Ontario Highway 5 Photographs - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Photographic History of King's Highway 5

All photographs displayed on this page were taken by the Webmaster (Cameron Bevers), unless specifically noted otherwise. Historical photographs are arranged in approximate chronological order, while present day photographs (Year 2000 to date) are arranged by location from west to east. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image!

Please note that all photographs displayed on this website are protected by copyright. These photographs must not be reproduced, published, electronically stored or copied, distributed, or posted onto other websites without my written permission. If you want to use photos from this website, please email me first for permission. Thank-you!

Historical Highway 5 Photographs

Above - Facing east across the new Bloor Street Viaduct in Toronto (July 14, 1919)
Photo Courtesy of John Bromley

Above - Postcard view of the Bloor Street Viaduct on Hwy 5 in Toronto (1928)
Photo Courtesy of the Valentine-Black Publishing Co.

Automobile registration in Ontario more than tripled between the years 1919 and 1928. The sudden rise in the popularity of the automobile during the 1920s created a noticeable increase in traffic volumes on all of Ontario's highways, but the increase was especially pronounced on highways near major cities such as Toronto. Compare the traffic volumes on Hwy 5 in the 1928 photo of the Bloor Street Viaduct with the previous photo taken nine years earlier. The abrupt increase in automobile ownership during the 1920s and 1930s put considerable strain on Toronto's major arterial streets, since local traffic was mixed with long distance through traffic heading across the province. It was not until the completion of the Toronto Bypass (Hwy 401) in the 1950s that motorists had a feasible alternate route to Toronto's busy arterial streets.

Above - Fingerboard Direction Sign at the Junction of Hwy 5 & Hwy 6 at Clappison's Corners (ca. 1930)
Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2-27, Box B984, Photo #19)

Above - Old St. George Subway on Hwy 5 prior to reconstruction in 1932
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Above - New St. George Subway on Hwy 5 after completion in 1932
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Left - New grade separation at the junction of Hwy 2 & Hwy 5 east of Toronto (1938)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Centre - Day view of the Cenotaph Interchange at the junction of Hwy 2 & Hwy 5 east of Toronto (1939)
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Right - Night view of the Cenotaph Interchange at the junction of Hwy 2 & Hwy 5 in 1939, showing new lighting system
Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Present Day Highway 5 Photographs

Left - Facing west towards Peters Corners at the Spencer Creek Bridge
(Photograph taken on October 21, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Southern side of the Spencer Creek Bridge on Hwy 5 near Peters Corners
(Photograph taken on October 21, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Northern side of the Spencer Creek Bridge. This bridge was originally built in the 1920s by the County of Wentworth, and was later assumed by the Department of Highways when Hwy 5 was extended westerly to Paris in the 1930s. The bridge was widened to its current width in 1954.
(Photograph taken on October 21, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Close-up of railing design on the Spencer Creek Bridge. Note the unusual concrete parapets at left.
(Photograph taken on October 21, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 5 towards Waterdown at the Spencer Creek Bridge
(Photograph taken on October 21, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 407 and Hwy 5 Interchange in Burlington, facing west
(Photograph taken on November 3, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 407 and Hwy 5 Interchange in Burlington, facing northwest
(Photograph taken on November 3, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 407 and Hwy 5 Interchange in Burlington, facing south
(Photograph taken on November 3, 2006 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The Tansley Bridge over Bronte Creek clearly represents the growing importance of Ontario's highway system over the past century. This image shows the "original" 1921 highway bridge piers at left, along with the deck truss replacement structure which was built in 1948. The Bronte Creek Bridge at Tansley was expanded in the 1970s to accommodate a widened Hwy 5. The continuous steel girder structure at right was completed in 1979. Ironically, the replaced 1921 structure at left was originally a replacement bridge as well. A low-level steel truss bridge had previously existed at the bottom of the valley. It was built around 1885, but it was taken out of service in the early 1920s because of the poor road alignment leading down to the valley floor.
(Photograph taken on May 11, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Close-up of the 1921 highway bridge piers looking west along Hwy 5 at Tansley (Bronte Creek)
(Photograph taken on May 11, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - View of the 1948 (Eastbound) and the 1979 (Westbound) structures on Hwy 5 at Tansley
(Photograph taken on May 11, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - View of the 1921 highway bridge piers looking east along Hwy 5 at Tansley (Bronte Creek)
(Photograph taken on May 11, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

Above - Overgrown remains of the western approach to the 1921 structure over Bronte Creek at Tansley
(Photograph taken on May 11, 2003 - © Cameron Bevers)

More King's Highway 5 Photographs Coming Soon!

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