Wonderland Road

Last updated
Wonderland Road
Ontario 4 crown.svg  Highway 4, Middlesex County Road 56
Wonderland Rd N mosbo6.jpg
Wonderland Road North looking south towards Gainsborough Road
Maintained by
City of London
County of Middlesex
County of Elgin
Length41.4 km (25.7 mi)
Location London, Ontario
North end Elginfield Road
Major
junctions		 Sunningdale Road
Fanshawe Park Road
Gainsborough Road
Sarnia Road
Oxford Street
Riverside Drive
Springbank Drive
Commissioners Road
Southdale Road
Wharncliffe Road
Exeter Road
Ontario 402 crown.svg  Highway 402
Ontario 401 crown.svg  Highway 401
South end Ron McNeil Line
Nearby arterial roads
←  Hyde Park Road
Wonderland
Road
 Western Road  →

Wonderland Road is a major north-south arterial road in London, Ontario, designated as Ontario Highway 4 between Highway 401 and Sunningdale Road. Outside of the City limits, the road extends north into Middlesex Centre as Middlesex County Road 56 and south into Southwold. It is one of the busiest roads in London, carrying over 43,000 vehicles per day between Springbank Drive and Riverside Drive as of 2013. [1]

Contents

History

Wonderland Road takes its name from the Wonderland Gardens concert hall located near Springbank Park. The present-day Wonderland Road corridor is made up of part or all of six London-area roads.

The original Wonderland Sideroad was a 3.24 km gravel road running between Southdale Road and the Thames River, with Wonderland Gardens located at the end of the road just before the river. In 1970, a major upgrade took place in conjunction with the new Westmount development, that saw the road widened to four lanes with a centre median south of Commissioners Road, and a new two-lane road south of Viscount Road (the part west from Steeplechase Drive known as Kanata Drive until the mid 1970s) that bypassed east of the existing road, connecting at Southdale Road with the old Airport Road which ran south 2.5 km to Highway 135. (Airport Road was so-named because the London airport was located in the southwest area before 1942.)

North of the Thames River, the modern-day Wonderland Road corridor consisted of: Hutton Sideroad, which existed from Riverside Drive 2.27 km north to the Sarnia Gravel Road (Third Concession Road of London Township); a north-south 1.32 km section of Sarnia Road which ran from Hutton Road and then continued westwards along today's Gainsborough Road (Fourth Concession Road of London Tp.); north of this point, Cameron Sideroad continued northward (3.51 km within the post 1993 city limits) to Highway 7. Hutton Sideroad passed under the Canadian National Railway tracks via a one-lane subway located slightly west of the current wider subway, which was constructed in the late 1950s. At some point in the middle of the 1960s, Sarnia Road was realigned to continue westward from Hutton Road along the part of Third Concession known up until then as Springfort Road, and Hutton Road was extended northward along the former section of Sarnia Road and Cameron Road.

In 1977, a new four-lane bridge was opened connecting Wonderland Road south of the river to Hutton Road (at that time 5.0 km within city limits) north of the river. This bridge was named in memory of Londoner Guy Lombardo, who had recently died and had often played at nearby Wonderland Gardens. At the same time, a four-lane diversion was built to the west of the original alignment between Commissioners Road and Springbank Drive. Hutton Road was renamed Wonderland Road North. Wonderland Road was now a continuous four-lane facility from Viscount Road to Kingsway Avenue. The four-lane section was extended north to just beyond Oxford Street in 1982.

In 1987, a new four-lane bridge was built over the Canadian Pacific Railway just south of Sarnia Road, replacing a two-lane level crossing. The four-lane section of Wonderland Road was further extended to Gainsborough Road in 1996, and a small section south of Fanshawe Park Road was widened to four lanes in 1998.

At the south end of the city, for many years Wonderland Road ended at Highway 135, later Exeter Road. The section between Southdale Road and Highway 135 was widened to four lanes in 1982 by Middlesex County, and the City of London widened the road north of Southdale to Viscount Road in the late 1980s. In 1997, a southerly extension joined Wonderland Road with 4.62 km of Bostwick Road, which also crossed Highway 402. An interchange was constructed at Highway 402 at the same time. Wonderland Road was separated by Highway 401 from the southernmost section to the Elgin County line, until 2015.

