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Ontario Highway 29

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King's Highway 29, commonly referred to as Highway 29, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 52.29-kilometre (32.49 mi) route connected Highway 2 (King Street) in downtown Brockville with Highway 15 (Lombard Street) south of Smiths Falls. Between those larger settlements, it provided access to the communities of Forthton, Addison, Frankville, Toledo and Newbliss.

Highway 29 marker
Highway 29
Map
A map of Highway 29, in red
(as of December 31, 1997)
Route information
Maintained by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length52.29 km[1] (32.49 mi)
ExistedMay 11, 1927[2]–January 1, 1998[3]
Major junctions
South end Highway 2 (King Street) in Brockville
Major intersections Highway 401 – Kingston, Cornwall
 Highway 42 west in Forthton
North end Highway 15 (Lombard Street / Beckwith Street) in Smiths 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  →

When Highway 29 was established in 1927, it consisted of two separated halves. One half connected Brockville with Smiths Falls, while the other connected Carleton Place with Arnprior; Highway 15 provided the only provincial highway link between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place, via Perth. 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 Highway 29 remained until 1998, when responsibility for maintenance of the route was transferred to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. It is now known as Leeds and Grenville County Road 29

Route description

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For the description of the original sections of Highway 29, between Smiths Falls and Arnprior, see Ontario Highway 15.

Highway 29 was a 52.29-kilometre (32.49 mi) route that connected Highway 2 in Brockville with Highway 15 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 Road 29 outside of Brockville.[4] Traffic levels along County Road 29 in 2018 were highest near Brockville, where approximately 11,300 vehicles travelled the road on an average day. Approximately 4,300 vehicles travelled the road approaching Smiths Falls. The least travelled portion of the road was near Newbliss, where 2,000 vehicles 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, Highway 29 began at King Street (itself formerly Highway 2) and Courthouse Avenue in downtown Brockville. Proceeding generally in a northwest direction, the former route travelled one block before splitting around the Leeds and Grenville County Court House, a National 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 the Canadian National Railway (CN) Kingston subdivision, adjacent to the Brockville VIA station; Williams Street became Stewart Boulevard north of the overpass. The former highway met and crossed over Highway 401 at Exit 696, next to the Brockville Shopping Centre before exiting Brockville approximately 250 metres (820 ft) north of Centennial Road.[4][6]

Highway 29 continued into Elizabethtown-Kitley, where some low-density development extended along the route as it transitioned to a rural farmland setting.[6] After passing through the communities of Tincap and Spring Valley, it curved west briefly before returning towards the northwest. It travelled through the hamlets of Glen Buell and Forthton, meeting the eastern terminus of former Highway 42 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 surrounding Irish Lake, the former highway made a large sweeping curve to the northeast, bypassing the community of Toledo.[4][6]

 
Facing south along Highway 15, from above the Rideau Canal in Smiths Falls, towards the northern terminus of Highway 29

Highway 29 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 of Shanes, the former highway intersected Kitley–South Elmsley Townline Road and crossed into the municipality of Rideau 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. Highway 29 ended at a junction with Lombard Street (Highway 15 south) and Jasper Avenue that lies immediately south of the Rideau Canal. Through traffic continued north across the canal onto Beckwith Street South (Highway 15 north).[1][4][6]

History

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Early history

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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 via Rideau 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 a macadamised road 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, Highway 29 would largely come to follow this toll road.[10][11]

Designation and paving

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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).

Highway 29 was first designated as a provincial route by the Department of Public Highways (DPHO), predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), in 1927. It was initially split into two separate halves, with a discontinuity between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place; Highway 15 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 May 11, 1927. The 44.6-kilometre (27.7 mi) northern portion, within Lanark County and Carleton County, was assumed on August 17, 1927.[2] Until 1934, Highway 29 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 January 9, 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 August 5, 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 Highway 29 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 the depression years resulted in other highways receiving priority attention, notably Highway 15 and Highway 17.[24] As a result, the remainder of Highway 29 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 the Indian River in 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]


 
Highway 29 south of Smiths Falls in 1943

Improvements, concurrencies, and downloading

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Until the 1950s, Highway 29 connected to King Street in downtown Brockville via Perth Avenue. On October 9, 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 Highway 401 was awarded.[30] Construction of the cloverleaf interchange at Highway 29 began in 1957.[31] Both the interchange and the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 (from west of Brockville to Prescott) were opened by Minister of Highways, Frederick Cass, on November 13, 1959.[32] The westbound lanes opened 10 months later on September 16, 1960.[33]

Two other highways were signed concurrently with Highway 29 over the course of its existence. In August 1935, the DHO took over the route between Forthton and Westport as Highway 42. It was signed concurrently with Highway 29 between Brockville and Forthton at the same time.[26] Until the 1960s, Highway 15 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 Highway 15 between Perth and Ottawa confused motorists. The Ottawa Board of Trade petitioned 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 of Highway 43 on September 8, 1961. Highway 15 was rerouted between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place to travel concurrently with Highway 29; Highway 7 was extended along the former routing from Perth to Carleton Place and signed concurrently with Highway 15 eastward to Ottawa.[35][36]

