Ontario Highway 420: Difference between revisions

Highway 420
Highway 420
Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway
	Highway 420 highlighted in red
Route information
	Maintained by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length	3.3 km (2.1 mi)
History	November 1, 1941 (as Queen Elizabeth Way); 1972 (as Highway 420)
Highway 420
West end	Regional Road 98 (Montrose Road)
Major intersections	Queen Elizabeth Way
East end	Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue)
Niagara Regional Road 420
West end	Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue)
East end	NY 384 / NY 104 at the Rainbow Bridge to United States
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Major cities	Niagara Falls
Highway system
	Ontario provincial highways; Current; Former; 400-series;

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King's Highway 420, commonly referred to as Highway 420, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connects the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) with downtown Niagara Falls. It continues east as a limited-access expressway named Niagara Regional Road 420 to connect with the Rainbow Bridge international crossing between Canada and the United States over the Niagara River; this was part of Highway 420 until 1998. West of the QEW, the freeway ends at an at-grade intersection with Montrose Road (Niagara Regional Road 98). The highway has a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), making it the only 400-series highway to have a speed limit less than 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) for its entirety.

Originally constructed as a divided four-lane road with two roundabouts, the route of Highway 420 formed part of the QEW in 1940 initially as the southeastern terminus, but after the QEW extension from Niagara Falls to Fort Erie opened in 1941, this bypassed highway became a spur route designated as the Rainbow Bridge Approach. It was assigned a unique route number as part of the 400-series after being upgraded into a freeway in 1972, including construction of a large interchange with the QEW. In 1998, the section of Highway 420 east of Stanley Avenue was transferred to the responsibility of the Regional Municipality of Niagara and redesignated as Regional Road 420.

Route description

At 3.3 km (2.1 mi), Highway 420 is the shortest 400-series highway, travelling through Niagara Falls from Montrose Road to Stanley Avenue,^[1] on the outskirts of the city's tourist district.^[2] East of Stanley Avenue (Regional Road 102) the highway becomes Niagara Regional Road 420 and is known as Falls Avenue and Newman Hill on approach to the Rainbow Bridge. This portion was designated a part of Highway 420 until 2000, when it was transferred to the City of Niagara Falls and the Regional Municipality of Niagara, although the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) still assists with the maintenance of it under a Connecting Link agreement.^[3] East of Drummond Road,^[4] Highway 420 features stylized light fixtures with the letters "ER", which stand for Elizabeth Regina and are a tribute to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.^[5]

Highway 420 begins in the west at a signalized intersection with Montrose Road (Regional Road 98),^[6] beyond which it continues as Watson Street through the residential neighbourhood of Greens Corners to Beaverdams Road (Regional Road 53).^[2] East of Montrose Road, the highway is a four lane roadway divided by a raised paved median, and passes north of a forest as it approaches a four-level interchange with the QEW. The five parclo ramps provide almost all directional movements, though the QEW off-ramps meet Highway 420 at at-grade intersections. These at-grade connections can be bypassed by a pair of connectors carried by a dual on-and-off ramp flyover that arcs over the CN rail line and the QEW Toronto-bound carriageway, directing Fort Erie-bound QEW traffic onto Highway 420 eastbound and westbound Highway 420 traffic onto the Toronto-bound QEW. Another set of ramps links Toronto-bound QEW traffic to Highway 420 eastbound and Highway 420 westbound to the Fort Erie-bound QEW.^[6]

East of the QEW, Highway encounters an interchange with Dorchester Road as both cross the Queenston-Chippawa Power Canal.^[7] This interchange was originally a traffic circle that was removed in the early 1970s.^[8] The numerous lanes from the QEW interchange to the west begin to converge between residential subdivisions east of Dorchester Road, gradually narrowing to four through lanes at the Drummond Road interchange.^[7] After passing beneath Portage Road, the route widens on approach to an at-grade intersection with Stanley Avenue. This intersection is the eastern end of both the freeway segment of the route and the signed King's Highway 420; east of Stanley Avenue the route is signed as Niagara Regional Road 420 and known as Falls Avenue.^[9]^[10]

