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Ontario Highway 29

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Highway 29 marker

Highway 29

Map
A map of Highway29, in red
(as of December31, 1997)
Route information
Maintained byMinistry of Transportation of Ontario
Length52.29 km[1](32.49 mi)
ExistedMay11, 1927[2]–January1, 1998[3]
Major junctions
South endHighway 2(King Street) inBrockville
Major intersectionsHighway 401–Kingston,Cornwall
Highway 42west inForthton
North endHighway 15(Lombard Street/ Beckwith Street) inSmiths Falls
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountiesLeeds and Grenville
Major citiesBrockville
TownsSmiths Falls
VillagesForthton,Addison,Frankville,Toledo,Newbliss
Highway system
←Highway 28→Highway 33
Former provincial highways
Highway 30→

King's Highway 29,commonly referred to asHighway 29,was aprovincially maintained highwayin theCanadianprovince ofOntario.The 52.29-kilometre (32.49 mi) route connectedHighway 2(King Street) in downtownBrockvillewithHighway 15(Lombard Street) south ofSmiths Falls.Between those larger settlements, it provided access to the communities ofForthton,Addison,Frankville,ToledoandNewbliss.

When Highway29 was established in 1927, it consisted of two separated halves. One half connected Brockville with Smiths Falls, while the other connectedCarleton PlacewithArnprior;Highway15 provided the only provincial highway link between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place, viaPerth.The missing link was filled in 1936. The highway was paved in its entirety the following year. In 1983, it was truncated at Smiths Falls, with the northern portion becoming part of Highway 15. The remainder of Highway29 remained until 1998, when responsibility for maintenance of the route was transferred to theUnited Counties of Leeds and Grenville.It is now known asLeeds and Grenville County Road29

Route description

[edit]
For the description of the original sections of Highway29, between Smiths Falls and Arnprior, seeOntario Highway 15.

Highway29 was a 52.29-kilometre (32.49 mi) route that connected Highway2 in Brockville with Highway15 in Smiths Falls.[1] The former route provides access to several communities between the two locations. It is now designated as Leeds and Grenville County Road29 outside of Brockville.[4] Traffic levels along County Road29 in 2018 were highest near Brockville, where approximately 11,300vehicles travelled the roadon an average day.Approximately 4,300vehicles travelled the road approaching Smiths Falls. The least travelled portion of the road was near Newbliss, where 2,000vehicles used the road, on an average day.[5] Traffic volumes are unavailable within Brockville and Smiths Falls.

As the route existed prior to being decommissioned, Highway29 began at King Street (itself formerlyHighway 2) and Courthouse Avenue in downtown Brockville. Proceeding generally in a northwest direction, the former route travelled one block before splitting around theLeeds and Grenville County Court House,aNational Historic Site.Northbound traffic followed Court House Square, Wall Street and Pearl Street, while southbound traffic followed William Street and Court Terrace. Both directions reconvened along William Street and crossed over theCanadian National Railway(CN) Kingston subdivision, adjacent to theBrockville VIA station;Williams Street became Stewart Boulevard north of the overpass. The former highway met and crossed over Highway401 at Exit696, next to theBrockville Shopping Centrebefore exiting Brockville approximately 250 metres (820 ft) north of Centennial Road.[4][6]

Highway29 continued intoElizabethtown-Kitley,where some low-density development extended along the route as it transitioned to a rural farmland setting.[6] After passing through the communities ofTincapandSpring Valley,it curved west briefly before returning towards the northwest. It travelled through the hamlets ofGlen Buelland Forthton, meeting the eastern terminus of former Highway42 at the latter.[1][4] Curving almost northward, it became fully immersed in farmland for most of its remaining length. It bisected the communities of Addison,Hawkes,and Frankville. After crossing the large marshland surroundingIrish Lake,the former highway made a large sweeping curve to the northeast, bypassing the community of Toledo.[4][6]

Facing south alongHighway 15,from above theRideau CanalinSmiths Falls,towards the northern terminus of Highway29

Highway29 entered into a forested area as it travelled around Irish Lake. It turned north and later entered the community of Newbliss, curving northwest and returning to farmland shortly thereafter. At the hamlet ofShanes,the former highway intersected Kitley–South Elmsley Townline Road and crossed into the municipality ofRideau Lakes.It meandered northeast approaching the outskirts of Smiths Falls, before crossing into the town 100 metres (330 ft) south of Van Horne Avenue. Within Smiths Falls, the road took on the name Brockville Street. Highway29 ended at a junction with Lombard Street (Highway15 south) and Jasper Avenue that lies immediately south of theRideau Canal.Through traffic continued north across the canal onto Beckwith Street South (Highway15 north).[1][4][6]

