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Highway 416 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
King's Highway 416, commonly referred to as Highway 416 and as the Veterans Memorial Highway, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
which connects Highway 417 in Ottawa
with Highway 401 between Brockville
and Cornwall
. It acts as an important trade corridor from Interstate 81
between New York and Eastern Ontario
via 60 km (37.3 mi) of Highway 401, as well as the fastest link between Ottawa and Toronto. Highway 416 passes through a largely rural area, except near its northern terminus where it enters the suburbs of Ottawa. Despite this, the freeway bypasses
several communities along its length, notably Spencerville
and Kemptville.
Highway 416 was constructed by bypassing the original route of Highway 16, known as the Prescott Highway, along a new right-of-way. This two lane highway was constructed throughout the 1970s and completed in 1983, ending at the Prescott Highway (now Prince of Wales Drive) and featuring at-grade intersection
s. During the 1990s, this route was "twinned" with a second two lane road and interchanges constructed. A new freeway was also built along the route of Cedarview Road, connecting the northern end of the bypass with Highway 417. Sections of both opened throughout the late 1990s, with the final link being opened officially by a World War I veteran and local officials on September 23, 1999. The route was commemorated as the Veterans Memorial Highway on the 54th anniversary of D-Day
.
. It passes through a predominantly agricultural area for most of its length, servicing the towns of Spencerville, Kemptville, North Gower, and Manotick, all of which are situated near the route. North of Manotick, the route enters suburban Ottawa, and straddles the the community of Nepean
and the Stony Swamp. While there are still segments of farmland throughout all but the northernmost part of this section, it is far more developed than the southern section.
The freeway begins at an interchange with Highway 401, branching to the north near the community of Johnstown. This interchange only provides access to and from the west, but immediately north of it a second interchange with the remaining section of Highway 16 provides access from Johnstown and both directions of Highway 401. Proceeding north, the two carriageways of the freeway are separated by an unconventional 68 m (223.1 ft) wide forested median.
The freeway is surrounded by thick forests and encounters almost no signs of human habitation for the following 10 km (6.2 mi). As it passes beneath the original route of Highway 16 - the Prescott Highway - south of Spencerville, it escapes the forest and enters farmland. The route travels to the east of the community, access to which is provided by an exit at County Road 21, enters a swamp and is crossed by the Prescott Highway again. North of that crossing the two remain roughly parallel but separated as the freeway passes through a mix of farmland and forest. The Prescott Highway crosses the route a third time, this time at an interchange, south of the community of Kemptville.
The freeway curves to the northeast, bypassing Kemptville and featuring an exit with former Highway 43. It crosses the old Bytown and Prescott Railway
, then curves to the northwest, providing an exit to River Road before crossing the Rideau River and entering the Ottawa region. At the southeast corner of the River Road interchange is a public park dedicated in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Legion
, the Veterans Commemorative Park.
Aside from the first couple kilometres north of the Rideau River, the majority of the freeway cuts through swaths of farmland which fill the Ottawa Valley
. The median also narrows to a modest width for the remainder of the distance into Ottawa. The route provides an interchange with Dilworth Road, then 2 km (1.2 mi) later with Roger Stevens Drive, the latter of which provides access to North Gower.
Continuing through farmland, the freeway is crossed by the Prescott Highway for the fourth and final time as that road turns northeast and travels into downtown Ottawa as Prince of Wales Drive. An interchange is encountered shortly thereafter with Brophy Drive / Bankfield Road, the latter providing access to the Prescott Highway. Approaching urban Ottawa, the route passes alongside a large quarry
, then abruptly jogs to the west, crossing the Jock River
in the process. After this an interchange with Fallowfield Road provides access to the suburb of Barrhaven
, which occupies portions of the land immediately east of the freeway. The route jogs to the east and passes through an aesthetically designed bridge alongside the Stony Swamp, which acts as a gateway to the National Capital Region. This structure is the longest rigid frame bridge in Ontario with a 59 m (193.6 ft) span, and was selected for the 1996 Award of Excellence from the Portland Cement Association.