On October 31, 2014, London's first roundabout with four lanes opened at the intersection of Wonderland and Sunningdale. [2]

An interchange with Highway 401 and Wonderland Road opened in the fall of 2015. [3]

In 2017, Wonderland Road in Elgin County was transferred from Southwold Township to Elgin County in exchange of other County Roads which were transferred down to Southwold Township. [4]

In 2018, Wonderland Road between Highway 401 and Sunningdale Road was also designated as Highway 4 through the city, completed as part of a re-routing of Highway 4 through city, bypassing the City's downtown core, and linking MTO - controlled portions of Highway 4 both north and south of the city. Therefore, Highway 4 now follows Richmond Street south to Sunningdale Road, Sunningdale west to Wonderland Road, Wonderland south to Highway 401, a 401 concurrency west to Colonel Talbot Road, then Colonel Talbot south to the city limits. [5]

Route description

Wonderland Road is one of only two roads in London to traverse both north and south ends of the city without any breaks or turnoffs, the other being Highbury Avenue.

In urban London, the road is four lanes wide, with the road narrowing to two in the rural part. The final section to be widened to four lanes was between Gainsborough and Aldersbrook, which was completed in 2010.

North of the Thames River, house numbers start in the 500s with odd and even numbers switching sides north of Sarnia Road. Heading south through Southdale Road, house numbers immediately increase from the 1000s to the 3000s, due to a numbering convention from Westminster when London annexed the town in 1993.

North of Sunningdale, Wonderland Road exits London and is designated as Middlesex County Road 56 in Middlesex Centre where it continues as a rural, two-lane road until it ends at Elginfield Road. South of Southminster Bourne, the road continues as a rural, two-lane road in Southwold where it ends at Ron McNeil Line, just north of Highway 3.

Where the original Wonderland Sideroad was bypassed between Commissioners and Springbank, the former alignment was renamed Old Wonderland Road. When Hutton Road was realigned westward at Riverside to connect with Wonderland Road in 1977, the original alignment to the east was truncated and renamed Hutton Place.

Wonderland is one of the few thoroughfares in urban London to have cycling infrastructure for most of its length. It features a combination of on-street and off-street bike lanes from north of Fanshawe Park to Commissioners Roads, resuming at Southdale and ending at Bradley Avenue.

Transit

The road is served by multiple bus routes of the London Transit Commission. The most notorious is Route 10 which travels on Wonderland between Sarnia and Southdale, which was eponymously named 10 Wonderland for decades until September 2016. Other routes that serve portions of Wonderland include Routes 7, 9, 12, 15, 19, 20, 24, 27, and 33.

Landmarks and neighbourhoods

Future

Long term plans initially called for Wonderland Road to be widened to six lanes from the Highway 401 interchange to London's north city limits. [6] In 2017, the City of London launched an environmental assessment named "Discover Wonderland" that would have looked at widening Wonderland to six lanes from Sarnia to Southdale, while investigating how to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and transit. [1] However, in August 2021, the city began to consider halting the project due to concerns over environmental impact, [7] [8] with city council ultimately voting 9-5 on September 14 to halt the project. [9] [10] The city will instead look into alternative methods of improving traffic on Wonderland Road. [9]

Related Research Articles

King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It stretches 828 kilometres (514 mi) from Windsor in the west to the Ontario–Quebec border in the east. The part of Highway 401 that passes through Toronto is North America's busiest highway, and one of the widest. Together with Quebec Autoroute 20, it forms the road transportation backbone of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, along which over half of Canada's population resides. It is also a Core Route in the National Highway System of Canada. The route is maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) and patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police. The speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) throughout the majority of its length, with the remaining exceptions being the posted 80 km/h (50 mph) limit westbound in Windsor, in most construction zones, and the 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit on the 40 km (25 mi) stretch between Windsor and Tilbury that was raised on April 22, 2022, the 7 km (4.3 mi) extension east of the aforementioned, the 35 km (22 mi) stretch between Highway 35 / 115 and Cobourg, the 44 km (27 mi) stretch between Colborne and Belleville, the 66 km (41 mi) stretch between Belleville and Kingston, and the 107 km (66 mi) stretch between Highway 16 and the east end of the highway that were raised on July 12, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London West (federal electoral district)</span> Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

London West is a federal electoral district in London, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968.

King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present 100.8 km (62.6 mi) length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. It travels between Highway 3 in Talbotville Royal, north-west of St. Thomas, and Highway 8 in Clinton, passing through the city of London inbetween.

