corner of this photo, heading north from Hwy 401 into Kitchener-Waterloo. Until the Hwy 8 Bypass was completed and opened to traffic in November 1987, all traffic bound for Kitchener-Waterloo from Hwy 401 had to use Hwy 8 (King Street). Today, only eastbound Hwy 401 traffic approaching from Woodstock requires the use of King Street in order to reach the Hwy 8 Bypass. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing west towards the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover from the Fountain Street Overpass in Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. When the Preston Cloverleaf was first designed in the late 1950s, it was a full eight-ramp cloverleaf interchange. The Preston Cloverleaf was opened to traffic in two stages during 1960 and 1961, as the construction of Hwy 401 progressed westerly from Preston towards Woodstock. During reconstruction of the Hwy 8 Interchange in the late 1980s, the cloverleaf's inner loop ramps in the northwest and southwest quadrants were removed. The old loop ramp locations are still quite obvious when seen from the air. Click here to see a Historical 1961 Photo of the original eight-ramp Preston Cloverleaf at Hwy 8 & Hwy 401, facing east towards Hespeler. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching the Hwy 8 Underpass on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing north. The route of Hwy 8 through the Hwy 401 Interchange is a four-lane divided highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Northern side of the Hwy 8 Underpass on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. This two-span concrete rigid frame girder structure was completed in 1960. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 8 towards Kitchener from the Hwy 401 Interchange in Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along Hwy 8 towards Preston from the Hwy 401 Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Above - The majority of Hwy 8 between Galt and Freeport was reconstructed as a four-lane divided highway in the 1930s. The dual roadways were separated by a narrow grass median. As the Hwy 8 corridor north of Hwy 401 was developed into a commercial area in the 1960s and 1970s, most of the grass median was removed and paved over with a continuous two-way centre left-turn lane. Only short sections of the original 1930s-era grass median survive today. A portion of the original grass median lies within the Hwy 401 Interchange, as seen here. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of Hwy 401 facing east from Fountain Street towards the Hwy 24 Interchange in Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Speedsville Road Overpass on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. Structure completed in 1960.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 401 from the Speedsville Road Overpass. The section of Hwy 401 through Cambridge will be extensively reconstructed over the next several years. Additional freeway lanes will be constructed between Hwy 8 and Hwy 24, along with improvements to Hwy 401's horizontal and vertical alignment.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Hwy 401 from the Speedsville Road Overpass. The curve in the background will be realigned as part of the upcoming reconstruction project.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north across the Speedsville Road Overpass at Hwy 401 in Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The Speedsville Road Overpass will be replaced during the upcoming Hwy 401 reconstruction project, as the current structure is only wide enough to accommodate a six-lane highway. The proposed structure will be able to accommodate a ten-lane highway (five lanes in each direction).
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards Kitchener from the Hwy 24 Overpass in Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The Southbound Hwy 24 Overpass in Cambridge was completed in 1960. The bridge originally carried two-way traffic, but was later converted to accommodate southbound traffic only when Hwy 24 was widened in 1989.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The newer Northbound Hwy 24 Overpass in Cambridge was completed in 1989.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - One of the most curious features of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange is a private access road leading to the shopping centre on the southeast side of the interchange. The ramp allows traffic to access the mall directly from Hwy 401, without using Hwy 24 (Hespeler Road). The access road includes a grade separation over the Toronto-bound Hwy 401 directional ramp, as seen here.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Date stamp (1989) on the structure leading into the shopping centre. This road was actually a "ghost ramp" for a number of years after its construction in 1989. The ramp led into a corn field for the better part of a decade, after the shopping centre originally envisioned for the site was shelved. The ramp was finally put into service when the shopping centre was completed in the late 1990s.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Shopping centre access road, facing west towards Hwy 24. The former end of the ghost ramp can be seen here, where the pavement types change. The ghost ramp ended at a corn field entrance until the late 1990s.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Shopping centre access road, facing east towards the grade separation over the Northbound Hwy 24 ramp to Hwy 401 East.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Northbound Hwy 24 ramp to Hwy 401 East as seen from the shopping centre access road structure.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Shopping centre access road, facing east from Hwy 24.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along Hwy 401 towards Toronto from the Hwy 24 Overpass.