The final section of Highway 416 travels parallel to Cedarview Road, which was relocated for the freeway. The Stony Swamp lies west of the route, while farmland lies to the east. At the northern end of the swamp is an interchange with West Hunt Club Road. The freeway continues through a section of greenspace before descending gently into a trench. It passes beneath Bruin Road and the Ottawa Central Railway
while travelling alongside Lynwood Village. The highway is crossed by Baseline Road
and Richmond Road
, the former of which provides an onramp to southbound Highway 416. The freeway ends at a large interchange with Highway 417 (Exit
131) near the shore of Britannia Bay on the Ottawa River
; downtown Ottawa is east and Kanata
is west.
between Ottawa and Highway 401.
Highway 16, which crosses the geologically subdued St. Lawrence Lowlands, was selected over Highway 15, which crosses the undulating Canadian Shield
to the west, as the ideal route for the new link.
To overcome the issue of abutting properties established along the Highway 16 corridor, the DHO began purchasing a new right-of-way between Highway 401 and Century Road by late 1967, and constructed a two lane bypass
of the original alignment, avoiding all the built up areas that the original Highway 16 encountered. This route was designed to easily accommodate the eventual upgrade to a freeway when traffic volumes necessitated.
Construction of the Super two
, dubbed Highway 16 New, took place between 1969 and 1983. The Spencerville
Bypass opened by 1971, connecting with the old highway in the south near Crowder Road and in the north near Ventnor Road.
By the end of 1973 the new highway was completed from immediately north of Highway 401 through Leeds and Grenville United Counties and into Ottawa–Carleton. This included a bypass around Kemptville and a new structure over the Rideau River.
The new highway ended at Dilworth Road (Regional Road 13).
For nearly a decade, no new construction took place. Then, during the summer of 1982, the MTO awarded a contract to begin constructing the route north from Dilworth Road towards Manotick, bypassing North Gower. Following the completion of this first contract, which extended the route as far north as Roger Stevens Drive (Regional Road 6) and included a structure over Stevens Creek, a second contract was awarded for the remaining distance north to Century Road (Regional Road 8).
The project was completed in 1983, merging into the original route of Highway 16 northeast of the present Prince of Wales Drive overpass.
With the completion of Highway 16 New, the MTO need only construct interchanges and the southbound lanes in order to create a full freeway corridor. The upgrade to Highway 416 took place between 1989 and 1999 and was carried out through two separate projects: Highway 416 North was a 21 km (13 mi) freeway on a new alignment through Ottawa and an interchange at Highway 417, and Highway 416 South was the twinning of 57 km (35.4 mi) of Highway 16 New and an interchange at Highway 401.
In 1981, the Ministry began an Environmental Assessment into a new alignment for the northern connection with the Queensway. The Environmental Assessment was approved in mid-1987, with Cedarview Drive chosen as the ideal alignment for the new freeway. The MTO set out to design a four lane route to connect the Queensway with Highway 16 New, including a three level free-flow interchange. Construction of this interchange began in 1990 following the awarding of a contract in late 1989. During the 1991 construction season, contracts were awarded to construct several overpasses along the new route.
This contract was complete in 1993, after which budgetary restraints prevented the awarding of further contracts. As a result, aside from the interchange at Highway 417 and some overpasses, construction activity on Highway 416 came to a standstill for two years. During this period the MTO undertook an engineering review of the entire route, including structures, interchanges, alignment, construction techniques and cross-sections in search of cost inefficiencies. It was reported that C$7 million was saved as a result of this review, in addition to new freeway construction techniques.
This section of the route was constructed through a process known as twinning
, in which a second carriageway
is built parallel to an existing road and grade-separated
interchanges constructed.
With the right-of-way along Highway 16 New already purchased, construction was able to proceed without disruption to local properties or traffic.
