Ontario Highway 66

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Ontario 66.svg TCH-NOR.svg

Highway 66

Ontario Highway 66
Highway 66 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length103.5 km [1]  (64.3 mi)
ExistedSeptember 22, 1937 [2] –present
Major junctions
West endOntario Highway 566.svg  Highway 566 in Matachewan
Major intersectionsOntario 65 crown.svg  Highway 65 near Matachewan
Ontario 11 crown.svg  Highway 11 near Kirkland Lake
Ontario 112 crown.svg  Highway 112 in Kirkland Lake
East endQc117.svgTrans-Canada Highway shield.svg R-117 (TCH) towards Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
Location
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Highway system
Ontario 65.svg Highway 65 Ontario 67.svg Highway 67

King's Highway 66, commonly referred to as Highway 66, is a provincially-maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Located in the Timiskaming District, the highway begins at Matachewan near a junction with Highway 65. It extends eastward for 107.0 kilometres (66.5 mi) to the Quebec boundary just east of Kearns. At the provincial boundary, the highway continues eastward as Route 117. From Highway 11 (41 kilometres (25 mi) east of Matachewan) at Kenogami Lake eastwards to the Quebec boundary, Highway 66 is designated as part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Contents

Route description

Highway 66 passes through the controversially-named community of Swastika Swastika ON.JPG
Highway 66 passes through the controversially-named community of Swastika

Beginning at the village of Matachewan, where the highway continues west as Highway 566, the route travels 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi) east to a junction with Highway 65. From there to the community of Kenogami Lake, on Highway 11, the highway passes through a 40-kilometre (25 mi) wilderness, encountering few roads or signs of humanity. Instead the highway winds through rock cuts, muskeg and thick coniferous forests. After intersecting Highway 11, the route continues east through the controversially-named community of Swastika. [3] It encounters Highway 112 between Swastika and the community of Chaput Hughes, after which the highway enters the town of Kirkland Lake. East of the town, Highway 66 passes through King Kirkland and encounters Highway 672. [4]

Highway 66 returns to a remote setting, eventually passing through the community of Larder Lake, where it encounters Highway 624. For the remaining 17 kilometres (11 mi), the route snakes through the wilderness, passing through the communities of Virginiatown and Kearns between long segments of forest. Immediately east of Kearns, the highway crosses the Ontario–Quebec boundary, where it continues as Quebec Route 117 to Rouyn-Noranda. [4]

The entirety of Highway 66 is located within Timiskaming District in the rugged and remote Canadian Shield. Outside of the communities along the route, there is almost no habitation or services. Consequently, traffic volumes drop considerably east of Highway 11. [1]

History

Highway 66 through Kearns Kearns ON.JPG
Highway 66 through Kearns

Highway 66 was first assumed by the Department of Highways on September 22, 1937, shortly after its merger with the Department of Northern Development (DND) on April 1. [2] The DND created the road during the early 1930s, connecting several rail stops. The Kirkland Lake area is the site of several gold deposits that were discovered during the first quarter of the century, and the King's Highway status brought about new improvements to help service the mines. Initially, the route was only 26.2 miles (42.2 km) long, connecting Kirkland Lake with the Ontario–Quebec boundary. On November 16, 1955, the route was extended 25.5 miles (41.0 km) west to Highway 65 near Matachewan. [5] Although several minor realignments to improve the rugged route have been made since then, it did not change significantly between 1956 and 1997. On April 1, 1997, a 1.9-kilometre (1.2 mi) section of the highway, between Goldthorpe Drive and Main Street, was transferred to the town of Kirkland Lake. [6]

Beginning in August 2011, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario undertook the Virginiatown Relocation Study to determine a new location around the town and bypass the abandoned Kerr Addison Mine. [7] Construction was announced in 2015 and was completed sometime before the end of 2017. [8]

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 66, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. [1] The entire route is located in Timiskaming District. [4]  

