Ontario Highway 403

King's Highway 403, also known as Highway 403, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that travels between Woodstock and Mississauga, branching off from and reuniting with Highway 401 at both ends and travelling south of it through Hamilton and Mississauga. It is concurrent with the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) for 22 km (14 mi) from Burlington to Oakville. Highway 403 is also known as the Chedoke Expressway or Chedoke Parkway within Hamilton. Although the Highway 403 designation was first applied in 1963 to a short stub of freeway branching off of the QEW, the entire route was not completed until August 15, 1997, when the Brantford to Ancaster section was opened to traffic.^[2]

Route description

Woodstock – Burlington

Highway 403 begins at a junction with Highway 401 on the outskirts of Woodstock. The eastbound lanes split from eastbound Highway 401, whereas the westbound lanes merge into westbound Highway 401.^[3] It travels along the back lot lines of the second concession south of former Highway 2.^[4] It passes beneath Oxford County Road 55 (formerly Highway 53) and curves southeast. After crossing into the third concession, it curves back to the east. The highway travels straight for some distance, meeting with the southern leg of Highway 24, which travels south to Simcoe.^[3]

The highway crosses the Grand River to the south of Paris, then passes over former Highway 2 as it enters into Brantford. As it passes through Brantford, the highway angles southeast and passes beneath the northern leg of Highway 24 and then the Wayne Gretzky Parkway. It exits the small city to the east. Shortly after exiting Brantford, the highway curves northeast.^[3] It travels between Jerseyville Road and former Highway 2 to Ancaster, jogging to avoid cutting through Dunmark Lake. As the freeway enters Ancaster, it once again crosses former Highway 2 and dips through the southern side of the town.^[3]

East of Ancaster, the freeway passes through a short greenbelt, with Hamilton Golf and Country Club lying to the north. A divided segment of Highway 6 meets the freeway and continues concurrently with it through Hamilton; to the south, Highway 6 travels to John C. Munro International Airport, Caledonia and Jarvis at Highway 3.^[3] Continuing, Highway 403 and Highway 6 curve north into Hamilton and meet the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway before abruptly curving to the east and descending the Niagara Escarpment. Scenic views of Hamilton, its harbour, and a waterfall are located along this steep descent. At the bottom of the escarpment the highway travels through a narrow, heavily developed corridor alongside former Highway 8. It passes beneath multiple bridges in a depressed trench, eventually curving north at a sharp corner and passing beneath still more bridges.^[3] This section features a reduced speed limit.^[5] The highway returns to ground level alongside the Chedoke Creek, a now-channelized river from which the freeway may take its name.

As the freeway continues north, it crosses an isthmus between Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise alongside several roads which it has served to replace. It circles around the northern shore of Hamilton Harbour and returns to an eastward orientation. The concurrency with Highway 6 ends at an interchange where Highway 403 continues east and Highway 6 travels north towards Guelph.^[3] The freeway continues straight for several kilometres and meets the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 407 at the Freeman Interchange.

Oakville – Mississauga

Highway 403 travels concurrently with the QEW for 22.6 km (14.0 mi) between Freeman and Oakville, a straight section surrounded almost entirely by commercial units and warehouses. At the Ford Assembly Plant near the Halton–Peel regional boundary, Highway 403 branches off from the QEW and heads north for 5 km (3.1 mi) along the western edge of Mississauga. At that point it again meets Highway 407. Both freeway interchange, but curve to avoid each other. Highway 407 continues to the north and west, while Highway 403 curves east to follow alongside a hydro corridor through the centre of Mississauga.^[3] From this interchange to Highway 401, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are present in the shoulder lanes for vehicles with at least one passenger.^[6] Pressed between residential subdivisions on both sides, the freeway passes beneath Erin Mills Parkway, dips slightly to the south and crosses the Credit River.^[4]

