Highway 27 (Ontario)

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Highway 27 also runs in York Region and being referred to as York Regional Road 27. If you meant to search that portion of the road, click here.

Highway 27 also runs in Simcoe County, Ontario and being referred to as Simcoe County Road 27. If you meant to search that portion of the road, click here.

1 Introduction
2 History
3 Today
4 Landmarks
5 See also

[edit] Introduction

Highway 27 refers to a major arterial running through the Greater Toronto Area.

It is considered an undivided expressway in Toronto's municipal expressway network. Although the Ontario Ministry of Transportation was once responsible for the length of this route, when it ran through much of Southern Ontario, it now only maintains a 2.3 km portion that extends from its interchange with Highway 427 to Dixon Road.

[edit] History

It was originally a King's Highway that extended from Highway 2 in Long Branch, Ontario (Etobicoke Township) to Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay in Ontario.

In the 1950s, Highway 27 was upgraded to a four-lane freeway between the QEW and Highway 401. In 1964, the province opened the nearby Airport Expressway to connect to Toronto International.

The freeway section between the QEW and Highway 401 was widened to a collector-express system in the late 1960s, and was re-designated Highway 427 upon completion in 1972, making it a 400-Series Highway. The section of Highway 27 south of the QEW was downloaded to municipal authorities and renamed Brown's Line. The portion north of Highway 401 remained designated as Highway 27 and the collectors of Highway 427 default onto this remnant. Mainline/express 427 traffic was rerouted to the Airport Expressway (which was incorporated as part of 427 in 1972) or Highway 401, so the remainder of Highway 27 declined in importance afterwards.

After provincial downloading in 1997, most of the remaining sections of Highway 27 were removed from the King's Highway system and made the responsibility of local municipalities.

[edit] Today

In Toronto the road is simply named as Highway 27. After the downloading in 1997, the City of Toronto proposed renaming Highway 27 to Etobicoke Drive but it was turned down due to potentially causing confusion.