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]

Southern portion from Brockville as far as Toledo was opened as a wagon trail in 1816 by settlers heading inland to the newly established military town site of Perth viaRideau Ferry,[7] and thus became known as the Perth Road.[8] Smiths Falls did not begin to develop until the completion of the Rideau Canal in 1832.[9] In 1837, work began to improve the road north from Brockville, though very little was accomplished over the following ten years, until the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville contracted the construction of amacadamisedroad from Brockville to Smiths Falls in 1847. This would be completed in 1852 and known as the Victoria Macadamised Road; tolls were collected for approximately a decade. Although numerous realignments straightened and shortened the road over the years, Highway29 would largely come to follow this toll road.[10][11]

Designation and paving

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Map
From 1936 until 1983, Highway 29 (in red) continued north from Smiths Falls along what is now Highway 15 (in blue). Bypassed segments are also shown (in dark yellow).

Highway29 was first designated as a provincial route by the Department of Public Highways (DPHO), predecessor to the modernMinistry of Transportation of Ontario(MTO), in 1927. It was initially split into two separate halves, with a discontinuity between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place; Highway15 provided the only provincial highway connection between the two towns, via Perth.[12] Responsibility was assumed by the DPHO for the upkeep of the 49.1-kilometre (30.5 mi) southern portion of the road, within the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, on May11, 1927. The 44.6-kilometre (27.7 mi) northern portion, within Lanark County andCarleton County,was assumed on August17, 1927.[2] Until 1934, Highway29 passed into downtown Almonte. That year saw the route redirected along what is now Christian Street along the western edge of the town, much to the chagrin of local residents.[13] On January9, 1936, it was announced that the 26-kilometre (16 mi) Franktown Road, connecting Smiths Falls with Carleton Place, would be improved and assumed as a provincial highway.[14] This officially took place on August5, 1936.[15] The highway from Brockville to Arnprior now bore a single number and was 123.2 km (76.6 mi) long.[16]

The majority of Highway29 was a gravel road when it was assumed; by 1927, it was paved through Smiths Falls, between Carleton Place and Almonte, and through Pakenham. In addition, the Franktown Road was paved between Smiths Falls and south of Franktown.[17] Paving operations between Brockville and Smiths Falls commenced in 1929,[18][19] with the portion between west of Spring Valley and Forthton being completed that year. The Franktown Road was also paved entirely by then, except within its namesake town.[20] Paving north of Brockville to the existing pavement west of Spring Valley was completed in 1930, and between Newbliss and Smiths Falls in 1931.[21] Paving of the segment between Frankville and Newbliss, as well as through Franktown, followed in 1933.[22] The final gap between Brockville and Smiths Falls — from Forthton to Newbliss — was paved in 1934.[22][23]

Limited resources in thedepression yearsresulted in other highways receiving priority attention, notably Highway15 and Highway17.[24] As a result, the remainder of Highway29 was paved in a piecemeal approach. The northern 10 km (6 mi) of the route, near Arnprior, were paved in 1932;[25] a short segment between Almonte and theIndian Riverin 1934.[24] Approximately 6.2 km (3.9 mi) were paved south of Pakenham the following year.[26] The remaining gaps, near Pakenham — a 4.5 km (3 mi) section south to the Indian River, and a 9.6 km (6.0 mi) section north to the Lanark–Carleton county line — were improved by 1937, completing the paving of the highway.[27][28]


Black and white photograph of a narrow, tree-lined paved road
Highway29 south ofSmiths Fallsin 1943

Improvements, concurrencies, and downloading

[edit]

Until the 1950s, Highway29 connected to King Street in downtown Brockville via Perth Avenue. On October9, 1952, Stewart Boulevard was opened, connecting with William Street.[29] A few years later in October 1954, a contract to construct the Brockville Bypass section of Highway401 was awarded.[30] Construction of thecloverleaf interchangeat Highway29 began in 1957.[31] Both the interchange and the eastbound lanes of Highway401 (from west of Brockville toPrescott) were opened by Minister of Highways,Frederick Cass,on November13, 1959.[32] The westbound lanes opened 10months later on September16, 1960.[33]