On the other side of the river, the freeway skirts to the north of downtown Mississauga, as well as the Square One Shopping Centre.^[4] It passes beneath Hurontario Street (once a section of Highway 10) and begins to widen before abruptly curving to the north as it approaches Cawthra Road. As the curve ends, the freeway widens further into a ten-lane collector-express system.^[4] This short section of highway passes beneath Eglinton Avenue and begins to diverge into a sprawling interchange approaching Highway 401. Access to Highway 410, which continues northward to Brampton, is provided from the collectors lanes.^[3]

History

The corridor that connects London and Hamilton has always been important to Ontario. In late October 1793, Captain Smith and 100 Queen's Rangers returned from carving The Governor's Road 32 km (20 mi) through the thick forests between Dundas and the present location of Paris. John Graves Simcoe was tasked with defending Upper Canada from America following the revolution and with opening the virgin territory to settlement. After establishing a "temporary" capital at York, Simcoe ordered an inland route constructed between Cootes Paradise at the tip of Lake Ontario and his proposed capital of London. By the spring of 1794, the road was extended as far as La Tranche, now the Thames River.^[7] Today, most of this route forms part of Highway 2 and former Highway 5.

The paving of the divided four-lane Middle Road, with gentle curves, a grass median and grade-separated interchanges, would set the stage for the freeway concept. It was the first intercity freeway in North America when it opened in June 1939.^[8] Thomas McQueston, the new minister of the Department of Highways and the man most responsible for the Middle Road, decided to apply the concept to sections of Highway 2 plagued with congestion.^[9] A portion east of Woodstock was rebuilt in this fashion, but World War II would put an end to the ambitions of McQueston, at least temporarily.

Initial construction

The end of the Korean War heralded the resuming of freeway construction in Ontario; the advances in machinery more than made up for lost time.^[9] The construction of Highway 401 across the province took first priority. However, the opening of the section from Highway 4 near London to Highway 2 east of Woodstock on May 31, 1957 would complete part of the route required between London and Hamilton.^[10] By 1958, planning on Chedoke Expressway, or Controlled Access Highway 403 was well underway,^[11] though plans for a four lane freeway between Woodstock and Hamilton were around as early as 1954.^[12] The opening of the Freeman Bypass of the QEW in August 1958 provided a connection point for a new freeway,^[13] and construction began the same day that the Burlington Bay Skyway opened: October 31, 1958.^[14] Highway 403 between Longwoods Road (Highway 2) and the QEW was opened to traffic on December 1, 1963 at a length of 9.0 km (5.6 mi).^[15] Work was already underway on the next section of the Chedoke that would extend the freeway to Aberdeen Avenue.^[16] This section was opened on July 9, 1965 and extended the freeway by 3.7 km (2.3 mi).^[15]

Meanwhile, to the west, work had begun on a bypass of Brantford. The new freeway passed north of the town between Paris Road in the west and the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 53 in the east, a distance of 6.4 mi (10.3 km). This section opened on October 31, 1966.^[15] A portion of the Brantford Bypass was itself bypassed in 1997 when the final section of Highway 403 was completed and is known as Garden Avenue.^[17] However, the Brantford Bypass would remain an isolated section of Highway 403 for over 20 years.

In Hamilton, work was underway on an extension of the Chedoke Expressway to Mohawk Road, crossing the Niagara Escarpment. This tedious project was soon accompanied by further construction from Mohwawk Road to Highway 2 near Ancaster. Both projects were completed and opened in September, 1969, completing the Hamilton section of Highway 403.^[18]

Mississauga

Planning for the segment of Highway 403 through Mississauga dates back to the late-1950s when the Hamilton Expressway appeared on the Metropolitan Toronto's regional transportation plan. It was to be a continuation of the Richview Expressway, which was ultimately never built, continuing from Toronto to Hamilton.^[19] The plan showed the expressway's eastern terminus as the Highway 401 and Highway 427 interchange. As Toronto's anti-expressway movement gained momentum, plans shifted the Hamilton Expressway to the west near Etobicoke Creek. In 1962, the right-of-way alongside the hydro corridor from Burlington to Etobicoke Creek was protected after traffic studies indicated the need for a future freeway.^[20] On May 25, 1965, the Department of Highways unveiled the Toronto Region Western Section Highway Planning Study. The plan designated Highway 403 north from Burlington and then parallel with the QEW to Highway 401 near Highway 27.^[21]