Now separated by a landscaped median, the route progresses eastward, intersecting MacDonald Avenue and providing access to several residential and retail properties that adjoin the road. The route travels within a concrete trench and abruptly curves to the southeast as it passes beneath Victoria Avenue, with which there is a simple interchange.^[7] East of this point, the road was named Newman Hill until March 2012. Palmer Avenue and Ontario Avenue pass over the route as it descends a hill towards the Niagara Gorge. At the bottom, the route curves to the southwest, where it provides access to the Rainbow Bridge border crossing into the United States as well as the tourist district of the city.^[9]

Owing to its association with the number 420 in cannabis culture, Highway 420 is also the location for the annual Cannabis Conference and Protest, usually taking place sometime around April 20. The event includes a march beginning near Niagara Falls and travelling to Highway 420.^[11]^[12]

History

Rainbow Bridge Approach

Construction of the Roberts Street link between the QEW and the Rainbow Bridge, February 13, 1941

Similar angle in the spring of 1942

The history of Highway 420 predates its designation by nearly 75 years, tied in with the crossing of the Niagara Gorge between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. The first level crossing between the two cities was the Honeymoon Bridge, constructed in 1898. The 14 m (46 ft) wide structure spanned 255 m (837 ft) between the Canadian and American sides, 58 m (190 ft) above the Niagara River. Its narrow design proved to be a fatal flaw, and on January 27, 1938, under the weight of a massive ice jam in the river, the structure collapsed.^[13] A day later, the owners of the previous bridge—the International Railway Company (IRC)—as well as Ontario Minister of Highways Thomas Baker McQuesten announced intentions to construct a new span; a long political battle ensued for several years over the merits of private or public ownership of border crossings. In the end, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) paid the IRC $615,000 to purchase the right-of-way of the old bridge as well as the rights to construct the new one.^[14] The future Rainbow Bridge was dedicated by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on June 7, 1939, just hours after the couple dedicated the QEW.^[15]

On May 16, 1940, Samuel Johnson, the vice-chair of the NFBC, and McQuesten, who along with his parliamentary role was chair of the commission, ceremonially turned the first sod for the new bridge using a two-handled shovel.^[14] Construction had begun two weeks earlier on May 4.^[15] The new bridge was assembled over the following 18 months; the design was prepared by New York engineering firm Waddell & Hardesty and supervised by the Edward Lupfer Corporation, the latter the designers of the Peace Bridge.^[16] The new structure was located 167 m (548 ft) downstream from the Honeymoon Bridge, as the gorge is slightly wider at that point, resulting in a 288 m (945 ft) span.^[17]

Meanwhile, McQuesten was overseeing construction of the QEW between Toronto and Fort Erie. The new dual highway, inspired by German Autobahns, was the first of its kind in Canada.^[a] The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 temporarily halted McQuesten's ambitions, as funding was quickly shifted to the war effort. As a result, construction on the new superhighway was put on hold south of Niagara Falls. McQuesten officially opened the QEW on August 23, 1940; the pavement ended south of Lundy's Lane.^[18] Despite the war, work began on a link between the opened QEW and the Rainbow Bridge through the centre of Niagara Falls. This link would not be completed in time for the opening of the new bridge.^[19]

On November 1, 1941, the Rainbow Bridge was officially opened during a simple ceremony. The oldest living couple known to have wed in Niagara Falls, a pair from Pennsylvania, were the first to cross, followed by a newlywed couple from Georgia. This symbolically tied the history of the two bridges together, and was followed by McQuesten and Johnson walking towards the centre of the structure from the Canadian and American sides, respectively, and shaking hands at the centre. Several pyrotechnic explosions at both ends capped the ceremony, and the bridge was opened to traffic.^[14]

Work continued on the four lane bridge approach throughout 1941, and by mid-1942 it was possible to drive directly from the bridge onto the QEW. The new link featured a traffic circle at Dorchester Road as well as at the QEW.^[16] At the time the new link was designated temporarily as part of the QEW^[20] (decades before receiving its own unique route number of Highway 420), as a result it was referred to by several names including the Queen Elizabeth Way Extension (and known by locals for decades as the "Queen E Extension")^[21] and the Rainbow Bridge Approach.^[16]

At the same time construction on QEW between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, was underway, but the ongoing war delayed its completion. As an interim measure, four gravel lanes of the highway was opened during the summer of 1941, then two lanes of pavement were laid in 1946, and the four-lane extension was fully paved and opened on October 14, 1956. Bypassed by the new QEW extension to Fort Erie in 1941, the Niagara Falls bridge approach became a spur route that was no longer part of the QEW so it was officially named the Rainbow Bridge Approach for the next three decades.^[22]