Highway 29 was significantly reduced in length during the early 1980s, in order to reduce the redundancy of Highway 15. Highway 29 was truncated at Smiths Falls, while Highway 15 was rerouted along the section of Highway 29 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 Highway 29 for the remainder of its existence.[1][38][39] As part of a series of budget cuts initiated by premier Mike Harris under his Common Sense Revolution platform 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 as downloading. Highway 29 was downloaded in its entirety on January 1, 1998, and transferred to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.[1][3]

Major intersections

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The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 29, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario in the 1997 Provincial Highways Distance Table.[1] 

DivisionLocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Brockville0.000.00  Highway 2 (King Street)
0.100.062Courthouse Square / George StreetHighway 29 split into one-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 Highway 29 follow William Street
0.740.46CN Kingston subdivision and Brockville VIA stationGrade-separated; William Street becomes Stewart Boulevard
1.861.16  Highway 401 – Kingston, CornwallExit 696
4.512.80  County Road 27 (Centennial Road)
Leeds and GrenvilleElizabethtown-Kitley10.276.38  County Road 7 (Greenbush Road) – Greenbush
12.007.46  County Road 32 (to Graham Lake Road)Now County Road 46
14.158.79  County Road 28 – North AugustaCommunity of Glen Buell
15.349.53  Highway 42 – AthensNow County Road 42; community of Forthton
18.3411.40  County Road 30 (Addison Road)Community of Addison
30.4118.90  County Road 1 north – Toledo
31.2419.41  County Road 8 west (Line 6 Road) – Toledo, Lombardy
38.1223.69  County Road 16 – Jasper
Smiths Falls52.2932.49  Highway 15 south (Lombardy Street)
Jasper Avenue		Highway 15 continues north towards Carleton Place
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Transportation 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. ISSN 0825-5350. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
  2. ^ a b "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. Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ a b Highway Transfers List – "Who Does What" (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. June 20, 2001. p. 8.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Cartography by MapArt. Peter Heiler Ltd. 2010. pp. 49–50. §§ W60–Z63. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7.
  5. ^ "Traffic Counts on County Roads". United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2021 – via ArcGIS.
  6. ^ a b c d "Highway 29 – Length and Route" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "The 1816 Routes to Perth – Fall 1816: Brockville to Rideau Ferry". Perth & District Historical Society. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  8. ^ "The Old Perth Road". Lyn Heritage Place Museum. November 21, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. ^ "Museums and History". Town of Smiths Falls. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  10. ^ "A New Athens". The Ottawa Citizen. Vol. 135, no. 56. September 7, 1977. p. 84. Retrieved May 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Early Roads in Elizabethtown". Lyn Heritage Place Museum. August 19, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  12. ^ Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1928. §§ J3–K4. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Brockville Opens New Traffic Artery". The Ottawa Journal. Vol. 51, no. 25. January 13, 1936. p. 13. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ^ Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1936–37. Mileage Tables inset. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.
  17. ^ Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1927. §§ J3–K4. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "To Improve Highways – 1929 Programme Adopted for Brockville District". The Gazette. Vol. 63, no. 24. January 28, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Road Contracts Let". The Ottawa Evening Citizen. Vol. 86, no. 265. April 25, 1929. p. 19. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1930–31. §§ J3–K4. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ a b "Highway Improvements Heard at Brockville". The Ottawa Evening Citizen. Vol. 91, no. 236. March 22, 1934. p. 13. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Paving between Brockville and Smiths Falls will be finished this year
  24. ^ a b "1934 Construction by Residencies". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 18, 1935. p. 100. Retrieved May 8, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ "Pavement Construction in 1932". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 5, 1934. p. 24. Retrieved May 8, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ a b "Annual Report for 1935 – King's Highway Operations". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. January 19, 1937. p. 25. Retrieved May 8, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ^ "Annual Report for 1936". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. February 23, 1938. p. 25. Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  28. ^ Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by D. Barclay. Ontario Department of Public Highways. 1937–38. §§ S5–T6. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.
  29. ^ "Brockville Opens New Traffic Artery". The Ottawa Journal. Vol. 67, no. 257. October 9, 1952. p. 36. Retrieved May 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Brockville Bypass Gets Go Sign". The Ottawa Citizen. Vol. 112, no. 96. October 22, 1954. p. 20. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved May 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Cass Opens Highway at Prescott". The Ottawa Journal. Vol. 74, no. 284. November 14, 1959. p. 7. Retrieved May 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Prescott–Long Breach Highway Finished Friday". The Ottawa Journal. Vol. 75, no. 233. September 15, 1960. p. 21. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Ask Sweeping Road Scheme". The Ottawa Citizen. Vol. 113, no. 159. January 6, 1956. pp. 1, 7. Retrieved December 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. Retrieved May 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. Retrieved May 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. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 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. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.
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