The 57 km (35.4 mi) project was constructed through five contracts. The first was awarded to Tarmac Canada on June 10, 1996, calling for twinning of 7.6 km (4.7 mi) from Century Road south to Roger Stevens Drive. Another contract was awarded one month later to Bot Construction, on August 19. This contract involved the section from Roger Stevens Drive south to Highway 43, a distance of 13 km (8.1 mi). On June 12, 1997, the first section opened, connecting with the Ottawa Bypass at Century Road.
On July 10, the third contract was awarded to Armbro Construction to construct the 10 km (6.2 mi)section from Highway 43 south to Grenville County Road 20 (Oxford Station Road). Another contract followed on October 21 for the 12 km (7.5 mi) south to Grenville County Road 20 (Shanly Road), which was awarded to Bot Construction. The fifth and final contract was awarded to Armbro Construction on April 8, 1998, calling for the construction of the southern 9 km (5.6 mi) and two flyover ramps.
The section between Roger Stevens Drive and Highway 43, including a second crossing of the Rideau River, opened to traffic on June 26, 1998.
This was followed two months later by the section between Highway 43 and Oxford Station Road, which opened on August 24.
On the fifty-fourth anniversary of D-Day
, June 6, 1998, Transportation Minister Tony Clement
unveiled two signs in Ottawa and formally declared the entire length of Highway 416 as the Veterans Memorial Highway. Six additional signs were also installed along the length of the route.
On September 23, 1999, a ceremony was held in Johnstown to open the final section of Highway 416 that would complete the link from Highway 401 to Highway 417. Premier Mike Harris
, Transportation Minister David Turnbell and World War I Veteran James W. Fraser officially opened the highway.
On December 14, 2009, there was a 60-70 vehicle pileup
due to fog and icy conditions, forcing the closure of the highway in both directions.
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 connects Highway 417 in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
with Highway 401 between Brockville
Brockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
and Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
. It acts as an important trade corridor from Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
between New York and Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
via 60 km (37.3 mi) of Highway 401, as well as the fastest link between Ottawa and Toronto. Highway 416 passes through a largely rural area, except near its northern terminus where it enters the suburbs of Ottawa. Despite this, the freeway bypasses
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
several communities along its length, notably Spencerville
Spencerville, Ontario
The village of Spencerville is a rural community located in Eastern Ontario, about 80 kilometres southwest of downtown Ottawa on Highway 416. The village lies within the amalgamated municipality of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.The twinning of former Highway 16...
and Kemptville.
Highway 416 was constructed by bypassing the original route of Highway 16, known as the Prescott Highway, along a new right-of-way. This two lane highway was constructed throughout the 1970s and completed in 1983, ending at the Prescott Highway (now Prince of Wales Drive) and featuring at-grade intersection
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
s. During the 1990s, this route was "twinned" with a second two lane road and interchanges constructed. A new freeway was also built along the route of Cedarview Road, connecting the northern end of the bypass with Highway 417. Sections of both opened throughout the late 1990s, with the final link being opened officially by a World War I veteran and local officials on September 23, 1999. The route was commemorated as the Veterans Memorial Highway on the 54th anniversary of D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
Route description
Highway 416 is notable for several engineering innovations employed along its length. These concepts were largely the result of two factors: environment and cost. The route was constructed at the same time as Highway 407, which became a tolled highway, during a recession in the mid-1990s. For a time it was mentioned that Highway 416 would also be tolled, but ultimately this never happened. Instead, a hiatus in construction allowed engineers to evaluate inefficiencies in bridge and cross-section designs. Some of the unique design features include:- Pre-tensioned concrete arch bridges, hollow inside, with support provided by cables running through the structure tensioned to over a million kilograms each.
- Blast furnace slagSlagSlag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
as base material over unstable leda clay within Ottawa. The slag weighs half that of normal aggregateAggregateAn aggregate is a collection of items that are gathered together to form a total quantity.* Aggregate , in materials science, a component of a composite material used to resist compressive stress...
. - Sloped rock cuts to address collision severity with vertical rock faces.
- Groundwater retaining walls in the sunken section near Lynwood Village in Ottawa, preventing the lowering of the water table in wetlands adjacent to the route.
