Ontario Highway 401 Photographs - Page 6 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Sheppard Avenue Extension Overpass (today's Port Union Road) on Hwy 401 in Toronto. In 1971-1972, the original 1947 interchange at the Lansing Cut-Off (today's Port Union Road) and the adjacent Hwy 2A & Kingston Road Interchange were both replaced by a new consolidated interchange with improved geometry. The replacement of the 1940s and 1950s-era interchanges coincided with the widening of Hwy 401 from 4 to 6 lanes approaching the Rouge River. The new Sheppard Avenue Extension Overpass was designed to allow for the future construction of an Express-Collector Lane System on Hwy 401 below the structure. The eastern extension of the Hwy 401 Express-Collector System into Durham Region took place in the mid-1990s. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 7, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north across the Sheppard Avenue Extension Overpass (today's Port Union Road) in Toronto (October 7, 1975)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Eastern side of the new Brock Road Overpass on Hwy 401 in Pickering. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 9, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - The traffic signals at the south ramp terminal at the Brock Road Interchange on Hwy 401 are an odd combination of both yellow and green target backboards. Although green target backboards were commonly-used for Ontario's traffic signals during the 1970s, it is very unusual to see them used in combination with a yellow target backboard within the same intersection and on the same approach. What is especially perplexing is that these traffic signals were not a retrofit situation - they were brand new at the time this photo was taken. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 9, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Facing south towards Structure #11 at the Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto in 1975. This structure carries traffic from the Southbound Don Valley Parkway (today's Hwy 404) to the Eastbound Hwy 401 Collector Lanes. The Southbound through lanes on the Don Valley Parkway are carried by Structure #2, which can be seen at left. Note the pre-Metric 20 m.p.h. advisory speed sign at right. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 27, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Structure #11 at the Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto, facing south (October 27, 1975)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing south across Structure #12 at the Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto in 1975. This structure carries traffic from the Northbound Don Valley Parkway to the Westbound Hwy 401 Collector Lanes. The Northbound through lanes on the Don Valley Parkway are carried by Structure #3, which can be seen at right. Photo taken on October 27, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Don Valley Parkway, facing south from the Hwy 401 Interchange in Toronto in 1975. The absolute absence of traffic on the highway may come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with this congested interchange today. At right, a single car can be seen entering the Northbound Don Valley Parkway (today's Hwy 404) from Eastbound Hwy 401. At the time this photo was taken, Hwy 404 didn't exist yet. The Don Valley Parkway ended about 1/2 mile to the north at Sheppard Avenue, after which the expressway ended and turned into a rural two-lane road (Woodbine Avenue). In 1977, Hwy 404 was completed and opened to traffic up to Steeles Avenue, bringing with it the promise of new development opportunities and prosperity for the many then-sleepy rural towns and communities of York Region. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 27, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing south across Structure #9 at the Hwy 401 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange in Toronto. This structure carries traffic from the Southbound Don Valley Parkway (today's Hwy 404) to the Westbound Hwy 401 Express Lanes. Photo taken in November, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Structure #9 at the Hwy 401 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange in Toronto (November, 1975)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing south along the Don Valley Parkway (today's Hwy 404) towards the Hwy 401 Interchange in Toronto in 1975. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on December 11, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Structure #5 at the Hwy 401 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange in Toronto (December 11, 1975)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - Fluorescent-tube lighting system on the Don Valley Parkway at the Hwy 401 Interchange in Toronto in 1975. This stylish illumination system was used on many Metro Toronto expressways up until the 1980s and 1990s, when they were phased out and replaced by a high-pressure sodium illumination system. Today, the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 is illuminated using high-mast luminaires. Photo taken on December 11, 1975.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - Facing east towards Structure #5 at the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange in Toronto in 1976. A subcollector lane was added below this structure in 1999 in order to separate longer-distance traffic heading north towards Newmarket on Hwy 404 from local traffic heading to the adjacent Sheppard Avenue Interchange on Hwy 404. The subcollector lane was added by excavating the embankment at right and constructing a retaining wall system. Prior to 1999, the proximity of the Sheppard Avenue Interchange on Hwy 404 created severe weaving problems between the exit ramp and the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange. Traffic entering Northbound Hwy 404 from Eastbound Hwy 401 was forced to slow down while local traffic wishing to exit at Sheppard Avenue attempted to change lanes within the constrained amount of space between the two interchanges. Photo taken on April 5, 1976.