Queen Elizabeth Way Photographs - Page 10 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

Left - Glendale Avenue Interchange on Old Hwy 8 (Niagara Road 81) and the Queen Elizabeth Way, facing west towards St. Catharines in 1990. Traffic bound for Niagara-on-the-Lake via Hwy 55 had to utilize this interchange from the adjacent Queen Elizabeth Way. Although Niagara Road 81 was never officially part of Hwy 55, there is an overhead pull-through sign for Hwy 55 on the opposite side of the bridge. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 14, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing south along Glendale Avenue from the Old Hwy 8 (Niagara Road 81) Interchange near St. Catharines in 1990. This strange interchange was built in 1962 to provide a connection between Glendale Avenue, Hwy 8 and the Queen Elizabeth Way. While the interchange with the Queen Elizabeth Way still exists, the interchange ramps connecting Glendale Avenue to Old Hwy 8 were closed off several years ago after Glendale Avenue was extended north. Photo taken on August 14, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Facing north towards the new Brant Street Underpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington (November 14, 1990)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Construction of the new Brant Street Underpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington, facing south (November 14, 1990)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Eastbound Hwy 403 Overpass over the Niagara-bound Queen Elizabeth Way at the Freeman Interchange in Burlington. This interesting three-span concrete rigid frame structure was one of three bridges built in 1957 for the new directional interchange between Hwy 403 and the Queen Elizabeth Way. The original 1957 interchange at Freeman remained in service up until the early 1990s, when it was completely rebuilt. Photo taken on December 14, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing east along Eastbound Hwy 403 at the directional interchange with the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington in 1990. The overpass in the foreground crosses over the Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way, while the overpass in the background crosses over the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way exit ramp to Westbound Hwy 403. Both structures were replaced when the Freeman Interchange was rebuilt in the early 1990s. Photo taken on December 14, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Eastbound Hwy 403 ramp to the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way at the Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1990, before reconstruction. The red car traveling on the roadway at right is actually on the Toronto-bound lanes of Queen Elizabeth Way. When the old 1957 Freeman Interchange was replaced in the 1990s, both the Toronto-bound and Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way were substantially realigned through this area. Photo taken on December 14, 1990.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing north across the Central Avenue Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Fort Erie. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on June 18, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Glendale Avenue Interchange at the Queen Elizabeth Way and Old Hwy 8 (Niagara Road 81) near St. Catharines, facing north (June 20, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing north across the Glendale Avenue Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way (June 20, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Glendale Avenue Interchange on the Queen Elizabeth Way near St. Catharines (June 20, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing west along the Queen Elizabeth Way towards Hamilton from the Shooks Hill Rotary Interchange at Erin Mills Parkway & Southdown Road (Formerly Hwy 122) in Mississauga. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - View of the Shooks Hill Rotary on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Mississauga. This large rotary interchange was first built in 1958-1959. It provided access to Southdown Road (Formerly Hwy 122) & Erin Mills Parkway. The Shooks Hill Rotary was plagued with operational problems, due to the high-speed entries and exits on the rotary itself and short weaving areas. While some modifications were made to the interchange in 1974, the elliptical-shaped rotary remained in service until it was removed during a multi-year interchange reconstruction project which began in the late 1990s. This view of the Shooks Hill Interchange shows the northbound leg of the rotary roadway crossing over the Queen Elizabeth Way at left, and the Toronto-bound on-ramp leading down to the Queen Elizabeth Way at right. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Facing south across the Cawthra Road Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Mississauga. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Southern side of the Dillon's (Cooksville) Creek Bridge on the Queen Elizabeth Way near Port Credit. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Northern side of the Dillon's (Cooksville) Creek Bridge on the Queen Elizabeth Way near Port Credit. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Facing east along the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way from the Hwy 10 (Hurontario Street) Interchange at Port Credit (July 11, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Hwy 405 Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way north of Niagara Falls (August 29, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Facing south along Glendale Avenue from the Queen Elizabeth Way Interchange near St. Catharines on October 18, 1991. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Glendale Avenue Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way, facing north towards Niagara-on-the-Lake (October 18, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Bridge-mounted overhead guide signs for Hwy 405 and Hwy 55 on the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Glendale Avenue Interchange near St. Catharines on October 18, 1991. See an Enlarged Photo Here.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Southern side of the Third Street Underpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in St. Catharines. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on October 30, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Facing east along the Queen Elizabeth Way towards the Hwy 406 Overpass in St. Catharines. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on October 30, 1991.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Approaching the Evans Avenue Interchange on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Toronto (October 31, 1991)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Facing west along the Queen Elizabeth Way from Brant Street towards the Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1992. In the background, construction has begun on the new Freeman Interchange that will ultimately replace the original 1957 directional interchange. The new Freeman Interchange at the Queen Elizabeth Way and Hwy 403 was completed in stages between 1993 and 1995. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on June 10, 1992.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - New Brant Street Interchange on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington, facing west towards the Freeman Interchange (June 10, 1992)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Above - Ramp to Plains Road on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington in 1992. This ramp was removed during the replacement of the adjacent Guelph Line Interchange in 2003-2004. Photo taken on June 10, 1992.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Eastern side of the Oakes Road Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way between Hamilton and Grimsby in 1993. This photo shows the old cross section of the Queen Elizabeth Way, just prior to widening in the mid-1990s. The highway was fully reconstructed with a concrete median barrier, fully paved shoulders and one additional lane in each direction in 1995-1996, shortly after this photo was taken. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on May 19, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Facing north across the Oakes Road Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way west of Grimsby. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on May 19, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Bowen Road Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Fort Erie, facing north towards Niagara Falls. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on May 27, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Beginning of the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie in 1993. The overhead sign in the background was one of the only instances where the Queen Elizabeth Way's name was fully spelled out on the sign, rather than being abbreviated as "QEW". Traffic bound for Hwy 3 was directed to exit the Queen Elizabeth Way at Central Avenue. It is particularly interesting to note that the distant City of Windsor was listed as a control city for Hwy 3, along with the nearby destinations of Fort Erie and Crystal Beach. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on May 27, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Facing west along Lundy's Lane towards Fonthill at the Queen Elizabeth Way Underpass (June 16, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Right - Western side of the Shooks Hill Rotary on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Mississauga. This underpass carries the southbound leg of the rotary below the Queen Elizabeth Way. The Hamilton-bound on-ramp to the Queen Elizabeth Way can be seen in the foreground. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 8, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Shooks Hill Rotary on the Queen Elizabeth Way at Southdown Road & Erin Mills Parkway in 1993, facing west from the Toronto-bound freeway on-ramp. Southdown Road joins the rotary roughly where the dump truck is located in the background of this photo. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 8, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - This superelevated curve forms the eastern side of the Shooks Hill Rotary. The overpass structure in the background carries the rotary roadway over the Queen Elizabeth Way. The elliptical rotary had a constantly changing radius, which caught many motorists off-guard. Looking at this interchange with the benefit of hindsight, it had many design problems. However, despite its shortcomings, it is important to note that the Shooks Hill Rotary Interchange was representative of a time when engineers with the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) were not afraid to experiment with new and innovative design concepts. Although it was very expensive to construct, the Shooks Hill Interchange was hardly a "White Elephant". It served its purpose for 40 years - likely longer than the designer had originally anticipated. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 8, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Left - Steel handrail of the Dillon's (Cooksville) Creek Bridge on the Queen Elizabeth Way at Port Credit. This vintage 1930s-era structure was widened in 1956, to permit the construction of the North and South Service Roads alongside the new Controlled Access Highway. In what was apparently an early nod by the DHO to the historical significance of the Queen Elizabeth Way, the handrails of the widened Dillon's Creek Bridge were replicated to match those originally installed on the bridge in 1936. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 9, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2015)

