Ontario Highway 131

For the original designation of Highway 131, see Thunder Bay Expressway.

Highway 131 shield

Highway 131
Townline Road, Simcoe County Road 27
Route information
Maintained by County of Simcoe, City of Barrie
Length: 6.7 km[1] (4.2 mi)
Existed: 1984 – January 1, 1998[2]
Major junctions
South end:  Highway 27 (Essa Road)
North end:  Highway 90 (Tiffin Street)
Location
Counties: Simcoe
Major cities: Barrie
Highway system
Highway 130Highway 132

Highway 131 was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Simcoe County and the city of Barrie. The route, which connected Highway 27 with Highway 90, existed from 1984 through 1997, after which it was transferred to the responsibility of Simcoe County.

Highway 131 was a straight rural highway, located west of Barrie's suburban fringe, though since then those suburbs have grown out to reach the former highway. Otherwise, the highway is abutted by the occasional farm and surrounded by several forests.

Route description

Highway 131 began at an intersection with Highway 27 (Essa Road), travelling north through the outskirts of Barrie. Although the city of 125,000 residents lay immediately east of the highway, Highway 131 was a two lane road throughout its length. North of Highway 27, the route travelled north through farmland, then west of the suburb of Holly. North of Mapleview Drive, the route entered a forested area. After travelling through a valley, the highway met Ardagh Road. It crossed the newly commissioned Barrie Collingwood Railway and shortly thereafter ended at Highway 90 (Dunlop Street), which travelled east to Barrie and west to Angus and CFB Borden.[3]

History

In 1984, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) assumed ownership of Simcoe County Road 31.[4] The purpose was to divert Georgian Bay and Wasaga Beach -bound traffic from Highway 26 in Downtown Barrie.

On January 1, 1998, as part of the second round of Mass downloading, the MTO transferred responsibility for the maintenance and signing of the route to the County of Simcoe and City of Barrie.[2] The route was quickly redesignated as Simcoe County Road 27; the former route of Highway 27 into Barrie is now known as Essa Street.[5]

Major intersections

yes 

Locationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Innisfil0.00.0 Highway 27  TorontoNow Simcoe County Road 27
Barrie6.74.2 Highway 90  Barrie, AngusNow Simcoe County Road 90
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Provincial Highways Distance Table. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. 1989. p. 86. ISSN 0825-5350.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Highway Transfers List - “Who Does What” (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. June 20, 2001. p. 14.
  3. Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Cartography by MapArt. Peter Heiler Ltd. 2010. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7.
  4. Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by Cartography Section. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. 1978/79. § NQ11. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. http://partners.simcoe.ca/ws_par/groups/public/@pub/@newtec/documents/web_content/wspar_011591.pdf