Route
Highway 416 is a 76.4 kilometres (47.5 mi) route connecting Highway 401 with Ottawa and Highway 417, the Trans-Canada HighwayTrans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
. It passes through a predominantly agricultural area for most of its length, servicing the towns of Spencerville, Kemptville, North Gower, and Manotick, all of which are situated near the route. North of Manotick, the route enters suburban Ottawa, and straddles the the community of Nepean
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
and the Stony Swamp. While there are still segments of farmland throughout all but the northernmost part of this section, it is far more developed than the southern section.
The freeway begins at an interchange with Highway 401, branching to the north near the community of Johnstown. This interchange only provides access to and from the west, but immediately north of it a second interchange with the remaining section of Highway 16 provides access from Johnstown and both directions of Highway 401. Proceeding north, the two carriageways of the freeway are separated by an unconventional 68 m (223.1 ft) wide forested median.
The freeway is surrounded by thick forests and encounters almost no signs of human habitation for the following 10 km (6.2 mi). As it passes beneath the original route of Highway 16 - the Prescott Highway - south of Spencerville, it escapes the forest and enters farmland. The route travels to the east of the community, access to which is provided by an exit at County Road 21, enters a swamp and is crossed by the Prescott Highway again. North of that crossing the two remain roughly parallel but separated as the freeway passes through a mix of farmland and forest. The Prescott Highway crosses the route a third time, this time at an interchange, south of the community of Kemptville.
The freeway curves to the northeast, bypassing Kemptville and featuring an exit with former Highway 43. It crosses the old Bytown and Prescott Railway
Bytown and Prescott Railway
The Bytown and Prescott Railway, Ottawa's first railway to outside markets, was a railway joining Ottawa, Ontario with Prescott, Ontario on the Saint Lawrence River. The 52 mile railway facilitated shipments of principally lumber via the Saint Lawrence River to markets in the United States and...
, then curves to the northwest, providing an exit to River Road before crossing the Rideau River and entering the Ottawa region. At the southeast corner of the River Road interchange is a public park dedicated in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
, the Veterans Commemorative Park.
Aside from the first couple kilometres north of the Rideau River, the majority of the freeway cuts through swaths of farmland which fill the Ottawa Valley
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
. The median also narrows to a modest width for the remainder of the distance into Ottawa. The route provides an interchange with Dilworth Road, then 2 km (1.2 mi) later with Roger Stevens Drive, the latter of which provides access to North Gower.
Continuing through farmland, the freeway is crossed by the Prescott Highway for the fourth and final time as that road turns northeast and travels into downtown Ottawa as Prince of Wales Drive. An interchange is encountered shortly thereafter with Brophy Drive / Bankfield Road, the latter providing access to the Prescott Highway. Approaching urban Ottawa, the route passes alongside a large quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, then abruptly jogs to the west, crossing the Jock River
Jock River
The Jock River, known locally as the Mighty Jock, is a tributary of the Rideau River, named after Jacques, a French man who drowned in it in the early 19th century. At one time, it was known as the Goodwood River...
in the process. After this an interchange with Fallowfield Road provides access to the suburb of Barrhaven
Barrhaven, Ontario
Barrhaven is a rapidly growing suburban neighbourhood in the southwest of the urban area of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, about southwest of downtown Ottawa. Prior to amalgamation with Ottawa in 2001, Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean. Its population as of the Canada 2006 Census was...
, which occupies portions of the land immediately east of the freeway. The route jogs to the east and passes through an aesthetically designed bridge alongside the Stony Swamp, which acts as a gateway to the National Capital Region. This structure is the longest rigid frame bridge in Ontario with a 59 m (193.6 ft) span, and was selected for the 1996 Award of Excellence from the Portland Cement Association.
