King's Highway 18A, commonly referred to as Highway 18A, was a provincially maintained highway 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....

 which was the southernmost provincial highway to ever exist in Canada. Since 1979, the entire route has been known as Essex County Road 50. The route began and ended at Highway 18

Ontario Highway 18

King's Highway 18, commonly referred to as Highway 18 was the longest highway in Essex County, Ontario, and travelled through the most communities. Today, it is known as County Road 20...

, looping through Colchester.

Route description

Highway 18A was a short looping route that served the short headland that protrudes into Lake Erie between Amherstburg and Kingsville

Kingsville, Ontario

The Town of Kingsville is located in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and is Canada's southernmost municipality with town status. According to the 2006 census, the population of Kingsville is 20,908.-Geography:...

 in the southernmost part of Essex County

Essex County, Ontario

Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...

. It began and ended at junctions with the former Highway 18, now Essex County Road 20, that are approximately 25.8 kilometres (16 mi) apart on that road. The route itself is 31.1 kilometres (19.3 mi) long, detouring to the south along the shore of Lake Erie

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

 and passing through Colchester.

History

Highway 18A was first assigned during the late 1930s. The route remained consistent until its decommissioning during the late 1970s. It is now designated as Essex County Road 50 along its entirety and as Heritage Road east of Colchester.
The highway was assumed by the Department of Highways on April 13, 1938.
In 1979, the highway was transferred in its entirety to Essex County.