Sultan Industrial Road

Sultan Industrial Road
Route information
Length: 79.7 km[1] (49.5 mi)
Existed: September 19, 1978[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: Highway 667 at Sultan
East end:  Highway 144 at  Highway 560 junction
Location
Towns: Sultan

The Sultan Industrial Road is a private road in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally built as a resource route for E. B. Eddy's logging and lumber operations in the northwestern Sudbury District, the road is now owned and operated by Domtar following its acquisition of E. B. Eddy in 1998. It is under a public access agreement with the province, permitting its use for public travel.

Route description

The Sultan Industrial Road travels through remote forests of northern Ontario

The road, which has a gravel surface, begins at the intersection of Highway 144 and Highway 560, 96 km (60 mi) north of Cartier and 32 kilometres (20 mi) south of Gogama. It travels westward through remote forests to the terminus of Highway 667 at Sultan approximately 80 km (50 mi) to the west. The road is one of the only intersections along Highway 144 apart from its termini. The route also provides the only terrestrial road access to the community of Biscotasing and the ghost towns of Jerome Mine and Ramsey. It has a speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph), as defined in Ontario Regulation 681;[3] however, logging trucks routinely travel in excess of 110 km/h and so caution is advised.[1]

Many municipal politicians and media commentators in the area have also lobbied for the road to be upgraded to full provincial highway status,[4] as the route would reduce the length of a trip from Sudbury to Wawa by fully 100 kilometres (62 mi) compared to the current routing of Highway 17.[1]

Although public access is permitted on the Sultan Industrial Road, its primary purpose is for logging operations

History

The Sultan Industrial Road was initially constructed by the private logging company, E.B. Eddy Forest Products Limited. On September 19, 1978, an agreement was signed between the company and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, predecessor to the Ministry of Transportation. This agreement opened the road for public use under the maintenance of the company.[2] The road has remained unchanged since, with the exception of the responsibility for its maintenance, which is now under the jurisdiction of Domtar following its acquisition of E.B. Eddy in 1998.[5]

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Sultan Industrial Road.[1] The entire route is located in Sudbury District. 

Locationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Sultan0.00.0Highway 667 (Main Street)
Unorganized Sudbury23.214.4Dore RoadDore Road is the only named road between the two termini of the route
79.749.5 Highway 144  Sudbury, Timmins
 Highway 560 east  Gowganda
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Google (February 15, 2014). "Sultan Industrial Road - length and route". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Sultan–Makwa Road opened to public traffic" (Press release). Ministry of Transportation and Communications. September 19, 1978.
  3. Speed Limits in Territory without Municipal Organization, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 621 at the Canadian Legal Information Institute.
  4. Doug Millroy, "Upgrade Sultan road as route to Wawa". Sault Star.
  5. Domtar Acquires E.B Eddy for $803 Million. allbusiness.com, June 16, 1998.