Upgrade to freeway

During the mid-1960s, the Department of Highways examined the possibility of extending the freeway portion of the route east towards the Rainbow Bridge. They began to purchase properties lining Roberts Street in 1966.^[23] In 1971, construction began on a four-level interchange between the QEW and the Rainbow Bridge Approach. This removed the two traffic circles along the approach.^[8] The interchange between the QEW and Lundy's Lane (Highway 20) was also removed; instead, the Rainbow Bridge Approach ends with an at-grade intersection with Montrose Road which in turn connects to Lundy's Lane.^[24] By April 1972, the Rainbow Bridge Approach was designated as Highway 420.^[25]^[26]

In 1998, the Niagara Falls Transportation Study was released, recommending that Roberts Street be rebuilt as a gateway to the city as opposed to a freeway. Highway 420 east of Stanley Avenue was transferred to Niagara Region.^[23] In the early 2000s, Highway 420 from the QEW interchange to Drummond Road was reconstructed with high-mast lighting poles and an Ontario tall-wall concrete median Jersey barrier, similar to the upgrades that other high-traffic provincial freeways received around that time. The rest of the route from Drummond Road eastwards (including Regional Road 420) was instead upgraded to 15-metre (49 ft) and 12-metre (39 ft) decorative "ER" lightposts, to commemorate the route's historical status as the original routing of the QEW and its historical tie to the Queen Mother.^[27] The "ER" style lighting poles are themselves a historical decorative lighting pole model, discontinued decades earlier, that was revived originally for the early 2000s Highway 420 reconstruction and would also be later used for QEW's bridges in Mississauga, Oakville, and St. Catherines. The Drummond Road and Portage Road overpasses that originally built in 1941 and rehabilitated in the early 1970s were demolished in 2004; their new replacement bridges plus Highway 420's concrete median barrier feature decorative stone facades, which in combination with the "ER" light poles restores the heritage look that was lost in the 1970s reconstruction.

On September 23, 2010, Highway 420 was designated as the Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway.^[28] On January 31, 2012, Niagara Regional Council approved the renaming of Roberts Street and Newman Hill as an extension of Falls Avenue, beginning March 1. Prior to this, Falls Avenue curved into Newman Hill at the Rainbow Bridge.^[10]

In 2016, the flyovers of the Highway 420-QEW interchange were rehabilitated.[1]

Exit list

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 420, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.^[1] The entire route is located in the Regional Municipality of Niagara.^[9] All exits are unnumbered.

Location	km^[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Niagara Falls	0.0	0.0	Regional Road 98 (Montrose Road)	At-grade; western terminus of Highway 420; continues as Watson Street
	0.4	0.25	Queen Elizabeth Way – Toronto	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; QEW exit 30
	1.1	0.68	Dorchester Road
	2.2	1.4	Drummond Road
	3.3	2.1	Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue) Regional Road 420 begins (Falls Avenue)	At-grade; present-day eastern terminus of Highway 420; continues as Regional Road 420 (Falls Avenue), maintained as a Connecting Link^[3]
	4.8	3.0	Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing
Niagara River Canada–United States border			Rainbow Bridge^[29]
Niagara River Canada–United States border			NY 955A east to NY 104 east / NY 384 south / Niagara Scenic Parkway – Niagara Falls	Continuation into New York (state); former Highway 420 eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Closed/former Incomplete access Route transition

