Ontario Highway 404 Photographs - Page 3 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Above - Overhead sign for the upcoming Finch Avenue Interchange on Southbound Hwy 404 at McNicoll Avenue in Toronto in 1990. Ontario used "angled" overhead signs such as this one from the 1960s up until the 1980s. They were gradually phased out on Ontario's freeways over a 20-year period. All of Toronto's angled signs on Hwy 400, Hwy 401, Hwy 404, Hwy 409 and Hwy 427 were replaced in 1993-1994, during the conversion to bilingual signs with both French and English text. At the same time, forked arrow graphics were introduced on advance signs showing two-lane exits in a diagrammatic format, eliminating the "2 Lanes" text seen on older Ontario freeway signs. Photo taken on January 2, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - McNicoll Avenue Overpass on Hwy 404 in Toronto in 1990. Note the box-beam median barriers in the highway's median. This median barrier type was used on the earliest phase of Hwy 404 lying between Hwy 401 and the Steeles Avenue Interchange in Toronto. Photo taken on January 2, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Southbound Hwy 404 at the Hwy 7 Interchange in Markham, facing north towards Newmarket in 1991. At the time this photo was taken, only two southbound lanes approached the Hwy 7 Interchange. Today, there are three through lanes plus a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. The construction of Hwy 407 ETR in the 1990s and various highway improvement projects carried out along Hwy 404 over the years have drastically changed the appearance of this highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 6, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Hwy 7 Underpass on Hwy 404 in Markham, before the original 1977 structure was widened to make way for the Hwy 407 ETR Interchange (June 6, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - Hwy 404 facing south from the Steeles Avenue Interchange in Toronto (1992)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2010)

Although this photo isn't particularly old, the photo is historically significant because it shows Hwy 404 before a pair of recent reconstruction projects dramatically altered the appearance of this freeway. As a result, the highway looks quite different today than it did when this photo was taken in 1992. When Hwy 404 was originally built in the 1970s, it was only six lanes wide (three lanes per direction). One northbound lane was closed when this photo was taken, due to an ongoing highway resurfacing contract. The highway is now eight lanes wide (four lanes per direction), with a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) carpool lane in each direction. Initially, Hwy 404 had a grass median with a continuous box beam median barrier beside the northbound lanes, and a discontinuous box beam barrier beside the southbound lanes through overpasses and overhead sign structures. The box beam median barrier was eventually replaced with a standard concrete median barrier. The luminaires used on Hwy 404 were unique; they were not used on any other freeway in Ontario. Sadly, they were removed during the conversion to high-mast illumination several years ago. See an Enlarged Photo Here.

