Secondary Highway 618, commonly referred to as Highway 618, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It connects Olsen Mine and Madsen with the northern terminus of Highway 105 in the town of Red Lake. The 11.7-kilometre (7.3 mi) route was established in 1956, and has remained the same since then. It passes through a remote forested area, and encounters no communities of any significance outside of Red Lake. The route was assumed by the Department of Highways, predecessor to today's Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, in 1956, along with many other secondary highways in Ontario. The route has remained unchanged since then.
 Highway 618 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario | ||||
| Length | 11.7 km[1] (7.3 mi) | |||
| Existed | 1956[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Olsen Mine Road in Starratt-Olsen | |||
| East end |  Highway 105 – Ear Falls, Vermilion Bay | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Ontario | |||
| Districts | Kenora | |||
| Towns | Red Lake | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editHighway 618 is a short highway which serves to connect several mines and the community of Madsen with the northern terminus of Highway 105 in the town of Red Lake.[3] On an average day, 500 vehicles travel the route, which is 11.7 kilometres (7.3 mi) long.[1] Owing to the geography of the area, the route serves through traffic and no residences or farms lie next to it.[4]
The route begins at Olsen Mine Road and travels east-northeast through thick boreal forest. It meets a forestry road and Main Street towards Madsen. The highway passes north of Faulkenham Lake and travels parallel to a high-tension power line including the town of Redditt. Continuing northeast, Highway 618 zig-zags through the forest, then enters Red Lake, where it is also known as Howey Street. The route shares its eastern terminus with the northern terminus of Highway 105.[3][4]
History
editHighway 618 was first assumed by the Department of Highways, predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation of Ontario in early 1956, along with several dozen other secondary highways, but was possibly maintained by the province as a development road prior to that.[2][5] The route has remained unchanged since then.[3]
Major intersections
editThe following table lists the major junctions along Highway 618. The entirety of the route is located within Kenora District.[3]
| Location | km[1] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starratt-Olsen | 0.0 | Olsen Mine Road | |
| Madsen | 1.3 | Main Street | |
| Red Lake | 10.2 | Starratt Street | |
| 11.7 | Highway 105
|
||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||
References
edit- ^ a b c Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2010). "Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ a b Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by C.P. Robins. Ontario Department of Highways. 1956. § C4–D5.
- ^ a b c d Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Cartography by MapArt. Peter Heiler. 2010. p. 106. § E–F4. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7.
- ^ a b "Route of Highway 618" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ "Ontario Secondary Roads Now Designated 500, 600". Vol. 112, no. 33, 119. The Globe and Mail. February 4, 1956. p. 4.
Two new Ontario road numbers appear on the province's 1956 official road map which will be ready for distribution next week. The new numbers are the 500 and 600 series and designate hundreds of miles of secondary roads which are wholly maintained by the Highways Department. More than 100 secondary roads will have their own numbers and signs this year. All of these secondary roads were taken into the province's main highways system because they form important connecting links with the King's Highways