Notes

^ Cootes Drive in Hamilton is also claimed as the first dual highway in Canada, although the QEW was the first divided highway designed for long-distance travel.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2012). "Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Rand McNally & Co (1996). Golden Horseshoe (Map). 1:25,000. Allmaps Canada. pp. 348–349. ISBN 978-0-88640-767-4.
^ ^a ^b Contract Management and Operations Branch (2011). Highway Connecting Link List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.
^ "View from Drummond Road showing standard luminaires to the west and 'ER' luminaires to the east" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
^ The History of Toronto's Unfinished Expressway System (Report). Energy Probe. April 5, 2009. p. 4. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "QEW / Highway 420 interchange" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 30, 2012.^{[dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b ^c "Highway 420 length and route" (Map). Google Maps. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Stamp, Robert M. (1987). QEW: Canada's First Superhighway. The Boston Mills Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-919783-84-3. OCLC 19222948.
^ ^a ^b ^c MapArt (2010). Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). 1:250,000. Peter Heiler. p. 19. §§ S34–35. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7.
^ ^a ^b Forsyth, Paul (February 2, 2012). "Roberts Street to Become Falls Avenue". Niagara This Week. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
^ "Home". Highway 420 Anti-Prohibition Rally. n.d. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
^ Law, John (April 20, 2014). "420 Rally Urges Need For Legal Weed". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
^ Stamp, Robert M. (1992). Bridging the Border: Structures of Canadian–American Relations. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-55002-074-8. OCLC 26930343.
^ ^a ^b ^c Stamp (1992), pp. 124–125.
^ ^a ^b Berketa, Rick (February 20, 2012). "Bridges Over Niagara River". Niagara Falls Thunder Alley. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Stamp (1992), pp. 126–127.
^ Stamp (1992), p. 128.
^ "Queen Elizabeth Roadway to Open". Evening Courier. Prescott, Arizona. August 23, 1940. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
^ Stamp (1992), p. 129.
^ Stamp 1987, pp. 33–36.
^ A.A.D.T. Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969. Ontario Department of Highways. 1970. p. 4.
^ Stamp 1987, p. 49.
^ ^a ^b Conradi, Peter (August 17, 2008). "Roberts Street Gateway to be Renamed Falls Avenue". Bullet News Niagara. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
^ Cartography Section (1977). Ontario Road Map (Map). 1:800,000. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. South-Central Ontario inset.
^ "Queen Elizabeth Way – Hamilton to Fort Erie". Highway Construction Program 1972–73 (Report). Ministry of Transportation and Communications. April 1972. p. xv.
^ Walter, Karena (February 21, 2014). "Search Engine: Highway Mysteries Solved". Niagara Falls Review. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
^ Stamp (1987), pp. 31–34.
^ Ricciuto, Tony (September 23, 2010). "Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway now official". Niagara Falls Review.
^ "Toll Cost & Vehicle Definitions". Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. Retrieved June 8, 2014.

External links

KML file (edit • help)

Template:Attached KML/Ontario Highway 420

KML is from Wikidata

Video of Highway 420 eastbound

[n1-18] Cootes Drive in Hamilton is also claimed as the first dual highway in Canada, although the QEW was the first divided highway designed for long-distance travel.

[km-1] Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2012). "Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2016.

[1996_map-2] Rand McNally & Co (1996). Golden Horseshoe (Map). 1:25,000. Allmaps Canada. pp. 348–349. ISBN 978-0-88640-767-4.

[CL-3] Contract Management and Operations Branch (2011). Highway Connecting Link List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.

[4] "View from Drummond Road showing standard luminaires to the west and 'ER' luminaires to the east" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 13, 2016.

[teh-5] The History of Toronto's Unfinished Expressway System (Report). Energy Probe. April 5, 2009. p. 4. Retrieved January 23, 2012.

[gmaps1-6] "QEW / Highway 420 interchange" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 30, 2012.^{[dead link‍]}

[gmaps-7] "Highway 420 length and route" (Map). Google Maps. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2012.

[stamp87-65-8] Stamp, Robert M. (1987). QEW: Canada's First Superhighway. The Boston Mills Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-919783-84-3. OCLC 19222948.

[2010_mapart-9] MapArt (2010). Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). 1:250,000. Peter Heiler. p. 19. §§ S34–35. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7.

[FallsAvenue-10] Forsyth, Paul (February 2, 2012). "Roberts Street to Become Falls Avenue". Niagara This Week. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2012.

[11] "Home". Highway 420 Anti-Prohibition Rally. n.d. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2016.

[12] Law, John (April 20, 2014). "420 Rally Urges Need For Legal Weed". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.

[stamp92-123-13] Stamp, Robert M. (1992). Bridging the Border: Structures of Canadian–American Relations. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-55002-074-8. OCLC 26930343.

[stamp92-124-125-14] Stamp (1992), pp. 124–125.

[thunderalley-15] Berketa, Rick (February 20, 2012). "Bridges Over Niagara River". Niagara Falls Thunder Alley. Retrieved July 22, 2016.

[stamp92-126-127-16] Stamp (1992), pp. 126–127.

[stamp92-128-17] Stamp (1992), p. 128.

[19] "Queen Elizabeth Roadway to Open". Evening Courier. Prescott, Arizona. August 23, 1940. Retrieved January 11, 2012.

[stamp92-129-20] Stamp (1992), p. 129.

