Ontario Highway 24
Encyclopedia
Highway 24 is a highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
which presently begins at Highway 3
in Simcoe
, and ends at Highway 401
, in Cambridge
. Highway 24 runs in a north/south direction and has been in service since 1927. Before 1997, when many major highways were declassified, Highway 24 began south of Simcoe in Norfolk
near Walshingham, and ended in Collingwood
, as part of Hurontario Street
.
The road has also seen key shifts, as communities have been by-passed over the years, including:
In Brantford and in Brant County
, Highway 24 is interlined with Highway 403 for 9 km (5.6 mi).
The parts of Highway 24 that were decommissioned in 1997 remain part of the various county road systems.
This study (which will be completed in 2009) will focus on the portion of the highway between Cambridge and Brantford, where connections to Highways 401 and 403 exist, but suffer from extreme congestion during peak periods.
Potential improvements/expansions include:
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 presently begins at Highway 3
Highway 3 (Ontario)
King's Highway 3, commonly referred to as Highway 3 and historically as the Talbot Trail, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which travels parallel to the shore of Lake Erie. It has three segments, the first of which runs from the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor...
in Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....
, and ends at Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
, in Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
. Highway 24 runs in a north/south direction and has been in service since 1927. Before 1997, when many major highways were declassified, Highway 24 began south of Simcoe in Norfolk
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
near Walshingham, and ended in Collingwood
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
, as part of Hurontario Street
Hurontario Street
Hurontario Street is a roadway running in Ontario, Canada between Lake Ontario at Mississauga and Lake Huron's Georgian Bay at Collingwood.Within the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, it is a major urban thoroughfare. Between Caledon and Orangeville, it is part of busy Highway 10, which leaves...
.
The road has also seen key shifts, as communities have been by-passed over the years, including:
- Waterford, where a new alignment was built towards Scotland and connected with Highway 24A. The former Highway 24 is now Brant Road 24, and Highway 24A is now "Brant Road 24A" (and is Waterloo Regional Road 75).
- CaledonCaledon, OntarioCaledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In terms of land use, Caledon is somewhat urban, though it is primarily rural in nature...
where the highway was realigned through Caledon Village via the former Highway 51 to Highway 10. The former Highway 24 is now Peel Regional Road 24, - Alton and OrangevilleOrangeville, OntarioOrangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
by Highway 136, now known as Peel Regional Road 136 following an interim period of being known as Peel Regional Road 25, - and within Cambridge, the Hespeler Bypass (see below).
In Brantford and in Brant County
Brant, Ontario
The County of Brant is a single-tier municipality and a census division in the Canadian province of Ontario. Despite its name, it is not a county by the standard definition, as all municipal services are handled by a single level of government. The county has service offices in Burford, Paris...
, Highway 24 is interlined with Highway 403 for 9 km (5.6 mi).
Street names
Highway 24 has several local street names in the various communities through which it passes.- SimcoeSimcoe, OntarioSimcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....
: Norfolk Street - BrantfordBrantford, OntarioBrantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
: King George Road - CambridgeCambridge, OntarioCambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
: Hespeler Road, Ainslie Street, and Water Street (Hespeler Bypass removed 24 from Queen Street West and Guelph Avenue in 1993)
The parts of Highway 24 that were decommissioned in 1997 remain part of the various county road systems.
Expansion plans
On September 12, 2006, it was announced that the Ontario provincial government would be undertaking a study to determine what improvements would be necessary to bring the highway up to current standards and to handle future growth.This study (which will be completed in 2009) will focus on the portion of the highway between Cambridge and Brantford, where connections to Highways 401 and 403 exist, but suffer from extreme congestion during peak periods.
Potential improvements/expansions include:
- improving the road surface, lighting and traffic control devices at selected intersections
- widening the road from two to four lanes near urban centres
- complete expansion to a four-lane highway
- construction of a multi-lane, controlled-access freeway