List of unused highways in Canada

Main article: Unused highway

An unused highway may reference a highway or highway ramp that was partially or fully constructed but was unused or later closed. An unused ramp can be referred to as a stub ramp, stub street, stub-out, or simply stub. The following is a list:

Canada

Alberta

In Edmonton:

• In the 2010s, Edmonton began developing a number of new stubs to support traffic flow from the Anthony Henday Freeway. The largest and most notable of these was near the city's border with St. Albert.[14] This stub was built without specific plans to put it in use.

In Calgary:

In the 1990s, to improve safety, Calgary began removing one loop of existing cloverleaf intersections and replacing it with traffic signals and a left-turn lane.

• At the Highway 1/Sarcee Trail SW interchange just west of Calgary, the remains of a cloverleaf ramp are still there. The old cloverleaf ramp has been replaced with a single left-turn ramp.[15]
• Another example of the conversion of a Calgary Cloverleaf is the Glenmore Trail / Blackfoot Trail interchange, where the SW leaf (Glenmore E to Blackfoot N) was removed and replaced with a left-turn lane and traffic signals. [16]
• At the Highway 2A/Highway 22X interchange just south of Calgary, an redundant access ramp was left abandoned. [17]

British Columbia

A 4 km stretch of Highway 3 was abandoned when the alignment of the highway was shifted subsequent to the Hope Slide. Locals report that it has occasionally been used as an emergency landing strip for airplanes caught in bad weather in the area. [18]

A 3.7 km stretch of Highway 97 between Penticton and Kaleden west of Skaha Lake was abandoned when the highway was rerouted lower down the mountain.[19]

Many ramp stubs in BC are remains of ramps from older interchanges that have been reconfigured. Often these ramp stubs are minimally maintained and are sometimes used as service roads for tow-trucks and emergency response vehicles.

• On Highway 1, some ramp stubs exist at the Exit 37—Gaglardi Way Interchange. Seen from the overpass, and somewhat clearly from Highway 1, they give a sign that Gaglardi Way once had a plan to be extended.[20]
• Two ramp stubs exist at Exit 44—Cape Horn Interchange on Highway 1. Seen from the overpass, the ramp stubs show that this was a trumpet interchange-reconfigured due to weaving.[21]
• A few ramp stubs exist at Highway 1 at Exit 58, 200 St. When the interchange was reconfigured into a diamond-SPUI hybrid, the remaining ramps can be seen unclearly from the overpass on Highway 1. The remains of the old road to the now demolished old overpass can be seen clearly. However, the space inside the former ramps are now being developed, and these ramp stubs may disappear among townhouses and business complexes. An overhead view of the interchange can be seen here
• The No. 3 Road exit near Abbotsford on Highway 1 clearly bears a closed ramp, which has been replaced by a cloverleaf ramp.[22]
• Ramp stubs also exist at what used to be an interchange between Highway 99 and Railway Drive in Surrey; this is located between exits 10 and 16, at Highway 99's overpass over the Burlington Northern railway. This was a four lane level crossing for the Burlington Northern Railway. Two lanes each direction. This level crossing was temporary til the current over pass was built.[23]
• A few ramp stubs exist at the Highway 99/Highway 91 interchange in Richmond.[24]
• A ramp stub exists at the Highway 99/Sea Island Way interchange in Richmond. It was most likely an access road to the Ministry of Transport office and works yard that used to be located between the open rainwater ditch and the northbound on-ramp.[25]
• At the Grand McConachie/Russ Baker Way interchange, there is a small unused concrete strip, which suggests the interchange's configuration before the Sea Island Bridge was constructed.[26] Westbound traffic from the Moray Channel Bridge used to bear right and merge with the present overpass that deposits traffic westbound towards YVR. The greater portions of this access road were recently removed due to area reconfiguration.
• An old road bed exists at the Highway 91/Nordel Way interchange, near the NB 91-WB Nordel Way cloverleaf ramp.[27] This indicates that the ramp may have been moved east, probably due to safety concerns, especially in light of the very abbreviated merge section had the original layout remained.
• A short stub of concrete and a strip of grass lie on the Southwestern side of the Highway 1/Highway 11 interchange, indicating a diamond interchange configuration was used in the past.[28]
• Also in Abbotsford, a ramp stub exists at the intersection of South Fraser Way and Townline Road. The remains of a slip-ramp from Highway 1 to this intersection are clearly seen from the highway; there is also a green painted-over exit sign at the former exit.[29] This ramp was used for special direct access to the nearby Abbotsford International Airport during the annual Abbotsford International Airshow a few times.
• At the Peardonville Rd. overpass of Highway 1 in Abbotsford, a disused onramp from South Fraser Way can be seen, formerly providing access to westbound Highway 1.[30]
• In Abbotsford, at the S. Fraser Way/Cyril Street intersection, unused strips of concrete suggest Highway 11's alignment before the Sumas Way bypass was constructed.[31]
• Two unused strips of concrete located near the Highway 11/1 interchange in Abbotsford appear to be a continuation of Highway 11 before it was realigned. This may have been a portion of the original Clearbrook—Chilliwack expressway constructed in 1962. One of these stubs is now being used to access a Visitor Information Centre.[32]
• A ramp stub is visible where a partial cloverleaf ramp once connected Highway 99 to King George Boulevard/8th Ave in Surrey. The road of Highway 99A was changed into a ramp to merge on to the then-new Highway 99 after it was built. When Highway 99A lost is designation, the ramp was rebuilt. The new ramp was built between 2004 and 2005. Nearby vegetation also suggests where the ramps once stood.[33]