The final section of Highway 416 travels parallel to Cedarview Road, which was relocated for the freeway. The Stony Swamp lies west of the route, while farmland lies to the east. At the northern end of the swamp is an interchange with West Hunt Club Road. The freeway continues through a section of greenspace before descending gently into a trench. It passes beneath Bruin Road and the Ottawa Central Railway
Ottawa Central Railway
The Ottawa Central Railway is a Canadian shortline railway subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. The headquarters are at the Walkley Yard, 3141 Albion Road South, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....
while travelling alongside Lynwood Village. The highway is crossed by Baseline Road
Baseline Road (Ottawa)
Baseline Road is a road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Baseline runs from Richmond Road east in a straight line until it ends at the Heron Road Bridge over the Rideau River and Rideau Canal when it becomes Heron Road. Before the 2001 City of Ottawa amalgamation, Baseline formed the border of the city...
and Richmond Road
Richmond Road (Ottawa)
Richmond Road is a major road in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Richmond Road begins as a western continuation of Wellington Street West in Ottawa, beyond the intersection at Island Park Drive, a division point moved west a few blocks from Western Avenue, the historical township boundary, in 2005. It...
, the former of which provides an onramp to southbound Highway 416. The freeway ends at a large interchange with Highway 417 (Exit
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....
131) near the shore of Britannia Bay on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
; downtown Ottawa is east and Kanata
Kanata
Kanata is an aboriginal word meaning "village" or "settlement."- Name of Canada :Until the mid-20th century, the Mohawk word "kanata" was thought to have been the origin of Canada's name...
is west.
History
Highway 16 New
In 1966 the Eastern Ontario Highway Planning Study was published the Department of Highways (DHO), the predecessor to today's Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), identifying the need for a controlled-access highwayControlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
between Ottawa and Highway 401.
Highway 16, which crosses the geologically subdued St. Lawrence Lowlands, was selected over Highway 15, which crosses the undulating Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
to the west, as the ideal route for the new link.
To overcome the issue of abutting properties established along the Highway 16 corridor, the DHO began purchasing a new right-of-way between Highway 401 and Century Road by late 1967, and constructed a two lane bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
of the original alignment, avoiding all the built up areas that the original Highway 16 encountered. This route was designed to easily accommodate the eventual upgrade to a freeway when traffic volumes necessitated.
Construction of the Super two
Super two
A super two, super two-lane highway or wide two lane is a two-lane surface road built to high standards, typically including partial control of access, occasional passing lanes and hard shoulders...
, dubbed Highway 16 New, took place between 1969 and 1983. The Spencerville
Spencerville, Ontario
The village of Spencerville is a rural community located in Eastern Ontario, about 80 kilometres southwest of downtown Ottawa on Highway 416. The village lies within the amalgamated municipality of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.The twinning of former Highway 16...
Bypass opened by 1971, connecting with the old highway in the south near Crowder Road and in the north near Ventnor Road.
By the end of 1973 the new highway was completed from immediately north of Highway 401 through Leeds and Grenville United Counties and into Ottawa–Carleton. This included a bypass around Kemptville and a new structure over the Rideau River.
The new highway ended at Dilworth Road (Regional Road 13).
For nearly a decade, no new construction took place. Then, during the summer of 1982, the MTO awarded a contract to begin constructing the route north from Dilworth Road towards Manotick, bypassing North Gower. Following the completion of this first contract, which extended the route as far north as Roger Stevens Drive (Regional Road 6) and included a structure over Stevens Creek, a second contract was awarded for the remaining distance north to Century Road (Regional Road 8).
The project was completed in 1983, merging into the original route of Highway 16 northeast of the present Prince of Wales Drive overpass.
With the completion of Highway 16 New, the MTO need only construct interchanges and the southbound lanes in order to create a full freeway corridor. The upgrade to Highway 416 took place between 1989 and 1999 and was carried out through two separate projects: Highway 416 North was a 21 km (13 mi) freeway on a new alignment through Ottawa and an interchange at Highway 417, and Highway 416 South was the twinning of 57 km (35.4 mi) of Highway 16 New and an interchange at Highway 401.
