Ontario Highway 599 Photographs - Page 3 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Distance guide sign on southbound Hwy 599 near Pickle Lake Road (Former Hwy 646) departing from Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Warning sign on northbound Hwy 599 advising motorists that there are no services beyond Pickle Lake. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Sign marking the community of Central Patricia on northbound Hwy 599. This is the last settlement along Hwy 599, with no services located beyond it. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along Hwy 599 from Pickle Lake Road (Former Hwy 646) in Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 599 approaching Pickle Lake Road. The main community centre of Pickle Lake is actually located a short distance off of Hwy 599 via Pickle Lake Road. Up until the early 1980s, this access road into Pickle Lake was an Ontario Secondary Highway (Hwy 646). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching the eastern terminus of Former Hwy 646 (Pickle Lake Road) at the Hwy 599 Junction. This road is actually a diversion of Hwy 646 that was constructed back in the 1970s. Originally, Hwy 646 connected to Hwy 599 about 600 metres further north. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Junction sign assembly approaching the Hwy 599 Junction on Pickle Lake Road. At one time, this signpost had a Hwy 646 route marker with an "Ends" tab below it. Jurisdiction over Hwy 646 was transferred to the Municipal Township of Pickle Lake back in 1981, which means that this signpost has been standing for more than 40 years. The Hwy 646 marker was also not present on this route marker assembly when I last visited the Pickle Lake area in 2003. At left, a checkerboard sign marks the location of the old route of Hwy 646, which was closed to traffic after a highway realignment many decades ago. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Pickle Lake Road (Former Hwy 646) near the Hwy 599 Junction. The community of Pickle Lake lies about 1 km to the west of Hwy 599. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 599 from Pickle Lake Road in Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of Hwy 599 at Central Patricia, facing south near the road to Pickle Crow Mine. This is roughly the location of the original Hwy 646 Junction on Hwy 599, before it was relocated further to the south during the 1970s. Originally, Hwy 646 crossed Hwy 599 via a badly-skewed intersection. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along the road to Pickle Crow Mine from Hwy 599. This road was once an easterly extension of Hwy 646, but was closed to traffic as a provincial highway in 1973 after the Pickle Crow Mine was closed and the townsite abandoned. High commodity prices in recent years have sparked new mining exploration and resource development at the old mine site at Pickle Crow. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching the Former Hwy 646 East turn-off to Pickle Crow Mine. The intersection of Former Hwy 646 West to Pickle Lake was realigned further to the south in the 1970s, once it was decided that the road to Pickle Crow would be closed. For many years, Hwy 599 ended at this intersection. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Final route marker on Hwy 599, which now has a North directional tab and a "pull through" arrow underneath as opposed to the "Ends" tab that stood here previously. Recently, the Ministry of Transportation has been in the process of assuming jurisdiction and control over portions of the Northern Ontario Resource Trail (the NORT Road) which begins at Central Patricia and continues northerly. While this process is still ongoing as of early 2024, sections of the NORT Road have already been assumed as an extension of Hwy 599 as far north as the Otoskwin River Bridge located about 60 km north of Pickle Lake. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing south along Hwy 599 towards the highway's former northern terminus at the Pickle Crow Mine Road (Former Hwy 646 East) in Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of Hwy 599 facing north from the Pickle Crow Mine Road at Central Patricia. As an old mine's headframe looms above Hwy 599, the staging area at right contains a number of temporary buildings destined to be transported to new mining operations located further to the north. This area has seen a surge of resource development in recent years, which is expected to grow even more in the coming decades as the so-called "Ring of Fire" mineral deposit is explored and developed. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north at the Central Patricia Bridge on Hwy 599. This short bridge spans a mining hazard which was left behind from earlier gold mining explorations in this area during the first half of the 20th Century. As older mines closed and went out of business, unmaintaned and uncapped mine shafts and tunnels which were left behind often became unstable and created sinkholes and pits on the surface. This bridge was completed in 2003 in order to carry highway traffic safely across the mining area. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south across the Central Patricia (NORT Road) Bridge (Site #41S-240) on Hwy 599. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Central Patricia (NORT Road) Bridge. Chain-link fences have been placed around the areas of unstable ground to keep people out of danger. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 599 at the Crow River Bridge (Site #41S-94) at the northern entrance to Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Crow River Bridge on Hwy 599. This structure was completed in 1964. It consists of a single-span steel beam superstructure supported on creosoted timber cribs. The Crow River is also known as the Kawinogans River. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 599 towards the Crow River Bridge and Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Reconstructed section of Hwy 599 about 6 km north of Central Patricia, facing north. The recent extension of Hwy 599 north of the Pickle Lake area has been accompanied by many substantial upgrades to the highway. Compare this present day photo of Hwy 599 with this 2003 Photo of the same section of road, taken 20 years earlier. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 599 at the Pickle Lake Municipal Welcome Sign. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Blue-and-white white municipal sign for Pickle Lake on southbound Hwy 599. The various settlements in and around the Pickle Lake area are all incorporated as part of the Municipal Township of Pickle Lake. The highway crosses the township boundary line about 7 km north of Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 599 from the Pickle Lake Township boundary. As a result of the recent extension of Hwy 599, the highway continues north as a paved highway for another 52 km. A hydro transmission corridor was also constructed along Hwy 599 in recent years. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - One Lane Bridge warning sign on northbound Hwy 599 approaching the July Falls Bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of the July Falls Bridge (Site #41S-95) on Hwy 599, facing north. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Western side of the July Falls Bridge on Hwy 599. This modular bridge was installed in 2016. It replaced a steel beam bridge with a timber deck which was built here in 1964 during the initial construction of the Resource Road north of Pickle Lake. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Eastern side of the July Falls Bridge on Hwy 599. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of the July Falls Bridge on Hwy 599, facing south towards Pickle Lake. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of Hwy 599 near Collinshaw Lake, located about 41 km north of Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Hwy 599 near Shred Lake, about 49 km north of Central Patricia. The reconstruction of the NORT Road over the past several years has been done to a very high standard. Gone are the days of the winding, dusty gravel resource road which crawled into Ontario's vast north. This newly-reconstructed highway will play an important role in Ontario's future, which will include the unlocking and development of essential mineral resource deposits of the Ring of Fire which are needed for many 21st Century electronics. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north across the Badesdawa River Bridge on Hwy 599, located about 53 km north of Central Patricia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Badesdawa River Bridge on Hwy 599. This single-span concrete beam bridge was completed in 2019. It replaced a five-span creosoted timber trestle bridge which was constructed at this location in 1965. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Western side of the Badesdawa River Bridge on Hwy 599 north of Pickle Lake. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Structure identification number (Site #41S-102) and date stamp (2019) on the Badesdawa River Bridge on Hwy 599. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 599 towards Pickle Lake at the Badesdawa River Bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Eastern side of the Otoskwin River Bridge on Hwy 599. In the background, a truck hauling mining supplies is heading north across the bridge. In recent years, there has been considerable investment in resource development in this part of Ontario. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing north along Hwy 599 at the Otoskwin River Bridge. Although there were no highway signs indicating the highway's terminus as of August 2023, this bridge marks the end of the assumed highway based on legal surveys. North of the bridge, the road continues as a Resource Road known as the Northern Ontario Resource Trail (the NORT Road), but it is no longer an assumed provincial highway beyond this bridge. The pavement ends about 2 km ahead. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Western side of the Otoskwin River Bridge (Site #41S-103) on Hwy 599. This five-span modular bridge on steel bents and timber cribs was installed in 2009. It replaced an earlier structure which was completed at this location in 1967. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south along Hwy 599 towards Pickle Lake from the northern side of the Otoskwin River Bridge. Although it was not signed at the time this photo was taken in August 2023, this point marks the current northern terminus of Hwy 599. Even prior to the extension, Hwy 599 was already Ontario's northernmost provincial highway and longest Secondary Highway. The recent extension of Hwy 599 has added approximately 60 km to the highway's almost 300 km length, which has only further cemented Hwy 599's two notable record holds. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along the NORT Road at the intersection of the Matawa Winter Road. These two roads intersect about 2 km north of the northern terminus of Hwy 599 at the Otoskwin River Bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Green guide sign marking the entrance to the Matawa Winter Road at the intersection of the NORT Road. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Entrance to the Matawa Winter Road from the NORT Road. This seasonal road provides access to a number of remote communities in Ontario's far north region. The winter road is built across the ice during the coldest winter months and provides a brief window to truck in bulk supplies to communities which do not have year-round road access. As a result of Climate Change, the windows for using these winter ice roads has been shrinking in recent years which has made the transportation of vital supplies to these remote communities increasingly difficult and risky. While there are some in Ontario who complain about what they perceive to be an inadequacy of existing roads within our province, it is important to reflect on the fact that there are still many far north communities in our province which do not have the luxury of any year-round road access at all. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Junction of the NORT Road and the Matawa Winter Road, facing south towards Pickle Lake. As of August 2023, this intersection also marked the northern end of the pavement on the NORT Road. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along the NORT Road towards Windigo Lake at the end of the pavement near the Matawa Winter Road Junction. The NORT Road continues up to Windigo Lake, which lies about 175 km northwesterly from this point. On October 17, 2017, a new year-round road was completed and opened to traffic which connected the community of Weagamow on North Caribou Lake First Nation to the NORT Road at Windigo Lake. This new road link between Windigo Lake and Weagamow is about 40 km in length. It is now the most northerly all-season road link which is contiguous with the rest of Ontario's road system. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 8, 2023 - © Cameron Bevers)