Locationkm [1] miDestinationsNotes
Matachewan 0.00.0Ontario Highway 566.svg  Highway 566 westWestern terminus; continues as Highway 566
4.62.9Ontario 65 crown.svg  Highway 65 south – Elk Lake
Unorganized West Timiskaming 44.827.8Ontario 11 crown.svgTCH-blank.svg  Highway 11  / TCHNorth Bay, Cochrane Trans-Canada Highway designation begins
Kirkland Lake 54.033.6Ontario 112 crown.svg  Highway 112 south – North Bay
57.135.5Goldthorpe DriveHighway 66 ends
Highway 66 is discontinuous for 1.9 km (1.2 mi) through Kirkland Lake
59.036.7Main StreetHighway 66 resumes; beginning of Kirkland Lake Connecting Link agreement
61.037.9Kirkland Lake city limits; end of Kirkland Lake Connecting Link agreement
Unorganized West Timiskaming 73.645.7Ontario Highway 672.svg  Highway 672 north
Larder Lake 86.453.7Ontario Highway 624.svg  Highway 624 south (Ontario Street)
Unorganized West Timiskaming 103.564.3Qc117.svgTrans-Canada Highway shield.svg R-117 (TCH) east Rouyn-Noranda Continuation into Quebec
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •        Route transition

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timiskaming District</span> District in Ontario, Canada

Timiskaming is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district was created in 1912 from parts of Algoma, Nipissing, and Sudbury districts. In 1921, Cochrane District was created from parts of this district and parts of Thunder Bay District.

King's Highway 101, commonly referred to as Highway 101, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 473.3-kilometre (294.1 mi) highway connects Highway 17 west of Wawa with Highway 11 in Matheson before continuing east to the Ontario–Quebec border where it becomes Route 388. The highway forms one of the only connections between the two routes of the Trans-Canada Highway between Nipigon and Temagami, and crosses some of the most remote regions of Northern Ontario. Major junctions are located with Highway 129 near Chapleau and Highway 144 southwest of Timmins, though the distance between these junctions is significant.

King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba boundary, 50 km (31 mi) west of Kenora, and the main section ends where Highway 417 begins just west of Arnprior. A small disconnected signed section of the highway still remains within the Ottawa Region between County Road 29 and Grants Side Road. This makes it Ontario's longest highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 519</span> Ontario provincial highway

Secondary Highway 519, commonly referred to as Highway 519, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway is 30.5 km (19.0 mi) in length, connecting Highway 17 near Obatanga Provincial Park with Dubreuilville station. A private logging road continues east from that point.

King's Highway 64, commonly referred to as Highway 64, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting Highway 69 north of the French River with Highway 11 at Marten River, via Highway 17 west of Sturgeon Falls. The route serves several communities along the north shore of the French River and west shore of Lake Nipissing as it travels from Highway 69 to Highway 17. North of Sturgeon Falls, the highway provides a shortcut between Highway 17 and Highway 11 northwest of North Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauthier, Ontario</span> Township municipality in Ontario, Canada

Gauthier is a township municipality in Timiskaming District the Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The township had a population of 138 in the Canada 2016 Census. Its main population centre is Dobie, located just north of Ontario Highway 66, 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) east of Kirkland Lake.

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 and Highway 89 in Harriston. The total length of Highway 23 is 97.7 kilometres. The highway was first established in 1927 between Highway 8 in Mitchell and Highway 9 in Teviotdale, via Monkton, Listowel and Palmerston. 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.

King's Highway 63, commonly referred to as Highway 63, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 63.5-kilometre (39.5 mi) route travels from Highway 11 and Highway 17 in North Bay northeast to the Ontario-Quebec provincial boundary, where it continues as Route 101 into Témiscaming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 65</span> Ontario provincial highway

King's Highway 65, commonly referred to as Highway 65, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route begins at Highway 66 and travels 123.3 kilometres (76.6 mi) southeast to the Quebec border. At its midpoint, the route is concurrent with Highway 11.