Manitoba

• An unused strip of concrete on the Perimeter Highway to Highway 59 suggests an old alignment before a northeastern section was constructed. Another concrete strip suggesting a cloverleaf ramp was constructed but never finished. [34]
• Other small strips along the Perimeter Highway (notably the northeastern section) are dotted along the highway.[35][36][37][38] However most of these disappeared when the Perimeter Highway was twinned.[39]

New Brunswick

• A former section of Route 7 in Fredericton was bypassed with the completion of the Vanier Highway in 1976, and became an arterial road named Vanier Industrial Drive. In 2004, the construction of the Wilsey Road interchange to the north lead to the realignment of Vanier Industrial Drive, and a section was abandoned. It now serves as the access road to a municipal compost facility. [40]
• The opening of the Fredericton-Moncton section of Route 2 in 2001 caused the abandonment of two sections of Route 7 as well as several ramps in Oromocto. The Waasis Road interchange had all its ramps removed and only the westbound on-ramp and eastbound exit were rebuilt. The old ramps are still graded, and the older eastbound exit is still paved. [41] A two-lane section of Route 7 became D'Amours Lane and has been partially developed as a local street. [42] The Route 7/Broad Road interchange was completely demolished due to Route 7 being realigned onto a duplex with Route 2. The ramps and overpass are removed, but still graded. [43]
• A section of Route 2 (now Route 102) in Lincoln and Oromocto was abandoned in 1959 with the completion of a new bridge on the Oromocto River. A small part of the roadway is now a local road, but it is mostly closed to vehicles and in use as the Thatch Road Trail. [44]
• Part of Route 105 (previously Route 2) in Cambridge and Jemseg, including the original Jemseg River Bridge, was closed in 2015 for safety reasons. The bridge was later demolished. [45]
• A section of Route 7 (now Route 177) in Saint John was bypassed for a new rail overpass in 1929. The old alignment is now two separate local streets. [46]
• Part of Route 2 (the section is now part of Route 1) in Petitcodiac was abandoned in 1998. [47]
• A former section of Route 15 exists in Beaubassin East at the Pointe-à-Nicet Road interchange that was created when a new bypass was opened in 1997. [48]
• A former section of Route 2 in Sackville, including a now-demolished bridge.
• A section of Route 2 in Woodstock was bypassed in 2000 and no longer connects to anything. [49]
• The elevated southbound on-ramp of the Route 130 bridge in Florenceville-Bristol was closed but remains in place. [50]
• Remnants of ramps are still visible on both ends of the Route 2 bridge in Grand Falls. [51]
• The 2008 closure of the Morrissy Bridge in Miramichi also created unused segments on both ends of the bridge.
• A full set of cloverleaf ramps at the Route 11/Route 375 interchange in Dalhousie was removed, but the grading remains. [52]