Two other highways were signedconcurrentlywith Highway29 over the course of its existence. In August 1935, the DHO took over the route between Forthton andWestportas Highway42. It was signed concurrently with Highway29 between Brockville and Forthton at the same time.[26] Until the 1960s, Highway15 connected Smiths Falls with Carleton Place via Perth. By the mid-1950s, the well-established highway network had changed travel characteristics, and the numbering of Highway15 between Perth and Ottawa confused motorists. TheOttawa Board of Tradepetitioned the Department of Highways to renumber several highways surrounding the city.[34] The department performed a series of renumberings similar to these recommendations following the extension ofHighway 43on September8, 1961. Highway15 was rerouted between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place to travel concurrently with Highway29; Highway7 was extended along the former routing from Perth to Carleton Place and signed concurrently with Highway15 eastward to Ottawa.[35][36]

Highway29 was significantly reduced in length during the early 1980s, in order to reduce the redundancy of Highway15. Highway29 was truncated at Smiths Falls, while Highway15 was rerouted along the section of Highway29 between Carleton Place and Arnprior. This change was approved by the provincial government in 1983, without consulting local governments; signage changes were made in the spring of 1984.[37] This established the route of Highway29 for the remainder of its existence.[1][38][39] As part of a series of budget cuts initiated by premierMike Harrisunder hisCommon Sense Revolutionplatform in 1995, numerous highways which were no longer significant to the provincial network were decommissioned and responsibility for the routes transferred to a lower level of government, a process referred to asdownloading.Highway29 was downloaded in its entirety on January1, 1998, and transferred to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.[1][3]

Major intersections

[edit]

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway29, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario in the 1997Provincial Highways Distance Table.[1]

DivisionLocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Brockville0.000.00Highway 2(King Street)
0.100.062Courthouse Square / George StreetHighway29 split intoone-way pair;northbound traffic follows Wall Street, southbound traffic follows William Street
0.500.31Pearl Street / William StreetEnd of one-way pair; both directions of Highway29 follow William Street
0.740.46CNKingston subdivision andBrockville VIA stationGrade-separated;William Street becomes Stewart Boulevard
1.861.16Highway 401–Kingston,CornwallExit696
4.512.80County Road 27 (Centennial Road)
Leeds and GrenvilleElizabethtown-Kitley10.276.38County Road 7 (Greenbush Road) –Greenbush
12.007.46County Road 32(to Graham Lake Road)Now County Road46
14.158.79County Road 28 –North AugustaCommunity ofGlen Buell
15.349.53Highway 42–AthensNow County Road42; community ofForthton
18.3411.40County Road 30 (Addison Road)Community ofAddison
30.4118.90County Road 1 north –Toledo
31.2419.41County Road 8 west (Line 6 Road) –Toledo,Lombardy
38.1223.69County Road 16 –Jasper
Smiths Falls52.2932.49Highway 15south (Lombardy Street)
Jasper Avenue		Highway15 continues north towardsCarleton Place
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^abcdefgTransportation Capital Branch (1997)."Provincial Highways Distance Table"(PDF).Provincial Highways Distance Table: King's Secondary Highways and Tertiary Roads.Ministry of Transportation of Ontario: 53–54.ISSN0825-5350.RetrievedJune 18,2021– via Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
  2. ^ab"Appendix No. 6 – Schedule of Assumptions and Reversions of Sections of the Provincial Highway System for the Years 1926 and 1927".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. February 12, 1929. p. 60.RetrievedApril 30,2021– via Internet Archive.
  3. ^abHighway Transfers List – "Who Does What" (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. June 20, 2001. p. 8.
  4. ^abcdeOntario Back Road Atlas(Map). Cartography byMapArt.Peter Heiler Ltd. 2010. pp. 49–50. §§ W60–Z63.ISBN978-1-55198-226-7.
  5. ^"Traffic Counts on County Roads".United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. 2018.RetrievedMay 1,2021– via ArcGIS.
  6. ^abcdGoogle(April 29, 2021)."Highway 29 – Length and Route"(Map).Google Maps.Google.RetrievedApril 29,2021.
  7. ^"The 1816 Routes to Perth – Fall 1816: Brockville to Rideau Ferry".Perth & District Historical Society.RetrievedMay 15,2021.
  8. ^"The Old Perth Road".Lyn Heritage Place Museum. November 21, 2016.RetrievedMay 15,2021.
  9. ^"Museums and History".Town of Smiths Falls.RetrievedMay 15,2021.
  10. ^"A New Athens".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 135, no. 56. September 7, 1977. p. 84.RetrievedMay 15,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^"Early Roads in Elizabethtown".Lyn Heritage Place Museum. August 19, 2016.RetrievedMay 15,2021.
  12. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1928. §§ J3–K4.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  13. ^"Rambling Reflections of Placed and People Throughout the District of Ottawa".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 91, no. 172. January 6, 1934. p. 12.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^"Brockville Opens New Traffic Artery".The Ottawa Journal.Vol. 51, no. 25. January 13, 1936. p. 13.RetrievedMay 3,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^"Appendix No. 4 – Schedule of Assumptions and Reversions of Sections of the King's Highway System for the Fiscal Year".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. February 23, 1938. p. 51.RetrievedApril 30,2021– via Internet Archive.
  16. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1936–37. Mileage Tables inset.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  17. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1927. §§ J3–K4.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  18. ^"To Improve Highways – 1929 Programme Adopted for Brockville District".The Gazette.Vol. 63, no. 24. January 28, 1929. p. 1.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^"Road Contracts Let".The Ottawa Evening Citizen.Vol. 86, no. 265. April 25, 1929. p. 19.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1930–31. §§ J3–K4.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  21. ^"Pavement Operations During 1930; Pavement Construction on the Highway System in 1931".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. October 21, 1932. pp. 32, 34.RetrievedMay 7,2021– via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ab"Highway Improvements Heard at Brockville".The Ottawa Evening Citizen.Vol. 91, no. 236. March 22, 1934. p. 13.RetrievedMay 10,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^"Roads Leading to Ottawa Are in Work Plans".The Ottawa Evening Citizen.Vol. 91, no. 244. March 31, 1934. p. 4.RetrievedMay 9,2021– via Newspapers.com.Paving between Brockville and Smiths Falls will be finished this year
  24. ^ab"1934 Construction by Residencies".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. March 18, 1935. p. 100.RetrievedMay 8,2021– via Internet Archive.
  25. ^"Pavement Construction in 1932".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. March 5, 1934. p. 24.RetrievedMay 8,2021– via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ab"Annual Report for 1935 – King's Highway Operations".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. January 19, 1937. p. 25.RetrievedMay 8,2021– via Internet Archive.
  27. ^"Annual Report for 1936".Annual Report(Report). Department of Highways. February 23, 1938. p. 25.RetrievedMay 10,2021– via Internet Archive.
  28. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1937–38. §§ S5–T6.RetrievedMay 10,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  29. ^"Brockville Opens New Traffic Artery".The Ottawa Journal.Vol. 67, no. 257. October 9, 1952. p. 36.RetrievedMay 2,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^"Brockville Bypass Gets Go Sign".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 112, no. 96. October 22, 1954. p. 20.RetrievedMay 2,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^"Ontario Earmarks Over $4,000,000 for Highways in Ottawa, District".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 114, no. 228. March 28, 1957. p. 1.RetrievedMay 2,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^"Cass Opens Highway at Prescott".The Ottawa Journal.Vol. 74, no. 284. November 14, 1959. p. 7.RetrievedMay 2,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^"Prescott–Long Breach Highway Finished Friday".The Ottawa Journal.Vol. 75, no. 233. September 15, 1960. p. 21.RetrievedMay 3,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^"Ask Sweeping Road Scheme".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 113, no. 159. January 6, 1956. pp. 1, 7.RetrievedDecember 15,2011.
  35. ^Information Section (September 8, 1961). "Press Release (no title given)" (Press release). Department of Highways.
  36. ^"New Numbers on Highways in District".The Ottawa Citizen.Vol. 188, no. 667. September 15, 1961. p. 4.RetrievedMay 13,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^"Almonte on Wrong Track When it Comes to Tourists".The Ottawa Citizen(Capital ed.). June 1, 1984. p. 3.RetrievedMay 13,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by Cartography Section, Surveys and Plans Office. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. 1982–83. §§ D29–F31.RetrievedMay 13,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
  39. ^Ontario Road Map(Map). Cartography by Cartography Section, Surveys and Plans Office. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. 1984–85. §§ D29–F31.RetrievedMay 13,2021– via Archives of Ontario.
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