King's Highway 102, commonly referred to as Highway 102, formerly as Highway 11A and Highway 17A and historically as the Dawson Road, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, serving as a northern bypass to the city of Thunder Bay for all vehicle traffic. Both the western and eastern termini of Highway 102 are with the concurrency of Highway 11 and Highway 17; in the rural community of Sistonens Corners to the west and in Thunder Bay to the east. The majority of Highway 102 is surrounded by thick forests and swamps. However, owing to its historic nature, it is lined with residences outside of urban Thunder Bay.

King's Highway 112, commonly referred to as Highway 112, is a provincially maintained highway in the northern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. Formerly part of the Ferguson Highway, the route was designated with its own number in 1953, prior to which it formed a part of Highway 11. It travels east of the current Highway 11, around Round Lake and through Dane before ending at Highway 66 southwest of Kirkland Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenogami Lake, Ontario</span> Place in Ontario, Canada

Kenogami Lake is an unincorporated place and community in the Unorganized West Part of Timiskaming District in northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on Kenogami Lake on the Blanche River in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larder Lake</span> Lake in Timiskaming District, Ontario

Larder Lake is a freshwater lake in Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The lake straddles the incorporated (municipal) townships of Larder Lake and McGarry and geographic McFadden Township. It is part of the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin and is the source of the Larder River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 59</span> Former Ontario provincial highway

King's Highway 59, commonly referred to as Highway 59, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It connected Long Point Provincial Park in Norfolk County to the town of Shakespeare in Perth County, passing through the city of Woodstock in Oxford County en route. Several smaller towns also lined the highway, notably Courtland, Delhi, Norwich and Tavistock. Highway 59 featured junctions with Highway 3, Highway 2, Norfolk County Highway 24 and the concurrent routes of Highway 7 and Highway 8. Highway 59 also had an interchange with Highway 401.

King's Highway 121, commonly referred to as Highway 121, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connected several communities in the cottage country region of Central Ontario on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. Between Fenelon Falls and Minden, Highway 121 served as an alternative route to Highway 35, which was severely congested during summer weekends. From Minden, the highway branched east to Haliburton Village and thereafter followed the present route of Highway 118 to Highway 28 in Paudash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 672</span> Ontario provincial highway

Secondary Highway 672, commonly referred to as Highway 672, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 47.6-kilometre (29.6 mi) route lies within Timiskaming and Cochrane district, connecting Highway 66 — part of the Trans-Canada Highway — in the south with Highway 101 in the north. It is the only highway to provide access to Esker Lakes Provincial Park. Though the highway was first assumed by the province in 1990, the existing road had been built north from Highway 66 to the provincial park in 1977 and extended to Highway 101 in the late 1980s.

Kenogami Lake Station is an unincorporated place and railway point in the Unorganized West Part of Timiskaming District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Blanche River in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanche River (Lake Timiskaming)</span> River in Ontario, Canada

The Blanche River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Timiskaming District in northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river is a tributary of Lake Timiskaming and its name is from the French for the colour "white".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2016). "Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts" . Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Appendix No. 3 – Schedule of Assumptions and Reversions of Sections of the King's Highway System for the Year Ending March 31, 1938". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 31, 1938. p. 80. Retrieved February 3, 2021 via Internet Archive.
  3. Dalal, Kishan; Sanderson, Payton; Ho, Harvey; Silvestri, Ryan (January 2020). "History of Swastika, Ontario and its Controversies". Controversial Commemorations in Ontario: Fall 2020. Sheridan College. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Mapart (2010). Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Peter Heiler Ltd. p. 105. § H17–J18. ISBN   978-1-55198-226-7.
  5. "Appendix 3 – Schedule of Assumptions of Sections". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 31, 1956. p. 205.
  6. Highway Transfers List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. April 1, 1997. p. 10.
  7. Mineral Development and Lands Branch (November 13, 2008). NOAMI: A Workshop to Explore Perspectives on Risk Assessment (PDF). Ministry of Northern Development and Mines . Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  8. "Ontario investing in Highway 66 at Virginiatown". Northern News . October 2, 2015. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
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