Nova Scotia

• In Halifax, there was an abandoned stub ramp/bridge at the intersection of Highway 111 and Barrington Streets. [53] It was abandoned in 1992 with the construction of the adjacent two-lane ramp. Work finally began to demolish the ramp in 2009.
• A portion of Highway 103 near Halifax was abandoned after the twinning project necessitated realignment.[54]

Ontario

In Burlington:

• From Plains Road East, heading Westbound, looping around in a cloverleaf ramp to Queen Elizabeth Way Eastbound/Southbound. It was restored and opened in 2010. [55]

In Newmarket:

• From Vivian Road, heading Eastbound, unused ramp to Woodbine Avenue. (Pleasantville Curve) Currently, that ramp is used for test painting. [56]

In Manotick (south of Ottawa):

• A part of Prince of Wales Drive that once served as the former alignment of Highway 16 until Highway 416 was extended through this area between 1997 and 1998. Today, the roadbed still exist, but the road base has been removed. [57]

In Niagara-on-the-Lake:

• From Glendale Avenue, heading Eastbound, looping to an abandoned portion of former Highway 55. Today, this portion is used for test paint. [58]

In Oshawa:

• There is what appears to be a former on-ramp from Farewell Street at Bloor Street out towards the eastbound Highway 401. There is a dead-end sign at the very end, and it can be clearly seen from the highway. It's now entirely blocked to traffic. [59] Note: this is the former original alignment of Bloor Street, prior to the building of the 401 extension east of Oshawa, not an abandoned on-ramp.

In Seguin:

• A part of Oastler Park Drive that once served as the southbound ramp onto the former Highway 69 before Highway 400 was extended northward through the region. As of June, 2011 it remains passable by car, but entry to Highway 400 is blocked by the crash barrier [60]

In Toronto:

• From the Bloor Street-Don Valley Parkway connector to a now-abandoned alignment of Bayview Avenue. [61]
• An abandoned on/off-ramp that used to be the Eastern terminus of the Humber - Jameson section of the Gardiner Expressway dating back to 1958 when the expressway was still under construction east of Jameson Avenue. It linked the expressway to Lake Shore Blvd West. [62][63]
• An abandoned arterial known as Indian Line exists by Highway 427 and Albion Road. Before the extension of Highway 427 northward, the highway ended leading traffic onto this arterial. The abandoned section includes an overpass of the CN York Subdivision.
• An abandoned westbound to southbound ramp is located at DVP and York Mills which is disused since the 1990s. [64]
• A ramp from EB 401 to NB 400 is abandoned, but used when the main ramp requires maintenance or closed due to a car accident on the main ramp.

In Windsor:

• From Highway 401 to Provincial Road, there is an abandoned SB to EB loop ramp. it has now been supplanted by a left-turn lane to the NB-to-EB ramp. It is abandoned, but easily visible from both the road and freeway. [65]

Near St. Joseph Island:

• On the smaller island between the bigger bridge and a smaller bridge of the Highway 548 connector route, lies a leftover segment of roadway before the smaller bridge got re-aligned to the west. This former segment of Highway 548 is actually used for motorists who park their cars so they can go fishing near the bridge.

In Vaughan:

• At Highway 407 and Centre Street are two abandoned sections of roadway, one on each side of Highway 407. Originally a portion of Highway 7, The road was abandoned in the 1980s when Highway 7 was realigned, and later cut into two pieces with the construction of Highway 407 in the mid 1990s. [66]
• Between 1990 and 1992, Highway 400 was temporarily diverted onto a new alignment to the east in an effort to simplify the interchange construction staging between Steeles and Highway 7. As a result, the 400 northbound lanes used the ramp that what is now the 407 onramp from 400 northbound and the temporary ramp alignment to Steeles Avenue from 400 northbound was created which can be seen here. The ramp was since abandoned when the traffic was restored to the original lanes following the completion of the Highway 407 underpasses. [67]

In Mississauga:

• At the Highway 401 and Highway 403/410 interchange there is an on ramp on WB 401 as it crosses over NB 403/410. This ramp would have been used to travel from NB 403/410 looping onto WB 401. It was never finished except for the extra unused merge lane on the WB 401 bridge and a partial paved ramp section just before it. A tall mast lamp is also located in what would have been the center of the loop of the ramp had it been constructed. There is a dirt road that follows what would have been the ramp, typically used by tow trucks as a shortcut. Additionally there is extra room for more lanes under all the 401 bridges as they cross the NB 403/410 sections. In 2015 construction began to actually finish this ramp (along with the also missing EB 401 to SB 403 ramp). The new ramp will begin well south of the 401 bridges and used the extra spaces underneath them all to lead into the ramp. [68]

Prince Edward Island

When the original Northumberland Strait crossing project was announced, approaches were created on both the PEI and NB sides. The NB approach ended up getting used in the eventual Confederation Bridge project. However the PEI approach was simply abandoned. It is simply an overgrown dirt path with the exception of a bridge (Route 10) over it.