[FOOTNOTEStamp198733–36-21] Stamp 1987, pp. 33–36.

[22] A.A.D.T. Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969. Ontario Department of Highways. 1970. p. 4.

[FOOTNOTEStamp198749-23] Stamp 1987, p. 49.

[gateway-24] Conradi, Peter (August 17, 2008). "Roberts Street Gateway to be Renamed Falls Avenue". Bullet News Niagara. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2012.

[25] Cartography Section (1977). Ontario Road Map (Map). 1:800,000. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. South-Central Ontario inset.

[26] "Queen Elizabeth Way – Hamilton to Fort Erie". Highway Construction Program 1972–73 (Report). Ministry of Transportation and Communications. April 1972. p. xv.

[27] Walter, Karena (February 21, 2014). "Search Engine: Highway Mysteries Solved". Niagara Falls Review. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

[stamp87-31-34-28] Stamp (1987), pp. 31–34.

[29] Ricciuto, Tony (September 23, 2010). "Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway now official". Niagara Falls Review.

[30] "Toll Cost & Vehicle Definitions". Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. Retrieved June 8, 2014.

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |route          = 420
 |alternate_name = Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway
+|map            = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=260|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Ontario Highway 420}}}}
-|map            = Ontario 420 map.svg
+|map_custom     = yes
+|map_notes      = Highway 420 highlighted in red
 |map_alt        = A map of the southern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario and environs, with the 400-series highway network superimposed. An inset of the Niagara Peninsula shows the location of Highway&nbsp;420.
-|map_notes      = Highway 420 within [[Southern Ontario]]
 |length_km      = 3.3
 |length_ref     = <ref name="km">{{cite web
  |title        = Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts
  |author       = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
- |author-link       = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
+ |author-link  = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
  |year         = 2012
  |url          = http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
- |access-date   = August 3, 2016
+ |access-date  = August 3, 2016
  |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192209/http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
  |archive-date = July 6, 2011
- |url-status   = dead
+ |url-status   = dead}}</ref>
-}}</ref>
 |history        = November 1, 1941 (as [[Queen Elizabeth Way]])<br />1972 (as Highway&nbsp;420)
 |direction_a    = West
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 |terminus_b2    = {{jct|state=NY|NY|384|NY|104}} at the [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]] to [[United States]]
 |cities         = [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]]
-|previous_type  = Toll
+|previous_type  = ON
 |previous_route = 418
 |next_type      = ON
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 '''King's Highway 420''', commonly referred to as '''Highway 420''', is a [[400-series highway]] in the Canadian province of [[Ontario]] that connects the [[Queen Elizabeth Way]] (QEW) with downtown [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]]. It continues east as a limited-access expressway named '''Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;420''' to connect with the [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]] international crossing between Canada and the United States over the [[Niagara River]]; this was part of Highway&nbsp;420 until 1998. West of the QEW, the freeway ends at an [[at-grade intersection]] with Montrose Road (Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;98). The highway has a speed limit of {{convert|80|km/h|mph}}, making it the only 400-series highway to have a speed limit less than {{convert|100|km/h|mph}} for its entirety.
-Originally constructed as a divided four-lane road with two [[roundabout]]s, the route of Highway&nbsp;420 formed part of the QEW between 1941 and 1972 initially as the southeastern terminus, but became a [[spur route]] after the QEW was extended to Fort Erie. It was assigned a unique [[route number]] during the reconstruction of the four-lane divided highway into a freeway and the construction of the large interchange at the freeway's western terminus. In 1998, the section of Highway&nbsp;420 east of Stanley Avenue was transferred to the responsibility of the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara]] and redesignated as Regional Road&nbsp;420.
