Bradford Bypass
Encyclopedia
The Bradford Bypass is a proposed freeway that would travel near Bradford
, in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. The route would serve as a connector between Highway 400 and Highway 404 on the northern edge of the Greater Toronto Area
, in York Region and Simcoe County.
The planned western terminus would be Highway 400 near Bradford
. The planned eastern terminus would be Highway 404 near Queensville
.
with Highway 400 midway between 8th Line and 9th Line of Bradford West Gwillimbury. From there the four lane rural freeway would proceed east, crossing the 10th Sideroad and interchanging with Yonge Street (former Highway 11) immediately north of the town of Bradford. It would then curve southeast to cross the West Holland River into the municipality of East Gwillimbury in the Regional Municipality of York, after which it would interchange with Bathurst Street
and straighten out towards the east. The freeway would cross the East Holland River
and pass immediately south of the Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club. It would cross the original Yonge Street
then cut through farmland, parallel with Queensville Sideroad. At Leslie Street, immediately north of the community of Queensville
, a partial interchange would provide westward access onto the Bradford Bypass. It would end shortly thereafter at Highway 404.
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col"|Division
!scope="col"|Location
!scope="col"|km
!scope="col"|Destinations
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|Simcoe County
|rowspan="2"|Bradford West Gwillimbury
|0.0
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|York Region
|East Gwillimbury
|
|Bathurst Street
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Queensville
|
|
|
|-
|16.2
|
|
Bradford, Ontario
Bradford is the primary country urban area of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario, in Canada. It overlooks a beautiful and prosperous farming community, known as The Holland Marsh, located on the Holland River that flows into Lake Simcoe...
, in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The route would serve as a connector between Highway 400 and Highway 404 on the northern edge of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, in York Region and Simcoe County.
The planned western terminus would be Highway 400 near Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. The planned eastern terminus would be Highway 404 near Queensville
Queensville, Ontario
Queensville is a village within the Town of East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada.Among the private homes, the village proper contains the Queensville Cemetery, a post office, a United Church of Canada, and a complex containing a fire hall, a community centre, a public park with softball diamond,...
.
Route description
The proposed route of the Bradford Bypass would have it start at a stacked interchangeInterchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Highway 400 midway between 8th Line and 9th Line of Bradford West Gwillimbury. From there the four lane rural freeway would proceed east, crossing the 10th Sideroad and interchanging with Yonge Street (former Highway 11) immediately north of the town of Bradford. It would then curve southeast to cross the West Holland River into the municipality of East Gwillimbury in the Regional Municipality of York, after which it would interchange with Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
and straighten out towards the east. The freeway would cross the East Holland River
East Holland River
The East Holland River is a river in Ontario, Canada that is part of the Holland River watershed that empties into Cook's Bay in Lake Simcoe. The headwaters of the East Holland River rise in the Oak Ridges Moraine...
and pass immediately south of the Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club. It would cross the original Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
then cut through farmland, parallel with Queensville Sideroad. At Leslie Street, immediately north of the community of Queensville
Queensville, Ontario
Queensville is a village within the Town of East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada.Among the private homes, the village proper contains the Queensville Cemetery, a post office, a United Church of Canada, and a complex containing a fire hall, a community centre, a public park with softball diamond,...
, a partial interchange would provide westward access onto the Bradford Bypass. It would end shortly thereafter at Highway 404.
History
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation conducted an environmental assessment of the project, which considered the highway to be needed for forecast traffic needs of 2025. York Region included the highway in its official plans. Construction was expected to begin by the end of the 2000s, but this changed with the change in provincial government from Ernie Eves to Dalton McGuinty. The McGuinty government developed the "Smart Growth" plan for the Golden Horseshoe Region and did not include the Bradford Bypass in its plans for future highways. Although the highway remains in local official plans, as of 2011 there are no provincial plans to build it.Proposed exit list
The following table lists the proposed locations for interchanges along the Bradford Bypass contained within the MTO review.{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col"|Division
!scope="col"|Location
!scope="col"|km
!scope="col"|Destinations
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|Simcoe County
|rowspan="2"|Bradford West Gwillimbury
|0.0
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|York Region
|East Gwillimbury
|
|Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street (Toronto)
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Queensville
Queensville, Ontario
Queensville is a village within the Town of East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada.Among the private homes, the village proper contains the Queensville Cemetery, a post office, a United Church of Canada, and a complex containing a fire hall, a community centre, a public park with softball diamond,...
|
|
|
|-
|16.2
|
|
External links
- "Bradford Bypass plan shelved, but not eliminated" - York Region
- "Envrionmentalists glad to see province drop plans for Bradford Bypass" - York Region
- "Bradford bypass not in plans" - York Region
- "Good riddance to bypass, environmentalists say" - Simcoe
- "Province pushes secret deal for Simcoe" - Toronto Star