Ontario Highway 527 (#1) Photographs - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Above - Old Locks Bridge over the Muskoka River (North Branch) on the Baysville-Huntsville Secondary Road (known later as Hwy 527), facing north towards Huntsville. The old single-lane bridge at the Brunel Locks was replaced by a new two-lane structure on an improved alignment in the mid-1950s. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 10, 1950.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 1950)

Left - Facing south along Muskoka Road 2 (Former Secondary Highway 527) towards the Locks Bridge south of Huntsville. This was one of several former Secondary Highways which existed up until the creation of the District Municipality of Muskoka in the early 1970s. Provincial jurisdiction over Hwy 527 between Baysville and Huntsville ceased in 1972. After this route was decommissioned, the Hwy 527 route number was used again for a different, unrelated highway located up near Thunder Bay. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Scenic side view of the Locks Bridge on Former Hwy 527 south of Huntsville. This Parkinson-type steel through truss structure was constructed by the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) under Contract #1953-75. This impressive bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1955. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Bridge manufacturer's plaque on the Locks Bridge on Former Hwy 527. The main steel truss superstructure of the Locks Bridge was manufactured in 1954 by the Bridge and Tank Company of Canada Ltd. Historical records suggest that the DHO had some difficulty in finding a contractor to supply the structural steel needed for this bridge. After tendering the Locks Bridge replacement contract in September 1953, the DHO had to delay the contract tender opening to allow more time for prospective contractors to submit their bids. The tendering and construction of new highway bridges in Ontario was often delayed in the years following World War II, due to chronic shortages of structural steel. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Former Hwy 527 towards Huntsville at the Locks Bridge. This bridge spans the North Branch of the Muskoka River about 3 km south of Huntsville's Town Centre. The North Branch of the Muskoka River is a navigable waterway at this point. The interconnected lakes of Huntsville are also connected to nearby Mary Lake via a lock system at Brunel, which is located immediately downstream of the Locks Bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of the overhead steel through truss superstructure of the Locks Bridge on Former Hwy 527 south of Huntsville. Although once commonplace along Ontario's Highways, steel through truss structures such as this one are rapidly vanishing from the province's landscapes. The inherent problem with this type of bridge design was the overhead truss itself, which presented a vertical clearance limitation for vehicles travelling on the highway below. Designers who were not forward-thinking often designed these bridges to accommodate the vehicles of the day, with little thought of the future. As vehicle dimensions increased, the overhead truss often became a barrier to truck movements, which led to the premature replacement of many bridges of this design. Fortunately, the DHO designed the Locks Bridge with sufficient vertical clearance that it has withstood the increased demands of traffic using the highway for many decades. It is worth reflecting on the ingenuity of these bridge designs, as they really are quite intricate! See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Overgrown ruins of the old Locks Bridge on Former Hwy 527. The old bridge's superstructure was dismantled following the completion of the current highway bridge in the 1950s, but the old concrete piers and abutments were left in place. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Ruins of the old Locks Bridge on Former Hwy 527. The old bridge's steel truss superstructure was supported on steel truss piers which were in turn were supported on concrete piers on either side of the river. The current highway bridge is directly supported on concrete abutments. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of the concrete end-post of the bridge's barrier system. Unlike modern highway bridges which often have very plain barrier systems with squared ends, bridge designers of yesteryear would often use some artistic enhancements by designing concrete handrails which added some aesthetic value to the bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 5, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)