Ontario Highway 8 Photographs - Page 8 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Freeway exit sign on eastbound Hwy 401 for King Street (Hwy 8 West) and Shantz Hill Road (Hwy 8 East) in Cambridge. The ramps at this interchange are in a "Parclo A-B" configuration, with separate exit ramps to King Street and Shantz Hill Road from eastbound Hwy 401. However, there is only one off-ramp from westbound Hwy 401, which serves both directions of traffic on Hwy 8. Jurisdiction over Hwy 8 in the vicinity of the Hwy 401 Interchange was transferred from the province to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in 1997. The Hwy 8 Bypass is still under provincial jurisdiction. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching the Hwy 8 Interchange on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. There is no direct access to the Kitchener-bound Hwy 8 Bypass from eastbound Hwy 401. At this time, access between the two freeways is provided via King Street (Hwy 8). Access to the eastern leg of Hwy 8 to Hamilton is provided via Shantz Hill Road in Cambridge. Plans are being developed to reconstruct this interchange to allow for a proper freeway-to-freeway connection between the Hwy 8 Bypass and Hwy 401 from both directions. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on May 24, 2009 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover and Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange in Cambridge, facing west along Hwy 401 towards Woodstock. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing northeast. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Aerial view of Hwy 8 at Shantz Hill in Preston, facing north towards the Hwy 401 Interchange. Shantz Hill Road was an early diversion of Hwy 8 that was constructed in the 1920s, to allow trucks to bypass the steep hill on the original route of Hwy 8 (Fountain Street and Kitchener Road). The much newer Hwy 8 Bypass can be seen in the upper right corner of this photo, heading north from Hwy 401 into Kitchener-Waterloo. Until the Hwy 8 Bypass was completed and opened to traffic in November 1987, all traffic bound for Kitchener-Waterloo from Hwy 401 had to use Hwy 8 (King Street). Today, only eastbound Hwy 401 traffic approaching from Woodstock requires the use of King Street in order to reach the Hwy 8 Bypass. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing west towards the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 401 towards the Hwy 8 Bypass Flyover from the Fountain Street Overpass in Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Aerial view of the Hwy 8 (King Street & Shantz Hill Road) Interchange on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. When the Preston Cloverleaf was first designed in the late 1950s, it was a full eight-ramp cloverleaf interchange. The Preston Cloverleaf was opened to traffic in two stages during 1960 and 1961, as the construction of Hwy 401 progressed westerly from Preston towards Woodstock. During reconstruction of the Hwy 8 Interchange in the late 1980s, the cloverleaf's inner loop ramps in the northwest and southwest quadrants were removed. The old loop ramp locations are still quite obvious when seen from the air. Click here to see a Historical 1961 Photo of the original eight-ramp Preston Cloverleaf at Hwy 8 & Hwy 401, facing east towards Hespeler. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 22, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching the Hwy 8 Underpass on Hwy 401 in Cambridge, facing north. The route of Hwy 8 through the Hwy 401 Interchange is a four-lane divided highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Northern side of the Hwy 8 Underpass on Hwy 401 in Cambridge. This two-span concrete rigid frame girder structure was completed in 1960. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - The majority of Hwy 8 between Galt and Freeport was reconstructed as a four-lane divided highway in the 1930s. The dual roadways were separated by a narrow grass median. As the Hwy 8 corridor north of Hwy 401 was developed into a commercial area in the 1960s and 1970s, most of the grass median was removed and paved over with a continuous two-way centre left-turn lane. Only short sections of the original 1930s-era grass median survive today. A portion of the original grass median lies within the Hwy 401 Interchange, as seen here. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Looking up Shantz Hill in Preston. Shantz Hill Road was built as a bypass in the 1920s, in an effort to divert through traffic away from a very steep grade on the original route of Hwy 8 via Preston's Fountain Street and Kitchener Road. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Shantz Hill Road ends at Fountain Street, where Hwy 8 turns left and continues into Downtown Preston. Up until 2005, this intersection was controlled by Stop signs facing eastbound and westbound traffic on Fountain Street. Traffic descending Shantz Hill on Hwy 8 thus had the exclusive right-of-way at this unusual intersection, until traffic signals were installed in 2005. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - A 10 km/h speed advisory sign on southbound Shantz Hill Road (Hwy 8). The intersection warning sign above it was already obsolete at the time this photo was taken, as traffic signals were finally installed at this notorious intersection in the Summer of 2005. Shantz Hill Road was realigned at the intersection with Fountain Street in 2017, so that Hwy 8 became the through road at the intersection. The realignment eliminated the need to install dual left-turn lanes at the bottom of Shantz Hill. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - A channelized right-turn ramp on Fountain Street allowed westbound Hwy 8 traffic departing from Preston with easier access to Shantz Hill Road to Kitchener. Note the old yellow warning hazard paint on the bullnose of the traffic island. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Fountain Street showing the old channelized right-turn ramp to westbound Hwy 8 and the new traffic signals at the base of Shantz Hill. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - A vintage Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) stormwater catch basin on Shantz Hill Road (Hwy 8). The DHO relinquished jurisdictional control over the Shantz Hill section of Hwy 8 in 1958. The road was maintained by the Town of Preston under a Municipal Connecting Link Agreement with DHO for a number of years, before jurisdiction of Shantz Hill Road was transferred once again from the (former) Town of Preston to the newly-created Regional Municipality of Waterloo in the 1970s. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on September 2, 2005 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - A "Kitchener Road" street name sign on Old Hwy 8 departing Preston. As this street name infers, the route of Hwy 8 followed Kitchener Road northwesterly from Preston to Kitchener for many years. An alternate route for Hwy 8 (Shantz Hill Road) was built in the 1920s in order to provide a faster and less steep route for Hwy 8 traffic heading west from Preston towards Kitchener. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Kitchener Road (Old Hwy 8) comes to an end just east of Shantz Hill Road. The old route of Hwy 8 was truncated here when the Preston Cloverleaf was built on Hwy 401 in the late 1950s. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Kitchener Road once continued straight ahead beyond this hedge towards Kitchener. When the Preston Cloverleaf on Hwy 401 was built in the late 1950s, Old Hwy 8 was closed off to traffic immediately east of the cloverleaf. After that time, all Hwy 8 traffic had to use Shantz Hill Road exclusively to reach Kitchener from Preston. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Old Hwy 8 (Kitchener Road) from the edge of the Hwy 8 & Hwy 401 Interchange in Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Kitchener Road (Old Hwy 8) near Jacob Street in Preston. It may seem hard to believe, but this quiet residential street was once a busy King's Highway! Provincial jurisdiction over Kitchener Road (Old Hwy 8) was transferred from the DHO to the Town of Preston in 1957. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Old Hwy 8 (Kitchener Road) at Jacob Street, facing east. The official route of Hwy 8 that was established back in 1920 continued straight ahead via Kitchener Road to Fountain Street. However, the cut-off route to Preston offered via Jacob Street (seen diagonally here at right) was slightly shorter and was likely the preferred route by early Hwy 8 motorists. In the late 1920s, the Shantz Hill Diversion was completed. Following the completion of the Shantz Hill Diversion, most long-distance motorists began to use the new highway. Interestingly, both the old and new routes of Hwy 8 west of Preston remained under provincial jurisdiction right up until the late 1950s, when the old Hwy 8 route via Kitchener Road was closed off at the Preston Cloverleaf on Hwy 401. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - This steep hill on Old Hwy 8 (Fountain Street) departing Preston led to the construction of a Hwy 8 Diversion up Shantz Hill in the 1920s. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along King Street (Hwy 8) approaching Fountain Street in Preston. As originally established in 1920, Hwy 8 turned right at the intersection and departed from Preston via Fountain Street and Kitchener Road. In the late 1920s, the completion of the new highway up Shantz Hill resulted in most Hwy 8 traffic turning left at the intersection to reach the new Hwy 8 Shantz Hill Diversion. The impressive Preston Springs Hotel sits abandoned in the background, seemingly in a state of perpetual decay. Built in 1890 on the site of a natural sulphur spring, the hotel's buildings have served a multitude of purposes over the years, until it was shuttered permanently in 1991. Many redevelopment initiatives have been proposed for the Preston Springs Hotel over the years, but to date, none have gained any traction. It is rather sad to see such a prominent and beautiful historical landmark slowly succumb to age and neglect. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along Hwy 8 (Fountain Street) in Preston, approaching King Street. At King Street, Hwy 8 turns right and heads east towards Downtown Preston. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching Shantz Hill Road on Fountain Street (Hwy 8) in Preston, facing west. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along Hwy 8 (King Street) from Fountain Street in Preston. Westbound Hwy 8 traffic stopped here at the traffic signals is mostly bound for Kitchener via Shantz Hill Road. The Hwy 8 turn-off to Kitchener via Shantz Hill Road lies about 300 metres to the west of King Street. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching the Preston Springs Bridge on Hwy 8 (King Street), facing east towards Downtown Preston. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Northern side of the Preston Springs Bridge on Hwy 8 (King Street). This small concrete arch structure was reportedly constructed in the Year 1900. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - A familiar DHO concrete bar-and-post handrail was installed on the Preston Springs Bridge on Hwy 8 during a bridge rehabilitation project carried out many decades ago. The typical DHO concrete bar-and-post handrail design was slightly modified in this case, with a supplementary steel tube handrail installed below the horizontal concrete bar. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Southern side of the Preston Springs Bridge on Hwy 8 (King Street). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 8 (King Street) approaching the Preston Springs Bridge and Fountain Street. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Southern side of the Speed River Bridge on King Street (Hwy 8) in Preston. This three-span concrete girder structure was completed in 1987. It replaced a much older 9-span concrete bridge that was constructed by the Town of Preston back in 1924. In a thoughtful effort to complement the original bridge's handrail design, decorative handrails were built as part of the Speed River Bridge replacement project in 1987. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along King Street (Hwy 8) approaching the Speed River Bridge in Preston. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - This commemorative plaque from the old 1924 structure was installed on the Speed River Bridge as part of the bridge replacement project in 1987. It is interesting to note that the old 1924 Speed River Bridge was built by the Town of Preston, and not the Department of Highways. Even in the 1920s, provincial jurisdiction over Hwy 8 ended just to the west of the bridge, so this bridge construction project was entirely a municipal undertaking. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on October 19, 2014 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 8 towards Dundas from Branchton Road at the eastern entrance to Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Sign marking the entrance to the City of Cambridge on westbound Hwy 8 near Vanier Drive. Provincial jurisdiction over Hwy 8 ends about 1 km ahead near Branchton Road. The balance of the route of Hwy 8 through Cambridge and the southern end of Kitchener (via King Street) is maintained by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Sign marking the entrance to the City of Hamilton on eastbound Hwy 8 near McLean Road. In 2001, the new single-tiered City of Hamilton was created out of a municipal restructuring of the former Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and all towns, cities and townships contained within it. As a result of this municipal restructuring, Cambridge and Hamilton are now only situated about 1 km apart along Hwy 8. Of course, these are merely political and administrative boundaries - the actual urban centres of both cities are still widely separated in terms of distance. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Sign marking the entrance to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo on westbound Hwy 8 near McLean Road. Interestingly, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo was also created out of a municipal restructuring exercise, when the former County of Waterloo was restructured to form the current Regional Municipality in 1973. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 8 at the western entrance to the City of Hamilton. Note the sign at right, which indicates that it is 33 km to Downtown Hamilton. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) uses signs like this to denote the highway distance to the city centre in geographically large municipalities such as Hamilton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Hwy 8 towards Studiman Road, about 5 km east of Cambridge. The section of Hwy 8 between Cambridge and Peters Corners has been a provincial highway since the route was first assumed by the province in 1920. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - An "Entering the Greenbelt" sign on eastbound Hwy 8 approaching Sheffield. The Greenbelt & Places to Grow provincial urban planning policies were implemented in 2005-2006, in an effort to control urban sprawl around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas (GTHA). These policies have been controversial, with critics saying that The Greenbelt has driven up land prices and decreased housing affordability within the ring of The Greenbelt and has also put increased pressure on an already congested transportation network. Some feel that these policies have unfairly penalized landowners who had long sought to develop their rural properties to meet the seemingly insatiable demand for housing in the GTHA. Proponents of The Greenbelt have argued that the urban sprawl devouring rural areas surrounding the GTHA was simply not sustainable and that these provincial planning policies protect important woodlots, wetlands, aquifers and other sensitive environmental areas, which would have otherwise been developed and urbanized. Proponents will also note that these urban planning policies promote a more compact, higher-density urban form, which is more easily served by public transit and other alternative (i.e. non-automobile) modes of transportation. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Start of the Sheffield Diversion on Hwy 8, facing east towards Dundas. Originally, Hwy 8 used to continue straight ahead into the community of Sheffield. In the late 1950s, a new route for Hwy 8 was built to the north of Sheffield, to allow long-distance through traffic to bypass Sheffield altogether. The original route of Hwy 8 can be seen heading off into Sheffield at right. Part of the old route of Hwy 8 at the western entrance to Sheffield is now a private driveway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 8 towards Cambridge from Sheffield. Before Hwy 401 was completed, the preferred route of travel by most motorists between Toronto-Hamilton and Galt (now part of Cambridge) was via Hwy 8. Although Hwy 8 declined somewhat in importance in the years immediately after Hwy 401's completion, Hwy 8 is still a fairly busy King's Highway today. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Green guide sign marking Safari Road on eastbound Hwy 8 at Sheffield. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - From this intersection, the southern leg of Safari Road provides access to the community of Sheffield via Old Hwy 8. For many years, the old route of Hwy 8 through Sheffield was signed as Hwy 8B. Before the highway was decommissioned in 1970, Sheffield's Hwy 8B Business Route was about 2.4 km in length. Hwy 8B began at this intersection and extended easterly to the eastern entrance to Sheffield. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Hwy 8 towards Cambridge at Safari Road (Former Hwy 8B). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along the Sheffield Diversion (Hwy 8) from Safari Road (Former Hwy 8B). See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching Safari Road (Former Hwy 8B) on Hwy 8, facing west. The Sheffield Diversion on Hwy 8 was completed and opened to traffic in June, 1959. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Approaching Sheffield Road on the Sheffield Diversion (Hwy 8), facing east towards Dundas. This is the only intersection along the Sheffield Diversion. The diversion was designed and designated as a controlled-access highway in the 1950s, with provisions that it could be widened from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway in the future, if traffic volumes ever warranted its construction. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along the Sheffield Diversion (Hwy 8) at Sheffield Road. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Eastern end of the Sheffield Diversion (Hwy 8), facing west towards Cambridge from Settlers Road (Former Hwy 8B). When the Sheffield Diversion was built in the late 1950s, the DHO cleverly offset the lanes of Hwy 8 within the right-of-way rather than placing the new road at the centre of the right-of-way. By doing this, it would greatly simplify the construction of a divided highway in the future if it was ever needed. The existing highway seen here would become the eastbound lanes of the divided highway, while a new roadway would be built slightly to the north (at right) to carry the future westbound lanes of the highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B) from Sheffield Road in Sheffield. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B) from Sheffield Road in Sheffield. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Clear evidence that Sheffield's main street was once a provincial highway: the route of Former Hwy 8B through Sheffield is still called "Old Hwy 8" today. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Sheffield's narrow main street did not allow any room for future expansion of Hwy 8. Accordingly, the DHO constructed a diversion around Sheffield to allow long-distance through traffic on Hwy 8 to bypass the community altogether. Old Hwy 8 through Sheffield was signed as Hwy 8B from 1959 up until 1970. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Entering Sheffield on Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B), facing west. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - At the eastern entrance to Sheffield, the route of Former Hwy 8B turned left and returned to Hwy 8 via Settlers Road. Up until the completion of the Sheffield Diversion in 1959, Hwy 8 continued straight ahead towards Dundas. A patch of the original highway's asphalt pavement can be seen in front of the mailboxes at left. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching Settlers Road (Former Hwy 8B) on Hwy 8, facing west towards Cambridge. The old route of Hwy 8 through Sheffield can be seen at left. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Hwy 8 towards Dundas approaching Kirkwall Road (Former Hwy 52 North) near Rockton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Distance guide sign on westbound Hwy 8 at the Former Hwy 52 North Junction (Kirkwall Road). Distance guide signs such as this are typically posted on the departing legs of all King's Highway junctions and on highways departing towns and cities. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Hwy 8 & Former Hwy 52 North (Kirkwall Road) Junction near Rockton, facing east towards Dundas. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Green guide sign marking Kirkwall Road (Former Hwy 52 North) on eastbound Hwy 8 at Rockton. The northern leg of Hwy 52 was an anomaly in the provincial highway system for many years, as it was essentially a dead-end route. When Hwy 52 was first established in 1937, the highway's route ended rather arbitrarily at the Wentworth-Wellington County Boundary southwest of Guelph. Hwy 52 did not connect to any other highways at its northern terminus, nor was there any community or settlement at the end of the highway. Since it served exclusively a local purpose, jurisdiction over the north leg of Hwy 52 was ultimately transferred from the province to the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth in 1986. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Hwy 8 Junction on Former Hwy 52 (Kirkwall Road), facing south. From 1937 until 1986, Hwy 52 turned left at this junction and followed an overlapped route with Hwy 8 for about 7 km between Rockton and Peters Corners. Until the mid-2000s, a number of signs at this junction still marked the pre-1986 overlapped route of Hwy 8 & Hwy 52. However, these signs have since been removed. There is no longer any evidence at this junction that Hwy 8 & Hwy 52 once shared a common route. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north along Former Hwy 52 towards Kirkwall from the Hwy 8 Junction. Up until 1986, Hwy 52 continued north from Rockton to Hwy 97 via Kirkwall. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing west along Hwy 8 towards Cambridge at Kirkwall Road (Former Hwy 52 North) near Rockton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching Rockton on Hwy 8, facing east from the Former Hwy 52 North Junction (Kirkwall Road). The community of Rockton was also bypassed by a diversion of Hwy 8 in the late 1950s. The start of the Rockton Diversion can be seen in the background of this photo. The highway diversion passes around the southern side of Rockton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Green guide sign marking Kirkwall Road (Former Hwy 52 North) on westbound Hwy 8 at Rockton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Since Kirkwall Road was at one time a King's Highway, a distance guide sign is in place on eastbound Hwy 8 departing from the junction. Interestingly, the distance to Dundas is not marked, which suggests that the distance sign was installed sometime after the municipal amalgamation of 2001. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Western end of the Rockton Diversion (Hwy 8), facing west towards Cambridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - At left, traces of the original route of Hwy 8 can still be seen coming out of Rockton. This short section of Hwy 8 was abandoned when the Rockton Diversion was completed and opened to traffic in June, 1959. The former highway route through Rockton (Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B) was realigned so that it met the Rockton Diversion at a right angle. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Like the nearby Sheffield Diversion, the Rockton Diversion was designed and designated as a controlled-access highway in the 1950s. A wide right-of-way was provided for the new highway so that it could be widened from a two-lane undivided highway to a four-lane divided highway in the future. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along the Rockton Diversion (Hwy 8) from the eastern entrance to Rockton. The lanes of the Rockton Diversion were offset within the right-of-way to simplify construction of a four-lane divided highway, if required in the future. The existing highway seen here would become the westbound lanes of the divided highway, while a new roadway would be built slightly to the south (at left) to carry the future eastbound lanes of the highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Western terminus of Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B) in Rockton. The Rockton Diversion (Hwy 8) at left was completed in 1959, which bypassed a short section of Old Hwy 8. The route of Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B through Rockton was then realigned so that it intersected the Rockton Diversion at a right angle. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on April 15, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing east along Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B) from the western entrance to Rockton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing east along Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B) in Rockton. Although not quite as narrow as the main street through nearby Sheffield, Rockton's main street was still fairly constrained and did not leave much room for any future expansion of Hwy 8. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing west along Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B) in Rockton. Until the Rockton Diversion opened in June 1959, all through traffic between Galt and Hamilton travelled along Rockton's main street. This once-busy route is now a quiet residential street. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on April 15, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Departing from Rockton on Old Hwy 8 (Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B), facing east. Old Hwy 8 connects to the Rockton Diversion (Hwy 8) just beyond the curve. Prior to 1959, the highway continued straight ahead towards Dundas and Hamilton. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on July 1, 2011 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Beginning of Former Hwy 8B & Hwy 52B, facing west from the eastern entrance to Rockton. The short Rockton Business Route was established after the community was bypassed by a new highway in the late 1950s. The Rockton Business Route was decommissioned as a King's Highway in 1970 and is now just known as Old Hwy 8. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on April 15, 2008 - © Cameron Bevers)