Ontario Highway 17A

Highway 17A
Kenora By-Pass
Route information
Auxiliary route ofHighway 17
Maintained by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario
Length	33.3 km(20.7 mi)
Existed	November16, 1990–present
Major junctions
BeltwayaroundKenora
West end	Highway 17west nearKeewatin
Major intersections	Highway 596nearKeewatin Highway 658nearJaffray–Melick Highway 671
East end	Highway 17east nearKenora
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Counties	Kenora District
Major cities	Kenora,Kenora Airport
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways Current Former 400-series
←Highway 17 →Highway 17B

King's Highway 17A,commonly referred to asHighway 17Aor as theKenora By-Pass,is analternate routeofHighway 17around the city ofKenora,in theCanadian provinceofOntario.It was built along a formerCanadian Pacific Railwayright-of-way,and has two westbound passing lanes in separate parts, and one eastboundpassing lane.

Route description

Although it is not an official part of theTrans-Canada Highway,Highway 17A is designated as the through route when travelling into Kenora on the Trans-Canada. The road also provides access toKenora Airport,but otherwise avoids the built-up areas of the city. The highway passes through a heavily forested area dominated by largegraniterock outcroppings, geography typical of theCanadian Shield. On an average day approximately 3,200–5,200 vehicles travel along the road, varying by season.

History

Construction of Highway 17A began in 1981 in response to traffic congestion within the city of Kenora, which created a severe bottleneck for cross-national traffic. The bypass opened in stages as it was constructed from west to east. The first 8.4 kilometres (5.2 mi), from Highway 17 to Highway 596 opened in September 1983. Following this, contracts were tendered for construction of theWinnipeg Riverbridge. The section between Highway 596 andHighway 658opened several years later in the autumn of 1988. The final section, linking Highway 658 with Highway 17, was opened on November16, 1990, at which point the Kenora Bypass was designated Highway17A.

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 17A, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.The entire route is located inKenora District.

Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Unorganized Kenora	0.0	0.0	Highway 17/TCH–Kenora,Winnipeg	Through traffic follows Highway 17 west
	7.0	4.3	Highway 596north –Minaki Darlington Drive
Kenora	12.5	7.8	Winnipeg RiverBridge
	14.8	9.2	Highway 658north (Redditt Road) –Redditt
	21.0	13.0	East Melick Road	Formerly Highway 659 north
	25.3	15.7	Highway 671north (Jones Road) –Jones
Unorganized Kenora	33.3	20.7	Highway 17/TCH–Kenora,Thunder Bay	Through traffic follows Highway 17 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

• Highway 17A pictures and information