Newfoundland and Labrador Route 460

(Redirected from Hanson Memorial Highway)

Route 460 is an 87.5-kilometre-long (54.4 mi) east-west Canadian provincial highway in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Route 460 marker Route 460 marker
Route 460
White's Road
Hansen Memorial Highway
Kippens Road
Port au Port Highway
The French Ancestors Route
Route information
Maintained by Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length87.5 km (54.4 mi)
Major junctions
East end Route 1 (TCH) (Exit 3) in Harry's Brook
Major intersections
West endBoutte du Cap Park main entrance in Cape St. George
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador
Highway system
Route 450A Route 461

It is located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland and has its western terminus at Cape St. George, the westernmost tip of the Port au Port Peninsula, and its eastern terminus at an interchange in Harry's Brook with Route 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, at Exit 3.[1]

The highway has developed in several distinct sections:

  • Harrys Brook to interchange with Route 461 at Long Gull Pond (17 km) was developed at the time that the Trans-Canada Highway was built across Newfoundland in the early 1960s, this section is known as White's Road.
  • Long Gull Pond to interchange with Route 490 at Stephenville (16 km), the Hansen Memorial Highway, was developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers to run from Ernest Harmon AFB to the Newfoundland Railway main line at Long Gull Pond. Later, the USACE constructed its own narrow gauge railway line to connect the base with the main line, parallel to the Hansen Memorial Highway.
  • Interchange with Route 490 at Stephenville to western boundary of Kippens (4.5 km), known as Kippens Road.
  • Continuation from western boundary of Kippens through Port au Port and along the south coast of the Port au Port Peninsula to Cape St. George (51 km), the Port au Port Highway.

Communities along Route 460

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Communities off of Route 460

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Construction history for Hansen Memorial Highway section

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Grading equipment at work on the Hansen Memorial Highway

The US Army Corps of Engineers began work on the Stephenville bypass road in the 1950s. Company C, under the command of Capt. Claxton Ray, began at Stephenville and worked towards Company B, under the command of Capt. Gomez, which had commenced construction near Cormiers Village and were working in both directions, towards Long Gull Pond and towards Stephenville. It was necessary for Company B to begin construction of the road at Cormiers Village and work back towards Stephenville pending the finalizing of property agreements.

The eleven-mile-long (18 km) highway construction project began with a line of corduroy roads comprising one half of the road, and when Long Gull Pond was reached in the fall of 1954, the other half was constructed. The road was then extended along the Newfoundland Railway main line from Long Gull Pond to Stephenville Crossing (this section is now the eastern terminus of Route 461.

 
Bogged down in muck during construction

It was necessary to build three access roads approximately two miles in length in order to facilitate construction of the bypass road. These roads were built to the same specifications as the bypass road as they were used constantly for heavy hauling. A concrete bridge was built over Cold Creek in 1954 and a 60-foot (20 m) concrete bridge was built over Warm Creek in 1956.

The project required 90,000 cubic yards (70,000 m³) of fill as well as 30,000 cubic yards (20,000 m³) of crushed rock to complete the sub-base. The travel surface required 15,000 cubic yards (10,000 m³) of gravel, 19 inches thick before asphalt was applied. Construction equipment and material were stored at a depot Long Gull Pond during the project.

The bypass road was officially opened for military and public users in October 1957.

Major intersections

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LocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Cape St. George0.00.0Boutte du Cap Park main entranceEnd of Asphalt at main gate; western terminus
0.50.31  Route 463 east (Lourdes Road) – MainlandWestern terminus of Route 463
Abraham's Cove28.317.6  Route 463 west (Lourdes Road) – LourdesEastern terminus of Route 463
Felix Cove41.525.8Father Joy's Road (Route 460-14) - Aguathuna, Boswarlos
Port au Port West44.727.8Main Street (Route 460-13) - Aguathuna, Boswarlos
Port au Port46.228.7  Route 462 north (Point au Mal Road) – Point au Mal, Fox Island RiverSouthern terminus of Route 462
Stephenville55.034.2West Street - Downtown
55.834.7Gallant Street
56.735.2Queen Street
60.537.6Igloo Road
Noel's Pond62.138.6   Route 490 south (Minnesota Drive/Katarina Roxon Way) to Route 1 (TCH) – Stephenville, Stephenville CrossingNorthern terminus of Route 490; provides access to   Stephenville International Airport
Stephenville Crossing70.944.1  Route 461 south (Brook Street) – Stephenville Crossing, St. George'sNorthern terminus of Route 461
Harry's Brook87.554.4  Route 1 (TCH) – Corner Brook, Port aux BasquesExit 3 on Route 1; eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ "Route 460" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved March 16, 2020.

48°33′11″N 58°39′36″W / 48.5531°N 58.6599°W / 48.5531; -58.6599