King's Highway 427, also known as Highway 427 and colloquially as the 427, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that runs from the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto to Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan. It is Ontario's second busiest freeway by volume and the third busiest in North America, behind Highway 401 and Interstate 405 in California. Like Highway 401, a portion of the route is divided into a collector-express system with twelve to fourteen continuous lanes. Notable about Highway 427 are its several multi-level interchanges; the junctions with the QEW/Gardiner Expressway and Highway 401 are two of the largest interchanges in Ontario and were constructed between 1967 and 1971, while the interchanges with Highway 409 and Highway 407 were completed in 1992 and 1995, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 7</span> Ontario provincial highway

King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At its peak, Highway 7 measured 716 km (445 mi) in length, stretching from Highway 40 east of Sarnia in Southwestern Ontario to Highway 17 west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario. However, due in part to the construction of Highways 402 and 407, the province transferred the sections of Highway 7 west of London and through the Greater Toronto Area to county and regional jurisdiction. The highway is now 535.7 km (332.9 mi) long; the western segment begins at Highway 4 north of London and extends 154.1 km (95.8 mi) to Georgetown, while the eastern segment begins at Donald Cousens Parkway in Markham and extends 381.6 km (237.1 mi) to Highway 417 in Ottawa.

King's Highway 404, also known as Highway 404 and colloquially as the 404, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. A continuation of the municipal Don Valley Parkway (DVP) north of Highway 401, it connects Toronto with East Gwillimbury. The 50.1-kilometre (31.1 mi) controlled-access freeway also connects with Highway 407 in Markham, which formed the northeastern ring road of the Greater Toronto Area until the opening of Highway 412 in 2016. Highway 404 provides access to the eastern edge of Richmond Hill, Aurora and Newmarket and the western edge of Whitchurch-Stouffville, in addition to the southern edge of Keswick.

King's Highway 400, commonly referred to as Highway 400, historically as the Toronto–Barrie Highway, and colloquially as the 400, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario linking the city of Toronto in the urban and agricultural south of the province with the scenic and sparsely populated central and northern regions. The portion of the highway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe roughly traces the route of the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, a historic trail between the Lower and Upper Great Lakes. North of Highway 12, in combination with Highway 69, it forms a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH), the Georgian Bay Route, and is part of the highest-capacity route from southern Ontario to the Canadian West, via a connection with the mainline of the TCH in Sudbury. The highway also serves as the primary route from Toronto to southern Georgian Bay and Muskoka, areas collectively known as cottage country. The highway is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police and has a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph), except for the section south of Highway 401, where the speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph) and the 60 km (37 mi) stretch between MacTier and Nobel, where the speed limit was raised to 110 km/h (68 mph) on April 22, 2022.

King's Highway 410, also known as Highway 410 and colloquially as the four-ten, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connects Highways 401 and 403 to Brampton. North of Brampton, the commuter freeway ends and the route becomes Highway 10, which continues north through Caledon as a four-lane undivided highway. The route is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police and has a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph).

King's Highway 402, commonly referred to as Highway 402 and historically as the Blue Water Bridge Approach, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connects the Blue Water Bridge international crossing near Sarnia to Highway 401 in London. It is one of multiple trade links between Ontario and the Midwestern United States. It is four lanes for much of its length, though the approach to the Blue Water Bridge is six lanes.

Highbury Avenue is an arterial road located in the Canadian province of Ontario. In addition to serving as a primary north–south thoroughfare in eastern London – through which part of it is a limited-access freeway – the road also provides access to Highway 401 and continues south to St. Thomas. The southern terminus of Highbury Avenue is an intersection with South Edgeware Road, just north of Highway 3 and the eastern end of the St. Thomas Expressway. From there, it travels 45.6 kilometres (28.3 mi) north to Highway 7, east of Elginfield. Outside of London and St. Thomas, the road also passes through the communities of Ballymote and Bryanston. It is designated as Elgin County Road 30 within Central Elgin, and as Middlesex County Road 23 within Middlesex Centre, the two rural municipalities through which the route passes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eglinton Avenue</span> Road in Toronto and Mississauga, Canada

Eglinton Avenue is a major east–west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. The street begins at Highway 407 at the western limits of Mississauga, as a continuation of Lower Baseline in Milton. It traverses the midsection of both cities and ends at Kingston Road. Eglinton Avenue is the only street to cross all six former cities and boroughs of Metropolitan Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bathurst Street (Toronto)</span> Street in Toronto and York Region in Ontario, Canada

Bathurst Street is a main north–south thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It begins at an intersection of the Queens Quay roadway, just north of the Lake Ontario shoreline. It continues north through Toronto to the Toronto boundary at Steeles Avenue. It is a four-lane thoroughfare throughout Toronto. The roadway continues north into York Region where it is known as York Regional Road 38.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London—Fanshawe (federal electoral district)</span> Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

London—Fanshawe is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997.

