| Highway 137 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario | ||||
| Length: | 4.3 km[2] (2.7 mi) | |||
| Existed: | 1965[1] – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | I-81 at Wellesley Island, New York | |||
| North end: | Highway 401 near Lansdowne | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Ontario provincial highways
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King's Highway 137, also known as Highway 137, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which serves to connect the northern end of Interstate 81 in New York with Highway 401, via the Canadian span of the Thousand Islands Bridge. While this road connected to the international bridge when it opened in August 1938, it was not designated as a King's Highway until 1965.[1]
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The mainland section is a four-lane freeway with an interchange at the Thousand Islands Parkway in addition to its terminus at Highway 401. The section on Hill Island is a two-lane highway with limited development and two at-grade intersections. Connecting the two segments is the first bridge between the Ontario mainland and Hill Island, which is a toll bridge in the southbound direction (northbound tolls are paid on the New York mainland). The highway ends at the U.S. border, where it continues as I-81.[3]
The Thousand Islands Bridge system was opened ceremoniously on August 18, 1938 by Prime Minister William Mackenzie King and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[4] The new border crossing connected with the Scenic Highway, known today as the Thousand Islands Parkway, but it was not numbered. For 27 years, Highway 137 was known simply as the Ivy Lea Bridge Approach. Later, the number only appeared on certain maps, but not any actual highway signage. In recent years, signs have been installed along Highway 401 which include the Highway 137 designation and appropriate shields.
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 137. The entirety of the highway is located within Leeds and Grenville United Counties.
| Location[3] | km[2] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousand Islands Bridge over the St. Lawrence River Highway 137 continues in New York as Interstate 81 |
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| Hill Island | 0.0 | Canada–United States border | |
| Leeds and the Thousand Islands | 2.7 | Thousand Islands Parkway | Beginning of divided freeway |
| 4.3 | Highway 401 – Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal | Exit 661 | |
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