(Photograph taken on October 8, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing northeast. Note the access road and grade separation leading to the shopping centre located on the southeast side of the interchange.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing north along Hwy 24. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing northwest.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing west along Hwy 401.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing southwest.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing south along Hwy 24. Note the former cloverleaf ramps, whose locations are still faintly visible within the new loop ramp on the north side of the highway.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 Interchange, facing southeast. About 1 km of Hwy 24 was relocated in 1960, when Hwy 401 was constructed in this area. A curved portion of the old Hwy 24 alignment is still visible in the lower left corner of this photo.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401 near Cambridge, facing southeast.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 401 towards Toronto from the Wellington Road 32 Overpass east of Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north across the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401 east of Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401 east of Cambridge. Structure completed in 1959.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Steel handrail design of the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south across the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401 east of Cambridge.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Continuous box girder superstructure of the Wellington Road 32 Overpass on Hwy 401. Several structures between Cambridge and Toronto were built with this design. The bridge pier in the foreground was damaged during a collision on Hwy 401 in 1999 and was subsequently repaired.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Sign marking the Cambridge Service Centre on westbound Hwy 401 near the Hwy 6 North Interchange. The Cambridge Service Centre is one of 19 Service Centres located along Hwy 401 between Windsor and the Quebec Boundary.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - When the Cambridge Service Centre first opened in 1963, it provided motorists travelling on Hwy 401 with 24-hour fuel, emergency towing services, basic vehicle repair services and a restaurant. A picnic area was established next to the Cambridge Service Centre in 1964.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - The Cambridge Service Centre was extensively rebuilt in 1991. The Centre now features a McDonald's Restaurant and a Petro-Canada gas bar.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - As part of Ontario's Service Centre Redevelopment Program, the Cambridge Service Centres on Hwy 401 were closed in September, 2011. They will be demolished and replaced with brand-new facilities in 2012.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Parking lot of the Cambridge Service Centre. When the Service Centres were built along Hwy 401 in the 1960s, the parking lots were of sufficient size to accommodate even peak holiday traffic volumes. However, as travel on Hwy 401 increased over the years, so did the demand for parking at these centres. Even at non-peak times, the parking lots at most Service Centres are heavily utilized.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - When the McDonald's restaurant moved into the Cambridge Service Centre in the early 1990s, the exterior of the building was extensively remodelled. As a result, the building still looks quite modern, even though it has been open for nearly 50 years.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the two Cambridge Service Centres on Hwy 401, facing south.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401 south of Guelph. Structure completed in 1959.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401, facing southwest.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 401 towards Toronto from the Wellington Road 35 Overpass.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north across the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Eastern side of the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401 south of Guelph.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south across the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Steel handrail design of the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401. A section of the steel handrail on the western side of this bridge was replaced recently. When freshly painted, these steel handrails can greatly improve the aesthetic appearance of these freeway structures.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Continuous box girder superstructure of the Wellington Road 35 Overpass on Hwy 401 south of Guelph.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Interchange near Guelph, facing north.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Interchange, facing west.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Interchange, facing southwest.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Interchange, facing south. Note the cleared right-of-way along the eastern side of Hwy 6 for a future northbound overpass across Hwy 401, which was never built.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 401 & Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Interchange, facing northeast.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Overpass on Hwy 401 south of Guelph. Structure completed in 1974.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Green guide sign marking the upcoming Hwy 401 Interchange on the southbound Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North). The words "Keep Left" are seldom used on Ontario freeway signs anymore. Generally, ground-mounted signs such as this have been replaced over the years with diagrammatic signs at major freeway junctions where the correct lane choice isn't immediately apparent to the motorist.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Timber sign support structure for the Hwy 401 Interchange sign on the southbound Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North). Timber sign support structures for extruded aluminum highway signs were phased out rapidly during the 1990s when breakaway aluminum posts were introduced. Timber sign support structures, like the one shown here, are rarely found on Ontario's freeways anymore.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Overhead sign marking the Hwy 401 Interchange at the end of the Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North). This is an older Aluminum Tapered Leg (ATL) overhead sign support structure, commonly referred to by MTO as a "Type 1" gantry. These stylish arched truss sign support structures were used on Ontario's freeways from the mid 1960s until the late 1980s, but are quickly being phased out and replaced by new overhead sign support structures of different designs.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south across the Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North) Overpass at Hwy 401. This structure was built with a curbed centre median in order to separate the opposing traffic flows.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - This interesting warning sign alerts drivers to the sharp curve at the end of the Hanlon Expressway (Hwy 6 North), just before traffic merges with eastbound Hwy 401. The Hanlon Expressway Interchange ramps are in a "Trumpet A" configuration, where traffic entering the freeway uses the loop ramp and traffic exiting the freeway uses the directional ramp. In a "Trumpet B" ramp configuration, traffic exiting the freeway uses the loop ramp while traffic entering the freeway uses the directional ramp. There are many safety benefits of using an "A" configuration over a "B" configuration. However, in this instance, the predominant traffic flow from southbound Hwy 6 to eastbound Hwy 401 is forced to slow down for the loop ramp. Ideally, the movement with the heaviest traffic volume should be served by a directional ramp.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Route marker for Hwy 401 East and a "trailblazer" marker for Hwy 6 South. Although Hwy 6 runs concurrently with Hwy 401 for about 5 km, this is the only pair of route markers indicating the overlapped routing. It is interesting to note that there is no corresponding route marker assembly in the opposing direction.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)