By the time construction was actually underway, plans had been completely modified to connect the overburdened QEW at Oakville with Highway 401 at the new Highway 410 interchange.^[22] This interchange was a better connection point for Highway 403, but would also require the widening of Highway 401 from six lanes to twelve. Plans were submitted and approved in 1978 by Mississauga, and construction began.

The new freeway opened in sections during the early 1980s. The first section between Cawthra Road and Highway 401 was opened August 18, 1980.^[23] This was followed by a short section from Highway 5 (Dundas Street) south to the QEW at Ford Drive, which opened in mid-1981. Later that year, an extension to Erin Mills Parkway was opened on November 17, 1981.^[24] The final section to be opened took the longest to complete, involving construction of two bridges over the Credit River valley. It opened on December 2, 1982. The cost of the entire 22 km (13.7 mi) Mississauga segment was $87 Million.^[25]

Around the same period, the Ministry of Transportation began to study upgrading Highway 401 to a collector express system between Renforth Drive and Highway 403, and along Highway 403 between Highway 401 and Highway 10.^[26] This took place throughout the 1980s, and was completed by 1985; The existing outermost ramps from Highway 403 to Highway 401 eastbound were re-designated to serve collector traffic, as a pair of flyover ramps were added inside the interchange to serve motorists in the express lanes.

The right-of-way originally intended for Highway 403 between Cawthra Road and Etobicoke Creek was eventually used for a controlled access arterial extension called Eastgate Parkway, which was planned beginning in 1982.^[26][27] The extension was built between 1987 and 1990, incorporating a portion of Fieldgate Drive at the eastern end.

In the fall of 1991, alongside the widening of Highway 410 into a full freeway, construction began on the connecting ramps between Highway 403 and Highway 410, which pass under the existing bridge structures for Highway 401 collector traffic, while new overpasses were constructed in the center for Highway 401 express lanes. The loop ramp from Highway 410 southbound to Highway 401 eastbound was replaced by a semi-directional high-speed flyover, while a new directional ramp and semi-direction flyover were added to serve westbound 401 commuters. Prior to the opening of this link, traffic from both freeways was forced onto eastbound Highway 401.^[28] The 2.2 km (1.4 mi) link opened on November 2, 1992 at a cost of $7.3 million.^[29]

Bridging the gaps

Construction to bridge the gaps in Highway 403 between Ancaster and Woodstock was carried out over three major phases. The first phase was a short extension of the Brantford Bypass beginning in 1975. Later, work began to connect that extension with Highway 401 near Woodstock, opening in 1988. The last phase, between Ancaster and Brantford, was opened in 1997.

In 1975, construction began on a westward extension of the Brantford Bypass, from Highway 2 (Paris Road) to Rest Acres Road, which would become Highway 24. This work consisted of the twin bridges over the Grand River and an interchange at Rest Acres Road. The Canadian National Railway underpass west of Highway 2 was built by the railway.^[30] By the beginning of 1978, this work was completed.^[31] Work resumed west of Highway 24 during the spring of 1982 to connect with Highway 401 near Woodstock in order to relieve the high traffic volumes along Highway 2.^[32] This included interchanges at Brant County Road 25 and Highway 53. A section from Highway 24 to County Road 25 opened during the autumn of 1984,^[33] followed by the section west of there to Highway 53 one year later.^[34] Construction of the gap between Highway 53 and Highway 401 began in late-1985,^[35] followed by the Highway 401 overpass for the westbound lanes, which began in 1987.^[36] By the end of 1989, the final section was completed.^[37]

