Ontario Highway 23

Highway 23
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length:	97.7 km[1] (60.7 mi)
Existed:	June 22, 1927[2] – present
Major junctions
South end:	Highway 7 near Elginfield
	Highway 8 in Mitchell
North end:	Highway 9 in Harriston (continues as  Highway 89)
Location
Major cities:	Harriston, Listowel, Mitchell, St. Mary's
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways List 400-series Former <td width="100%" align=center" colspan="3" style="padding:0;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center">Current highways ←  Highway 21   Highway 24  → Former highways ←  Highway 22

King's Highway 23, commonly referred to as Highway 23, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route travels from Highway 7 east of Elginfield north to Highway 9 in Harriston. The total length of Highway 23 is 97.7 kilometres (60.7 mi).

The highway was first established in 1927 between Highway 8 and Highway 9. As part of a depression relief program, it was extended south to Highway 7 in 1934. It remained relatively unchanged until 2003, when it was rerouted northward from Palmerston to Harriston.

Route description

Highway 23 begins at Highway 7, east of Elginfield travelling north through the township of Lucan Biddulph, surrounded on both sides by farmland. At Whalen Corners, the highway curves northeast and exits Middlesex County, becoming the boundary road between Huron County to the west and Perth County to the east. The highway divides the communities of Woodham, Kirkton and Russeldale, meeting the eastern terminus of former Highway 83 as it swerves north. Approximately nine kilometres (5.6 mi) beyond there it enters the town of Mitchell, where it is known as Blanchard Street. The route intersects Highway 8 (Huron Street), and becomes concurrent with it briefly to cross the Upper Thames River before branching back northeast along St. George Street. Midway between Mitchell and the village of Monkton, the highway bisects the community of Bornholm within the municipality of West Perth. Prior to entering Monkton, Highway 23 curves gently towards the southeast; it resumes its northeasterly course in the middle of the village.^[3][4]

Continuing its northeasterly course, the highway passes through more farmland, now within the town of North Perth, and serves the communities of Newry and Atwood before encountering former Highway 86 on the western edge of Listowel. South of this intersection, the route is known locally as Mitchell Road South. It turns southeast onto Main Street West, where it once travelled concurrently with Highway 86 before turning northeast onto Wallace Avenue North. The final leg of the route divides the village of Gowanstown. The route gently curves to the east before turning north at an intersection just west of Palmerston, where it crosses the boundary into Grey County and the Town of Minto. eight kilometres (5.0 mi) north of the intersection, Highway 23 encounters the western terminus of former Highway 87, where it turns east then northeast to enter Harriston, ending at Highway 9.^[3][4]

History

Highway 23 was first established on June 22, 1927, when the Department of Highways assumed the road from Mitchell to Teviotdale through Perth and Wellington counties, via Monkton, Listowel and Palmerston, connecting Highway 8 and Highway 9.^[2] As part of depression relief work undertaken by the department during the early 1930s, Highway 23 was extended from Highway 8 to Highway 7 east of Elginfield on July 11, 1934.^[5]

Highway 23 remained unaltered between 1934 and 1998. On January 1, 1998, the section from the Highway 89 junction west of Palmerston to Highway 9 in Teviotdale was decommissioned, resulting in the northern terminus of Highway 23 becoming the western terminus of Highway 89.^[6] During the spring of 2003, the segment of Highway 89 between this junction and Harriston was renumbered as Highway 23,^[7] resulting in the current routing.^[3]

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 23, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.^[1] 

Division	Location	km[1]	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Middlesex	Lucan Biddulph	0.0	0.0	Highway 7 – London, Elginfield, Stratford
Perth	Russeldale	26.4	16.4	County Road 20 – Fullarton
	Mitchell	36.0	22.4	Frank Street	Beginning of Mitchell Connecting Link agreement
		37.0	23.0	Highway 8 west – Clinton, Goderich	Beginning of concurrency with Highway 8
		37.2	23.1	Highway 8 east – Stratford, Kitchener	End of concurrency with Highway 8
		38.4	23.9	Frances Street	End of Mitchell Connecting Link agreement
	Bornholm	45.6	28.3	County Road 44
	Monkton	54.3	33.7	County Road 55 (Maddison Street East)
	Newry	63.4	39.4	County Road 72 – Brussels
	Listowel	73.6	45.7	County Road 86 – Wingham	Formerly Highway 86; beginning of Listowel Connecting Link agreement
		76.0	47.2	David Street	End of Listowel Connecting Link agreement
	Gowanstown	80.1	49.8	County Road 88
	Palmerston	88.0	54.7	County Road 93 / County Road 123
Wellington
	Minto	96.1	59.7	County Road 87 (Harriston Road)
	Harriston	97.7	60.7	Highway 9 (Elora Street North) – Clifford County Road 109 (Elora Street South) – Teviotdale	Continues as Highway 89
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

External links

• Highway 23 length and route
• Highway 23 pictures and information