Ontario Highway 400A Photographs - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

This page contains historical and present day photos of Ontario's King's Highway 400A. 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 north to south. 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 King's Highway 400A Photographs

Above - Crown Hill Overpass on Hwy 400 approaching the Hwy 11 & Hwy 93 Interchange north of Barrie in 1968. At this major fork, the Hwy 400 Extension exits from the freeway and continues north across the overpass towards Coldwater, while the unposted route of Hwy 400A continues straight ahead to Crown Hill, where it connects with Hwy 11 to Orillia. Note the incredibly retro guide sign at right, marking the upcoming Hwy 93 Exit at Crown Hill. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on August 12, 1968.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2019)

Present Day King's Highway 400A Photographs

Above - Overhead diagrammatic guide sign on northbound Hwy 400 approaching the Crown Hill Overpass north of Barrie. At this junction, Hwy 400 actually exits from the apparent through highway, and charts a new course northwesterly towards Parry Sound where it joins Hwy 69 to Sudbury. The through route leads to Hwy 11, which continues northeasterly towards Orillia and North Bay. This is a challenging exit to sign, since the interchange appears at the end of a long curve. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Overhead turn-off guide signs on northbound Hwy 400 at Crown Hill. The route of Hwy 69, which extends from the Parry Sound area to Sudbury, is "trailblazed" via Hwy 400 on both the advance and turn-off overhead guide signs. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on August 2, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Approaching the Crown Hill Overpass north of Barrie. At this point, northbound Hwy 400 traffic has already exited from the highway, so traffic continuing north below this bridge is already committed to taking Hwy 11. Although signed as Hwy 11 heading northbound, the short section of the highway between the Crown Hill Overpass and the neighbouring Crown Hill Interchange (Hwy 11 & Hwy 93 Junction) has an unposted designation (Hwy 400A). That route number was logically omitted from all highway signs at both junctions, due to the potential for confusion amongst motorists. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Southern side of the Crown Hill Overpass on Hwy 400. This single span concrete rigid frame girder structure was completed in 1959, as part of the Hwy 400 Extension from Crown Hill to Coldwater. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Northern side of the Crown Hill Overpass on Hwy 400. The bridge deck had a significant superelevation, to compensate for the relatively small ramp footprint. As a result, the structure's north fascia appears to be much larger than the south fascia. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Northbound Hwy 400 ramp approaching the Crown Hill Overpass, facing south towards Barrie. The designers used a very economical design to unite the original route of Hwy 400 and the Hwy 400 Extension to Coldwater. A project began in May 2013 to replace the Crown Hill Overpass and realign the approach ramp. Preliminary grading for the new ramp can be seen in the background. The old 1959 structure was demolished on December 12, 2015, a few weeks after the replacement bridge opened to traffic. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Deck view of the Crown Hill Overpass on Hwy 400, facing north. This point marked the beginning of the so-called "Hwy 400 Extension" to Coldwater. This two-lane undivided highway was completed in 1959. The new route provided a direct connection to the Trans-Canada Highway at Coldwater, and shortened the distance between Toronto and Sudbury by approximately 13 km. The term "Extension" is a bit of a misnomer today. Ever since the completion of the MacTier-Horseshoe Lake Diversion in 2003, the Hwy 400 Extension is now actually longer than the original Toronto-Barrie route of Hwy 400. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Left - Facing south towards Barrie from the Crown Hill Overpass. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Right - Facing north from the Crown Hill Overpass on Hwy 400 towards Crown Hill. The adjacent Hwy 11 & Hwy 93 Interchange at Crown Hill can be seen in the background. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

Above - Facing south along Hwy 400A towards the Crown Hill Overpass near Barrie. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photograph taken on June 19, 2013 - © Cameron Bevers)

More King's Highway 400A Photographs Coming Soon!

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