+Originally constructed as a divided four-lane road with two [[roundabout]]s, the route of Highway&nbsp;420 formed part of the QEW in 1940 initially as the southeastern terminus, but after the QEW extension from Niagara Falls to Fort Erie opened in 1941, this bypassed highway became a [[spur route]] designated as the '''Rainbow Bridge Approach'''. It was assigned a unique [[route number]] as part of the 400-series after being upgraded into a freeway in 1972, including construction of a large interchange with the QEW. In 1998, the section of Highway&nbsp;420 east of Stanley Avenue was transferred to the responsibility of the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara]] and redesignated as Regional Road&nbsp;420.
 == Route description ==
-[[File:June 2008 420 ER Lightpost.jpg|thumb|left|An [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|"ER"]] lightpost along Highway 420, recounting the route's historical connection to the Queen Elizabeth Way]]
+[[File:June 2008 420 ER Lightpost.jpg|thumb|left|An [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|"ER"]] lightpost along Highway 420, recounting the route's historical connection to the QEW]]
-At {{convert|3.3|km|abbr=on}}, Highway&nbsp;420 is the shortest [[400-series highway]], travelling through Niagara Falls from Montrose Road to Stanley Avenue,<ref name="km" /> on the outskirts of the city's tourist district.<ref name="1996 map" /> East of Stanley&nbsp;Avenue (Regional Road&nbsp;102) the highway becomes Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;420 and is known as Falls Avenue and Newman Hill on approach to the Rainbow Bridge. This portion was designated a part of Highway&nbsp;420 until 2000, when it was transferred to the City of Niagara Falls and the Regional Municipality of Niagara, although the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) still assists with the maintenance of it under a [[Connecting Link]] agreement.<ref name="CL">{{cite book
+At {{convert|3.3|km|abbr=on}}, Highway&nbsp;420 is the shortest [[400-series highway]], travelling through Niagara Falls from Montrose Road to Stanley Avenue,<ref name="km" /> on the outskirts of the city's tourist district.<ref name="1996 map" /> East of Stanley Avenue (Regional Road&nbsp;102) the highway becomes Niagara Regional Road 420 and is known as Falls Avenue and Newman Hill on approach to the Rainbow Bridge. This portion was designated a part of Highway 420 until 2000, when it was transferred to the City of Niagara Falls and the Regional Municipality of Niagara, although the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) still assists with the maintenance of it under a [[Connecting Link]] agreement.<ref name="CL">{{cite book
  | type       = Report
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
  | publisher  = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
  | year       = 2011}}</ref>
-East of Drummond Road,<ref>{{cite web
+East of Drummond Road,<ref>{{Google maps
+ | title       = View from Drummond Road showing standard luminaires to the west and 'ER' luminaires to the east
+ | url         = https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/43.09639,-79.12375/43.089917,-79.067431/@43.0958163,-79.0980339,3a,75y,28.28h,88.36t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sVHL7Nw3Hw-xGDUN6dqqd9w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DVHL7Nw3Hw-xGDUN6dqqd9w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D129.0934%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m21!4m20!1m16!3m4!1m2!1d-79.094391!2d43.097184!3s0x89d34342746f940f:0xdd1c89dd5f433c10!3m4!1m2!1d-79.095816!2d43.093137!3s0x89d34368da8ceb47:0xb4d02f0b4c20469d!3m4!1m2!1d-79.078525!2d43.096222!3s0x89d3433d772641af:0x150ee641b57c815b!4e1!1m1!4e1!3e0?hl=en
- | title      = View from Drummond Road showing standard luminaires to the west and 'ER' luminaires to the east
- | author     = Google
- | author-link     = Google
- | work       = Google Street View
- | date       = July 2015
- | url        = https://goo.gl/maps/8FugpwHY4Lq
  | access-date = July 13, 2016}}</ref>
 Highway&nbsp;420 features stylized light fixtures with the letters "ER", which stand for ''Elizabeth Regina'' and are a tribute to [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]].<ref name="teh">{{cite book
@@ Line 78: / Line 73: @@
  | scale       = 1:25,000
  | isbn        = 978-0-88640-767-4}}</ref>
-East of Montrose Road, the highway is a four lane roadway divided by a raised paved [[central reservation|median]], and passes north of a forest as it approaches an [[interchange (road)|interchange]] with the QEW. As well as a [[partial cloverleaf interchange]] that provides almost all directional movements, this four-level interchange features two [[overpass|flyovers]] that arc from south to east as well as a four lane mainline that curves from north to east, directing most westbound Highway 420 traffic onto the Toronto-bound QEW.<ref name="gmaps1">{{Google maps