The Veterans Memorial Parkway is a 13.4 km expressway located entirely within London, Ontario. The expressway was previously the provincial King's Highway 100 from 1977 until 1993, and was formerly named Airport Road from 1977 to September 2006. It begins in the south at Wilton Grove Road and ends at Clarke Road, which it continues as northward.

King's Highway 40, commonly referred to as Highway 40, is a provincially maintained highway in the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The 91.4-kilometre (56.8 mi) route links Chatham and Sarnia via Wallaceburg, following close to the St. Clair River. The southern terminus is at Highway 401 south of Chatham, while the northern terminus is at Highway 402 in Sarnia. The portion of Highway 40 between Highway 401 and north of Wallaceburg is within the municipality of Chatham-Kent, while the portion north of there is within Lambton County.

King's Highway 135, commonly referred to as Highway 135, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario on the southern edge of London, following Exeter Road, which it is better known as. The road's main purpose was to link Highway 401 in London with Highway 2 in Lambeth, at a time when the London-area section of Highway 401 was only completed to the interchange with Highway 4.

King's Highway 22, commonly referred to as Highway 22, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, located between Sarnia and London. Since 1998, the majority of the former route has been known as Middlesex County Road 22 and Lambton County Road 22. It began at Highway 7 and Highway 79 north of Watford and proceeded 46.0 kilometres (28.6 mi) east to Highway 4 in the north end of London. Between those two points, it passed through the small communities of Wisbeach, Dejong, Adelaide, Wrightmans Corners, Hickory Corner, Poplar Hill, Lobo, and Melrose. The highway was located within Lambton County, Middlesex County, and the city of London, and it followed the historic Egremont Road

King's Highway 74, commonly referred to as Highway 74, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that travelled north from Highway 3 at New Sarum to Middlesex County Road 29 on the outskirts of London. The 22.4-kilometre-long (13.9 mi) was assumed by the province in September 1937. Aside from paving and the construction of an interchange with Highway 401, it remained generally unchanged for the next six decades until it was decommissioned in 1997 and transferred to Elgin County and Middlesex County. The road has since been redesignated as Elgin County Road 74 and Middlsex County Road 74.

King's Highway 76, commonly referred to as Highway 76, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route began at Highway 3 in Eagle and progressed north through the community of West Lorne, encountering Highway 401 immediately before terminating southwest of Glencoe at Longwoods Road. Today the route it followed is known as Elgin County Road 76 and Middlesex County Road 76.

References

  1. 1 2 Stacey, Megan (July 31, 2017). "London city hall: A proposal to widen Wonderland Road by half could become one of the largest road projects in city history". The London Free Press. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  2. ↑ Van Brenk, Debora (October 30, 2014). "Going in circles". The London Free Press. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  3. ↑ Daniszewski, Hank (November 12, 2015). "New 401 link drives opportunity to SW London, city says". London Free Press. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Elgin county to assume Wonderland Road from Southwold township but rebuild is a couple of years down the road".
  5. ↑ "Highway 4 Re-route". www.london.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-11-02.
  6. ↑ City of London (April 5, 2001). "Long Term CorridorProtection Study" (PDF). Retrieved April 28, 2010. 6-Lane Arterials: Wonderland Road- Sunningdale-401
  7. ↑ Newcombe, Daryl (25 August 2021). "Six-lane Wonderland Road widening may be stopped after climate change action plan flexes muscle". CTV News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  8. ↑ McInnes, Angela (26 August 2021). "London council could shelve Wonderland Road widening, citing climate concerns". CBC. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  9. 1 2 Stacey, Megan (14 September 2021). "Climate change: Councillors scrap $212M Wonderland Road widening". The London Free Press. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Newcombe, Daryl (15 September 2021). "Council detours from $212M plan to widen Wonderland Road after climate screening". CTV News. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.