Highway 403 was briefly left with three discontinuous sections; Brantford–Woodstock, Hamilton–Ancaster, and Oakville–Mississauga. Between Brantford and Ancaster, traffic was defaulted onto Highway 2, a driveway-lined four-lane road. On March 24, 1987, Chris Ward, MPP for Wentworth North officially announced that construction of the missing link between Brantford and Ancaster would be constructed beginning in 1989.^[38] Construction did not actually begin until the summer of 1990. It included interchanges at Garden Avenue, Highway 52 and Highway 2.^[39] A continous construction program was carried out over the next seven years, with the link opening on August 15, 1997.^[2] Highway 2, which was the only parallel route before the completion of Highway 403, was subsequently downloaded to regional jurisdiction.^[40]

Controversy

Though some officials considered Highway 403 to be a perfect example of a freeway construction process, it was not built without its share of controversy. Portions of the freeway through Mississauga were built alongside established communities, leading to angry homeowners associations pressuring the province for noise mitigation measures and compensation.

In the late-1980s and early-1990s, the Mississauga section of Highway 403 played host to over two dozen fatal accidents over a five-year period, one of the highest rates in North America at the time, despite being up to modern road standards. This led Peel Regional Police and the media to nickname it the 'Death Highway'.^[41][42] In particular the stretch from Mavis Road to Erin Mills Parkway has been the site of numerous accidents. Highway 403 features a downward slope as motorists head eastbound towards the Mavis Road interchange, where drivers frequently complain of having to slam on the brakes when traffic comes to a standstill due to a sudden increase in volume, causing numerous rear-end collisions. There is also glare from the sun that causes vision problems throughout the day.^[43]

Recent construction

The Hamilton-Brantford and Mississauga sections of Highway 403 were initially planned to be linked up along the corridor that is now occupied by Highway 407. However, these plans were altered by the Bob Rae government in 1995, due to budgetary constraints.^[44] It was also announced that the Mississauga section of Highway 403 would be renumbered as Highway 410.^[45] However, this never came to pass.

Consequently, Highway 403 was signed concurrently along the Queen Elizabeth Way in 2002, remedying the discontinuity.^[46]

In 2002, the right shoulders between Erin Mills Parkway and Mavis Road were widened for GO Transit and Mississauga Transit to run express bus services.^[47] In 2003, high-mast lighting was added to the previously unlit Mississauga section between Highway 407 and Eastgate Parkway. Due to land availability afforded by the hydro corridor which runs along the north side of the freeway, the high-mast poles are mounted on the north shoulder instead of in the median. This project preceded the widening of Highway 403 between Winston Churchill Blvd and Highway 401/410, which saw a High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane added in each direction; the project started in summer of 2004 and these opened on December 13, 2005. The HOV lanes and the dividing Ontario Tall Wall concrete barrier were constructed using the existing right-of-way provided by the grass median. The conventional truss lighting between Eastgate Parkway and Highway 401/410, which had been installed in 1986, was replaced by shoulder-mounted high-mast lighting in late 2004.

Sufficient right-of-way exists at the Highway 401-403-410 junction for a loop ramp from Highway 403 eastbound to Highway 401 westbound, and a directional ramp for vice versa, which would give Highway 401 eastbound traffic direct access to Cawthra Road, making it a full four-way interchange. These links will be completed as Highway 401 is widened to a 12-lane collector-express system west towards Hurontario Street.^[48]

Exit list

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 403, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.^[49]

References

Sources

Bibliography

• Shragge, John; Bagnato, Sharon (1984). From Footpaths to Freeways. Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee. ISBN 0-7743-9388-2. 
• Stamp, Robert M. (1987). The Queen Elizabeth Way, Canada's First Superhighway. Boston Mills Press. ISBN 0-919783-84-8. 
• AADT Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969. Department of Highways. 1969. 

External links

• Detailed route information for Highway 403
• Virtual Tour of Highway 403
• Google Maps: Highway 403 route
• Video of Highway 403 eastbound from Ancaster to Burlington
• Video of Highway 403 eastbound in Greater Toronto