Québec

• There is also a stub ramp at the end of Commerce A-1 off Autoroute 50 at Mirabel, as well as a stub ramp off A-50 westbound just prior to the interchange. See it here. Note: Since the Mirabel Airport is being phased out, and its closure is planned, we are to expect major changes in highway planning in this area. Unfinished Highways 13 and 50 lose part of their strategic importance.
• There are stub ramps on eastbound and westbound Autoroute 40 near Montréal just west of the interchange with Boulevard des Anciens-Combattants [69].
• There are ramp stubs at the northern terminus of Autoroute 13 at Autoroute 640 in Boisbriand. There are two extra overpasses (for a total of four), an unused cloverleaf loop, stub ramps where the final two cloverleafs would be constructed, and even the grading for a continuation of the freeway north of here. [70]
• Autoroute 440 (Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency) has ramp stubs just above Rue St-Vallier Est (St. Vallier Road East) in downtown Quebec City, for a proposed completion of A-440 and link to A-973 (Autoroute Laurentienne)/Route 175 via an under-city Tunnel (much like Autoroute 720 in Downtown Montreal) in the St-Roch and Limoilou neighbourhoods. The ramps would have connected to the tunnel, but it was never built, and the freeway remains in two sections to this day, separated by downtown. The western end of A-440 starts at the Autoroute 40/Autoroute 73 interchange, and currently ends its freeway segment at Avenue St-Sacrement, continuing as Boulevard Charest (Charest Boulevard). It resumes at the intersection of St. Vallier Road East, continuing along the river to Route 138 in Boischatel. (Note: The ramps are now being demolished and might not appear on the following pictures as they are updated) [71]
• Autoroute 15 in Brossard and La Prairie has ramp stubs for a proposed Autoroute-to-Autoroute interchange (Autoroute 6). The interchange was graded as a Y-interchange, but the carriageways for A-15 were built closer together, and the interchange has been cancelled. A-6 may have been routed towards the Farnham, Quebec area, possibly with the name Autoroute Haute-Richelieu (Upper Richelieu Autoroute). An interchange ramp was also graded for Boulevard Taschereau (Taschereau Boulevard, Route 134), but has been cancelled as well. [72]
• Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 55 in Trois-Rivières. Autoroute 40 was planned to continue straight East from this interchange. What remain is a partial cloverleaf interchange, with a visible 'ramp from nowhere' merging onto 40 East on the western part of the interchange, and a discarded right lane made of large white stripes on the roadway. Quebec-Montreal travelling vehicles coming from A-55 North and going westbound on A-40 need to weave with traffic exiting A-40 East to A-55 North within the rather small distance separating the loops. [73]
• Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 73 in Quebec city. A 4-way interchange converted to a very huge and fast turning 3-way interchange, with at least 4 visible ramp stubs. Autoroute 40 was supposed to continue westbound to the airport, merging with Autoroute 40 in the curve between route 367 and route 138. The Autoroute 40 going south from this interchange to the Autoroute 73 interchange would have become another section of Autoroute 440. The corridor for the unbuilt highway is clearly visible through the neighbourhood. Bridges were also constructed in the 40/73 interchange to accommodate the extension of Autoroute 40. [74]

Saskatchewan

• The Highway 7/Highway 14 interchange near Saskatoon, which has been recently improved, bears a short strip of unused concrete on nearby Fairlight Drive, which connected the road to 22nd Street W/Highway 14. Travellers now use Diefenbaker Drive and Fairmont Drive to get from Fairlight to Highway 14.[75]

See also

• List of unused highways
• List of ghost towns

References

This article "List of unused highways in Canada" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:List of unused highways in Canada. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• List of unused highways in South Korea
• List of unused highways in Germany
• List of Manitoba expressways
• List of unused highways
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