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing west towards the Tremaine Road Overpass on Hwy 401 in Milton. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on April 26, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Tremaine Road Overpass on Hwy 401 in Milton, facing south. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on April 26, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Concrete pavement on Hwy 401 near the Hwy 48 (Markham Road) Interchange in Scarborough. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 9, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - East Highland Creek Culvert on Hwy 401 east of the Hwy 48 (Markham Road) Interchange in Scarborough. See an Enlarged Photo Here.. Photo taken on August 9, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Facing north across the Hope-Hamilton Township Boundary Road Overpass on Hwy 401 east of Newcastle. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards the Hope-Hamilton Township Boundary Road Overpass east of Newcastle. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards the Bloor Street & Harmony Road Interchange in Oshawa in 1977, before reconstruction and widening. The section of Hwy 401 through Oshawa was widened from 4 to 6 lanes during a multi-year reconstruction project that took place between 1978 and 1980. In addition to the highway widening, the depressed grass median was filled in and replaced by a concrete median barrier with paved inner shoulders. The reconstruction project also included the installation of a full highway illumination system, noise attenuation barriers and overhead guide signs. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Harmony Creek Culvert on Hwy 401 east of Oshawa. This small concrete barrel arch structure was completed in 1950, and was one of the first structures built along the eastern extension of Hwy 401 (then known as Hwy 2A) between Oshawa and Newcastle. Photo taken on August 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Overhead signs mounted to the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Overpass on Hwy 401 in Toronto (September 11, 1977)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Structure #6 at the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto. This structure carries traffic from the Northbound Don Valley Parkway to the Eastbound Hwy 401 Express and Collector Lanes. Photo taken on September 11, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Structure #8 at the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto (September 11, 1977)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north across Structure #6 at the Hwy 404 & Don Valley Parkway Interchange on Hwy 401 in Toronto. This structure carries traffic from the Northbound Don Valley Parkway to the Eastbound Hwy 401 Express and Collector Lanes. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on September 11, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Birchmount Road Underpass on Hwy 401 in Toronto in 1977, before reconstruction. Shortly after this photo was taken, Birchmount Road was rebuilt under Hwy 401 to accommodate the construction of a new grade separation over the adjacent Canadian Pacific Railway. The original alignment of Birchmount Road seen here was buried underneath a large earth fill, as a result of the grade-raise. Note the "angled" advance overhead guide sign on Hwy 401 for the Kennedy Road Interchange. Photo taken on September 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Southern side of the Birchmount Road Underpass at Hwy 401. The profile of Birchmount Avenue was raised through this area when a new grade separation was built by Metro Toronto at an adjacent railway crossing. The house in the foreground was removed as a result of this project. Photo taken on September 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing east across the Hwy 409 Flyover to Eastbound Hwy 401 in Toronto in 1977. Although it isn't very clear in this photo (picture was damaged), the Eastbound Hwy 401 Collector Lanes are only signed as "To Weston Road" from the end of Hwy 409. At the time this photo was taken in 1977, all other exits between Hwy 409 and The Basketweave except for Weston Road could be accessed from the Express Lanes. Even Hwy 400 South (today's Black Creek Drive) was accessible from the Express Lanes. Photo taken on October 14, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Hwy 409 Flyover to Eastbound Hwy 401 in Toronto, facing west (October 14, 1977)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Western side of the Hwy 25 Overpass on Hwy 401 in Milton in 1977. Note that the centre pier of the bridge is now protected by steel beam guide rail and crash attenuators (Fitch barrels). Compare this photo to the 1961 photo on the previous page, which shows the unprotected bridge pier. Photo taken on November 15, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Right - Facing south along Hwy 25 towards Milton from the Hwy 401 Interchange (November 15, 1977)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Above - Hwy 401 Overpass across the future lanes of Hwy 410 in Mississauga in 1977. Hwy 410 was opened as an undivided two-lane highway from Hwy 401 to Brampton in 1978. Photo taken on November 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 401 towards Toronto from the future Hwy 410 Interchange in Mississauga in 1977. Note the adjacent Hwy 403 Interchange in the background, which was also under construction at the time. Photo taken on November 30, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Right - Highway widening project underway on Hwy 401 at Derry Road in Mississauga in 1977, facing east towards the Mississauga Road Interchange. Note the business park development beside the highway at right, which was just starting to take form at the time this photo was taken. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 21, 1977.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Lakeridge Road Overpass on Hwy 401 between Whitby and Ajax (June 20, 1978)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - A newly-widened section of Hwy 401 west of Lakeridge Road between Whitby and Ajax, facing east. This was one of several projects carried out in the 1970s to widen Hwy 401 from 4 to 6 lanes between the Rouge River and Oshawa. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 20, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 401 at the Moore Road (Whites Road) Overpass in Pickering. At the time this photo was taken, there was no interchange at Moore Road. In 1982, a new overpass and interchange was built at Whites Road, which greatly improved access to Hwy 401 from Pickering. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 20, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Facing north across the Moore Road (Whites Road) Overpass on Hwy 401 in Pickering. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 20, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Facing north across the Hwy 12 (Brock Street) Overpass on Hwy 401 in Whitby. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 21, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Hwy 12 (Brock Street) Overpass on Hwy 401 in Whitby, showing the newly-expanded highway. This section of Hwy 401 was expanded from four to six lanes during the 1970s. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 21, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 401 towards Toronto at the Credit River Bridge in Mississauga, showing a recently-completed highway widening project. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on September 15, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Bridgeland Avenue Underpass on Hwy 401 in 1978. This ramp carries traffic from Eastbound Hwy 401 to Dufferin Street and Yorkdale Road. The Yorkdale Shopping Centre can be seen in the background, along with a long-removed "butterfly" overhead sign structure marking the separate ramps for Dufferin Street North & Yorkdale Road and Dufferin Street South. Photo taken on October 17, 1978.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Overhead signs on northbound Hwy 427 at the Hwy 401 Interchange. At the time this photo was taken, the north leg of Hwy 427 north of the Hwy 401 Interchange was signed as the Airport Expressway. Highway signs making reference to the Airport Expressway were removed during 1981, when the highway was reconstructed between Hwy 401 and Toronto International Airport. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 13, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Western side of the Hwy 427 & Airport Expressway Overpass on Hwy 401 in Toronto. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 13, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Left - View underneath the dual Hwy 427 Overpasses over Hwy 401 in Toronto. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 13, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Right - Mimico Creek Arch Culvert under Hwy 401 east of the Hwy 427 Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken in June 13, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2016)

Above - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards Milton from Derry Road in Mississauga in 1979. This location marked the end of the first Hwy 401 widening contract west of Hwy 10 (Hurontario Street). Between 1977 and 1982, there were several widening contracts which took place along Hwy 401 between the Hwy 10 Interchange in Mississauga and the Hwy 25 Interchange in Milton. The start of the second widening contract, from Derry Road to Trafalgar Road, can be seen in the background of this photo. As part of these widening projects, a new concrete median barrier was constructed and the highway was widened from 4 to 6 lanes. The New Jersey median barrier made its debut in Ontario during the first Hwy 401 widening contract in 1977. This new concrete barrier type can be seen in the foreground. The New Jersey median barrier was utilized on many other freeway sections in Ontario during the 1970s and 1980s, effectively eliminating the need for higher-maintenance steel beam guide rail median types that were used on older Ontario freeways. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken in July, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - Derry Road Underpass on Hwy 401 in Mississauga in 1979. When this underpass was originally constructed in 1958, there was a separate eastbound and westbound structure. However, when Hwy 401 was widened from 4 to 6 lanes in 1977-1978, the two separate structures were joined together in order to accommodate the widened highway. In 1996-1997, Derry Road was widened to four lanes below Hwy 401, and the original underpass structure was replaced entirely. Photo taken in July, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing west across the Derry Road Underpass on Hwy 401 in Mississauga in 1979. This rural scene is now just a distant memory, as this area looks dramatically different today. The area around Mississauga & Derry Road is now fully urbanized, with multi-storey office towers and hotels reaching into the sky. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken in July, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north towards Brampton along the single southbound lane of Hwy 410 from the Hwy 401 Interchange in 1979. Until the early 1990s, Hwy 410 ended at a loop ramp which connected to the eastbound lanes of Hwy 401. The loop ramp was eventually removed and replaced with a directional flyover. Photo taken in July, 1979.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)