Highway 406 (Ontario)
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| Highway 406 |
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| Length: | 25 km (16 miles) |
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| Formed: | 1965 |
| Direction: | North/South |
| From: | Welland, Ontario |
| To: | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| Major cities: | Welland, St. Catharines |
Highway 406 is a 400-series highway in Ontario, Canada.
It serves as the primary north-south route though the central portion of the Niagara Peninsula, connecting Welland, Thorold and downtown St. Catharines to the Queen Elizabeth Way. The section through downtown St. Catharines wraps through the Twelve Mile Creek valley in a very winding and twisted route, and is therefore only posted at 80 km/h (50 mph) rather than the usual 100 km/h (60 mph). The northbound transition to this lower speed limit has been the scene of many serious accidents, as motorists are unable to judge the sharp turn that occurs just after the reduction in speed limit.
Construction began in 1963, with the first section open in 1965. Extensions were opened in 1970, 1971, 1984, 1991 and 1994. The highway is currently 25 km (16 miles) long.
The highway rose to importance with the introduction of the Ontario Greenbelt legislation that called for more development in southern Niagara as opposed to fruit-rich portion below the Niagara Escarpment. It is expected that the highway will be extended further south into the region, but no timetable has been set. Erie—Lincoln MPP Tim Hudak has introduce a bill in the Ontario Legislature that, if passed, will designate Highway 140 as an extension of Highway 406 into Port Colborne[1]. This bill is supported by local civic leaders, who see it as the first step to the eventual twinning of Highway 140 as a proper 400-series highway.
Highway 406 is one of only two 400-series highways with non-freeway sections, the other being Highway 400, which is scheduled to be upgraded by 2007. South of Beaverdams Road, Highway 406 is a conventional two-lane highway with at-grade intersections. A long called-for widening and conversion to a full freeway from the current end of the dual carriageway segment of road (roughly 1 km south of Beaverdams Road) to Port Robinson Road has begun, with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation estimating completion of the project by July 27, 2007[2]. No concrete date has been set for a conversion further southward to Welland.
The highway is currently 25 km (16 miles) long. Hard Rock Paving, a local construction company began expanding the highway in Welland, from two to four lanes. The project started in the summer of 2006.
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[edit] Volume Information (2005)
- Highest Volume: 47,800 AADT from Glendale Avenue to Westchester Avenue
- Lowest Volume: 12,800 AADT from East Main Street to Woodlawn Road
[edit] Interchanges from South to North
| Municipality | Kilometre Post† | Intersecting Roads |
|---|---|---|
| Welland | 0 | East Main Street Main Street Tunnel (Highway 7146) (at-grade intersection, future interchange) Photo |
| Welland | 2 | Woodlawn Road (Niagara Road 41) (at-grade intersection, future interchange) Photo |
| Thorold | 4 | Merritt Road (Niagara Road 37) (at-grade intersection, future interchange) Photo |
| Thorold | 5 | Port Robinson Road (Niagara Road 63) (at-grade intersection, access to be removed) Photo |
| Thorold | 8 | Niagara Road 20 (at-grade intersection, interchange under construction) Aerial Photo, Photo |
| Thorold | 11 | Beaverdams Road (Niagara Road 67) Photo |
| St. Catharines-Thorold boundary | 15 | Highway 58 and St. David's Road Photo |
| St. Catharines | 17 | Glendale Ave (Niagara Road 89) Photo |
| St. Catharines | 19 | Westchester Ave (Niagara Road 91) (northbound only) Photo |
| St. Catharines | 20 | Geneva Street/Westchester Ave (Niagara Road 91) (southbound only) Photo |
| St. Catharines | 21 | Fourth Ave (Niagara Road 77) |
| St. Catharines | 25 |  Queen Elizabeth Way |
† Exits are not currently numbered on Highway 406.
[edit] Railway Crossings
Highway 406 is unique, having the only at-grade railway crossing of any 400 series highway. A crossing with a Trillium Railway spur is just south of the Woodlawn Road intersection. This section of Highway 406, however, is not a full freeway, but rather a two-lane expressway. It will be removed when the freeway is extended southward.
[edit] Future plans
An extension south of East Main Street to reach the proposed Mid-Peninsula Highway is currently under review. This section would initially be built as a two-lane freeway, and later upgraded to a full divided freeway as traffic counts warrant. When the extension southward is finalized, kilometre posts will be updated to reflect the eventual length of the highway.
[edit] References
- ^ Hudak Introduces Legislation To Extend Highway 406 To Port Colborne; Bill to designate Highway 140 as part of Highway 406
- ^ MTO Contract No. 2005-2041
| 400-series highways of Ontario | ||
|---|---|---|
| Highways | 400 · 401 · 402 · 403 · 404 · 405 · 406 · 407 ETR · 409 · 410 · 416 · 417 · 420 · 427 · QEW (451) |  |
| Proposed | 424 · Mid-Peninsula Highway · Bradford Bypass | |
| See also | List of Ontario provincial highways · List of Ontario expressways | |
