Ontario Highway 115

King's Highway 115, commonly referred to as Highway 115 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connects Peterborough with Toronto via Highway 401. The highway begins at a junction with Highway 401 southwest of Newcastle and becomes Highway 7 at an at-grade intersection east of Peterborough.

Highway 115 is part of the Algonquin Trail and concurrent with Highway 35 from its southern terminus in Clarington to Enterprise Hill, where it veers towards Peterborough and Highway 35 continues north into the Kawarthas. It is also part of the Trans-Canada Highway from the interchange with Highway 7 south of Springville, Ontario to the eastern end of the highway. Highway 115 is a freeway northeast of Enterprise Hill and a Right-in/right-out (RIRO) expressway south of it, featuring ramps with abrupt right turns to and from the highway. By January 2010, exit numbers were added to the freeway section north of the Highway 35 concurrency.

Route description

Highway 115 begins at a trumpet interchange with Highway 401, and is concurrent with Highway 35 for 18.9 km (11.7 mi) to Enterprise Hill.^[2][3][4] For the length of this concurrency, it is a divided four lane RIRO expressway. At Enterprise Hill, the expressway curves eastward and Highway 35 exits, continuing north towards Lindsay. Highway 115 continues east, and the two carriageways diverge, making it a freeway. A depressed grass median, generally 10 metres (33 ft) wide, separates the opposing directions of travel between this point and Peterborough.

Most of the remainder of the highway is straight and surrounded by agricultural lands and forests, until it meets Highway 7. From this point eastward, Highway 115 is part of the southern Ontario route of the Trans-Canada Highway and concurrent with Highway 7.^[2] The freeway continues along the southern edge of Peterborough and ends at Lansdowne Street to the east of the city. Highway 7 continues east towards Ottawa.

History

In 1953, construction began on a two lane road eastward from Highway 35 south of Pontypool, with the purpose of creating a shorter route between Toronto and Peterborough.^[5][6] The road was completed in 1954 and designated Highway 115,^[5][7] ending at an intersection with Highway 28 which became notoriously dangerous.^[5]

In 1961, Highway 115 was extended southward to the 401, becoming concurrent with Highway 35. That same year, the new Peterborough By-pass opened, providing an undeveloped route for Highway 7 around the city.^[8] Highway 115 was then extended east to connect with the bypass in 1979.^[5] The entire length of the highway was widened to four lanes in the 1980s and early 1990s.^[9]

Exit list

References

Sources

Bibliography

• Miller, Ray Y C (2005). From Coal Oil Lights to Satellites. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4120-4894-x. http://books.google.com/books?id=Tk6fG4rvd8UC&lpg=PA97&dq=Highway%2035%20Huntsville%20Ontario&pg=PA97#v=onepage&q=Highway%2035%20Huntsville%20Ontario&f=false. Retrieved June 25, 2010.