Change of plans
The original plans for Highway 416, conceived during the late 1960s, had it enter Ottawa along the Merivale Corridor to merge with the Queensway approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the present interchange. However, by the time this section was up for construction, public attitudes had shifted and environmental concerns had come to the forefront of everyday life; new roads were now subject to intense public scrutiny. Suburbs grew along Merivale Road, prompting the Regional of Ottawa–Carleton to request the MTO decommission the right-of-way along the road in 1977, which it did. The passing of the Environmental Assessment Act in 1975, however, meant that new projects were subject to a lengthy investigation of social and environmental concerns.In 1981, the Ministry began an Environmental Assessment into a new alignment for the northern connection with the Queensway. The Environmental Assessment was approved in mid-1987, with Cedarview Drive chosen as the ideal alignment for the new freeway. The MTO set out to design a four lane route to connect the Queensway with Highway 16 New, including a three level free-flow interchange. Construction of this interchange began in 1990 following the awarding of a contract in late 1989. During the 1991 construction season, contracts were awarded to construct several overpasses along the new route.
This contract was complete in 1993, after which budgetary restraints prevented the awarding of further contracts. As a result, aside from the interchange at Highway 417 and some overpasses, construction activity on Highway 416 came to a standstill for two years. During this period the MTO undertook an engineering review of the entire route, including structures, interchanges, alignment, construction techniques and cross-sections in search of cost inefficiencies. It was reported that C$7 million was saved as a result of this review, in addition to new freeway construction techniques.
Twinning and completion
On December 8, 1995, in North Gower, the provincial and federal governments announced a financing deal to ensure Highway 416 South was completed by 2000.This section of the route was constructed through a process known as twinning
Twinning (roads)
Twinning a road involves the construction of a similar or identical parallel road. It is usually done when an existing highway requires a significant increase in capacity. Twinning is frequently advantageous because it allows traffic capacity to be doubled and produces a dual carriageway with...
, in which a second carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
is built parallel to an existing road and grade-separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
interchanges constructed.
With the right-of-way along Highway 16 New already purchased, construction was able to proceed without disruption to local properties or traffic.
The 57 km (35.4 mi) project was constructed through five contracts. The first was awarded to Tarmac Canada on June 10, 1996, calling for twinning of 7.6 km (4.7 mi) from Century Road south to Roger Stevens Drive. Another contract was awarded one month later to Bot Construction, on August 19. This contract involved the section from Roger Stevens Drive south to Highway 43, a distance of 13 km (8.1 mi). On June 12, 1997, the first section opened, connecting with the Ottawa Bypass at Century Road.
On July 10, the third contract was awarded to Armbro Construction to construct the 10 km (6.2 mi)section from Highway 43 south to Grenville County Road 20 (Oxford Station Road). Another contract followed on October 21 for the 12 km (7.5 mi) south to Grenville County Road 20 (Shanly Road), which was awarded to Bot Construction. The fifth and final contract was awarded to Armbro Construction on April 8, 1998, calling for the construction of the southern 9 km (5.6 mi) and two flyover ramps.
The section between Roger Stevens Drive and Highway 43, including a second crossing of the Rideau River, opened to traffic on June 26, 1998.
This was followed two months later by the section between Highway 43 and Oxford Station Road, which opened on August 24.
On the fifty-fourth anniversary of D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, June 6, 1998, Transportation Minister Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
unveiled two signs in Ottawa and formally declared the entire length of Highway 416 as the Veterans Memorial Highway. Six additional signs were also installed along the length of the route.
On September 23, 1999, a ceremony was held in Johnstown to open the final section of Highway 416 that would complete the link from Highway 401 to Highway 417. Premier Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, Transportation Minister David Turnbell and World War I Veteran James W. Fraser officially opened the highway.
On December 14, 2009, there was a 60-70 vehicle pileup
Multiple-vehicle collision
A multi-vehicle collision is a road traffic accident involving many vehicles. Generally occurring on high capacity and high speed routes such as freeways, they are one of the deadliest forms of traffic accidents...
due to fog and icy conditions, forcing the closure of the highway in both directions.