Left - Facing east across the Mulock Drive & Vivian Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Newmarket (June 17, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing east across the Aurora Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Aurora (June 17, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing east across the Davis Drive Overpass on Hwy 404 in Newmarket (June 17, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north along Hwy 404 at the Steeles Avenue Interchange in Toronto. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 6, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 404 towards the Sheppard Avenue Interchange in Toronto. Note the bridge-mounted overhead lane drop sign. Before the reconstruction and widening of Hwy 404 during the 1990s, Lane 4 ended 75 metres north of the Sheppard Avenue Overpass. This abrupt lane drop resulted in severe congestion at peak times, as traffic joining Hwy 404 from Hwy 401 competed for space on the highway with traffic heading north on the Don Valley Parkway. Rapid urban growth in Markham and Richmond Hill has prompted several significant expansion projects on Hwy 404 by MTO over the past 15 years. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 24, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing south along Hwy 404 towards the Van Horne Avenue Overpass in Toronto (August 24, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Looking across the Van Horne Avenue Overpass on Hwy 404 in Toronto (August 24, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Approaching the Finch Avenue Interchange on Hwy 404 at Van Horne Avenue in Toronto, facing north. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 24, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Woodbine Avenue Overpass on Hwy 404 in Toronto, facing south (August 24, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north along Hwy 404 towards Newmarket at the Woodbine Avenue Overpass in Toronto (August 24, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 404 at the Finch Avenue Interchange in Toronto. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 24, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Dual Sheppard Avenue Overpasses across Hwy 404 in Toronto (August 24, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along the southbound lanes of Hwy 404 at the 16th Avenue Interchange in Markham. When this section of Hwy 404 was first constructed in the early 1980s, there was no interchange at 16th Avenue. At the time, 16th Avenue was merely a two-lane rural road. However, growing development pressure in both Markham and Richmond Hill prompted the construction of a new interchange at 16th Avenue in 1990. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on November 30, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing east towards the 16th Avenue Underpass on Hwy 404 in Markham (November 30, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along the northbound lanes of Hwy 404 at the 16th Avenue Interchange in Markham. This section of Hwy 404 was widened to three lanes in each direction in 1998-1999. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on November 30, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Mulock Drive & Vivian Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Newmarket, facing west (August 2, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 404 at the Mulock Drive & Vivian Road Interchange in Newmarket (August 2, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Davis Drive Overpass on Hwy 404 in Newmarket, facing west (August 2, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 404 at the northern terminus of the freeway at Davis Drive in Newmarket in 1995. It was not until 2002 that Hwy 404 was completed between Davis Drive and Green Lane. Note that the northbound lanes of Hwy 404 had not yet been constructed, as all northbound traffic was forced to exit the freeway at the Davis Drive exit ramp. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 2, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Aurora Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Aurora, facing west (August 2, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 404 at the Aurora Road Interchange in Aurora. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 2, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Bethesda Road Overpass on Hwy 404 south of Aurora, facing west (August 17, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 404 towards Toronto at the Bethesda Road Overpass south of Aurora. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 17, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north towards Newmarket along Northbound Hwy 404 at the Bloomington Road Underpass (August 17, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Southbound Hwy 404 at the Bloomington Road Underpass south of Aurora, facing south towards Toronto. Both the northbound and southbound Hwy 404 structures at Bloomington Road were widened in 2000-2001 to make way for an additional through lane in each direction. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 17, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Northbound Hwy 404 at the Bloomington Road Underpass south of Aurora, facing south towards Toronto. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 17, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 404 towards Newmarket at the Major MacKenzie Drive Interchange in Markham (September 27, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Major MacKenzie Drive Overpass on Hwy 404 in Markham, facing west (September 27, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Northbound Hwy 404 at the 16th Avenue Interchange in Markham, facing north towards Newmarket. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on September 27, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing west towards the 16th Avenue Underpass on Hwy 404 in Markham (September 27, 1995)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Southbound Hwy 404 at the 16th Avenue Interchange in Markham, facing north towards Newmarket. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on September 27, 1995.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Aurora Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Aurora, facing west (May 22, 1997)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Facing west across the Mulock Drive & Vivian Road Overpass on Hwy 404 in Newmarket (May 22, 1997)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing west along Bloomington Road at the Hwy 404 Interchange (June 4, 1997)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Southbound Hwy 404 at the Bloomington Road Interchange south of Aurora, facing north towards Newmarket (June 4, 1997)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Facing north along Hwy 404 from the Hwy 7 Interchange in Markham. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 10, 1997.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Left - Widened Hwy 7 Underpass on Hwy 404 in Markham in 1997. The expansion of this underpass was required as a result of the construction of the adjacent Hwy 407 ETR Interchange in 1996. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 10, 1997.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Right - Southbound Hwy 404 at the 16th Avenue Interchange in Markham, facing south towards Toronto in 1997. Note Buttonville Airport at left. Shortly after this photo was taken, a project began to expand Hwy 404 to six lanes (three lanes per direction) through this area. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 12, 1997.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2013)

Above - Aerial view of Hwy 401 facing east from Hwy 404/Don Valley Parkway interchange in 1999. Note the new ramp under construction in the foreground from Eastbound Hwy 401 to Northbound Hwy 404. The completed ramp can be seen in the aerial photographs which I took of this interchange in May 2004. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Bruce Lamont - © 1999)