Right - Facing west along the eastbound lanes of Hwy 405 towards the Queen Elizabeth Way Interchange north of Niagara Falls. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on August 10, 1993.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Southern side of the Lundy's Lane Overpass on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Niagara Falls (October 14, 1993)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2011)

Right - Facing east towards Toronto on the Queen Elizabeth Way between Brant Street and Guelph Line in Burlington (April 15, 1994)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - CN Railway Overhead on the Queen Elizabeth Way near Guelph Line in Burlington in 1994. Note the wide median between the Toronto-bound and Niagara-bound lanes, which existed until the Queen Elizabeth Way was rebuilt through this area in 2003-2004. Photo taken on April 15, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing south along Glendale Avenue towards the Queen Elizabeth Way from the Old Hwy 8 (Niagara Road 81) Overpass near St. Catharines in 1994. The Old Hwy 8 and Queen Elizabeth Way Interchanges on Glendale Avenue were immediately adjacent to each other. Photo taken on June 15, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Facing north along Glendale Avenue from the Queen Elizabeth Way towards the Old Hwy 8 (Niagara Road 81) Interchange near St. Catharines in 1994. Traffic wishing to access Hwy 55 had to loop around to access Old Hwy 8 below this structure and then double-back towards Homer to continue north on Hwy 55 towards Niagara-on-the-Lake. In the late 1990s, the interchange seen here was closed off. Glendale Avenue was extended northwards towards the woodlot seen in the background of this photo, where it met a relocated Niagara Road 81. Although it was no longer in use, the closed interchange at Old Hwy 8 was left in place until 2006-2007, when it was finally removed altogether. Photo taken on June 15, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Plains Road Underpass in Burlington, facing east towards Guelph Line (October 26, 1994)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Plains Road Underpass in Burlington, facing west towards Brant Street (October 26, 1994)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Facing west along the Queen Elizabeth Way from Brant Street towards the Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1994. Note that construction is already well underway on the new Freeman Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 26, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Eastbound Hwy 403 Overpass over the Niagara-bound Queen Elizabeth Way at the Freeman Interchange in Burlington, shortly before being demolished (October 27, 1994)
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - New Eastbound Hwy 403 Overpass over the realigned Queen Elizabeth Way at the Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1994. Note that only the ramp to Westbound Hwy 403 and the Toronto-bound lanes are open to traffic. Niagara-bound traffic is still using the original highway alignment through the interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo taken on October 27, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Left - Construction of the new Eastbound Hwy 403 Overpass over the Niagara-bound Queen Elizabeth Way at the Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1994. After Niagara-bound traffic was redirected onto the new Queen Elizabeth Way alignment in 1995, the ramp passing underneath Hwy 403 temporarily fell into disuse. The ramp was reopened to traffic in 2001, when Hwy 407 ETR was connected to the Queen Elizabeth Way. Photo taken on October 27, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)

Right - Replacement of the 1957 Freeman Interchange in Burlington in 1994. This ramp structure carried traffic from the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way to Westbound Hwy 403 over the Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way. In 1993, a new high high-level bridge was constructed to carry this ramp, which is visible in the background. Also note the construction of the new ramp connections to the future Hwy 407 ETR at left. See an Enlarged Photo here. Photo taken on October 27, 1994.
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation - © King's Printer for Ontario, 2012)