+East of Montrose Road, the highway is a four lane roadway divided by a raised paved [[central reservation|median]], and passes north of a forest as it approaches a four-level [[interchange (road)|interchange]] with the QEW. The five parclo ramps provide almost all directional movements, though the QEW off-ramps meet Highway 420 at at-grade intersections. These at-grade connections can be bypassed by a pair of connectors carried by a [[overpass|dual on-and-off ramp flyover]] that arcs over the [[Canadian National Railway|CN]] rail line and the QEW Toronto-bound carriageway, directing Fort Erie-bound QEW traffic onto Highway 420 eastbound and westbound Highway 420 traffic onto the Toronto-bound QEW. Another set of ramps links Toronto-bound QEW traffic to Highway 420 eastbound and Highway 420 westbound to the Fort Erie-bound QEW.<ref name="gmaps1">{{Google maps
+ | title      = QEW / Highway 420 interchange
- | title      = QEW&nbsp;/ Highway&nbsp;420 interchange
  | url        = http://g.co/maps/f2urq
- | accessdate = January 30, 2012
+ | access-date = January 30, 2012}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
- | link       = no}}</ref>
 [[File:420 Expressway.JPG|right|thumb|A view of Regional Road 420 proceeding east past Stanley Avenue at the terminus of Highway&nbsp;420]]
-East of the QEW, Highway&nbsp;420 encounters an interchange with Dorchester Road as both cross the Queenston-Chippawa Power Canal.<ref name="gmaps">{{Google maps
+East of the QEW, Highway encounters an interchange with Dorchester Road as both cross the Queenston-Chippawa Power Canal.<ref name="gmaps">{{Google maps
+ | title      = Highway 420 length and route
- | title      = Highway&nbsp;420 length and route
  | url        = http://g.co/maps/gsfmy
+ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130116002821/http://g.co/maps/gsfmy
- | accessdate = January 30, 2012
- | link       = no}}</ref>
+ | url-status = dead
+ | archive-date = January 16, 2013
+ | access-date = January 30, 2012}}</ref>
 This interchange was originally a [[traffic circle]] that was removed in the early 1970s.<ref name=stamp87-65>{{cite book
  | title     = QEW: Canada's First Superhighway
  | last      = Stamp
@@ Line 101: / Line 94: @@
  | isbn      = 978-0-919783-84-3
  | oclc      = 19222948
- | page      =65}}</ref><!--; the Royal Manor Drive bridge over the power canal is the only remainder from this circle. --- Confirmed by Niagara Public Works Department --> The numerous lanes from the QEW interchange to the west begin to converge between residential subdivisions east of Dorchester Road, gradually narrowing to four through lanes at the Drummond Road interchange.<ref name="gmaps" /> After passing beneath Portage Road, the route widens on approach to an [[at-grade intersection]] with Stanley Avenue. This intersection is the eastern end of both the freeway segment of the route and the signed King's Highway 420; east of Stanley Avenue the route is signed as Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;420 and known as Falls Avenue.<ref name="2010 mapart" /><ref name="FallsAvenue" />
+ | page      = 65}}</ref><!--; the Royal Manor Drive bridge over the power canal is the only remainder from this circle. --- Confirmed by Niagara Public Works Department -->
+The numerous lanes from the QEW interchange to the west begin to converge between residential subdivisions east of Dorchester Road, gradually narrowing to four through lanes at the Drummond Road interchange.<ref name="gmaps" /> After passing beneath Portage Road, the route widens on approach to an [[at-grade intersection]] with Stanley Avenue. This intersection is the eastern end of both the freeway segment of the route and the signed King's Highway 420; east of Stanley Avenue the route is signed as Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;420 and known as Falls Avenue.<ref name="2010 mapart" /><ref name="FallsAvenue" />
 Now separated by a landscaped median, the route progresses eastward, intersecting MacDonald Avenue and providing access to several residential and retail properties that adjoin the road. The route travels within a concrete trench and abruptly curves to the southeast as it passes beneath Victoria Avenue, with which there is a simple interchange.<ref name="gmaps" /> East of this point, the road was named Newman Hill until March 2012. Palmer Avenue and Ontario Avenue pass over the route as it descends a hill towards the [[Niagara Gorge]]. At the bottom, the route curves to the southwest, where it provides access to the Rainbow Bridge border crossing into the United States as well as the tourist district of the city.<ref name="2010 mapart" />
@@ Line 147: / Line 141: @@
  | caption2          = Similar angle in the spring of 1942
 }}
-The history of Highway&nbsp;420 predates its designation by nearly 75 years, tied in with the crossing of the Niagara Gorge between the twin cities of Niagara Falls. The first level crossing between the two cities was the [[Honeymoon Bridge (Ontario)|Honeymoon Bridge]], constructed in 1898. The {{convert|14|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide structure spanned {{convert|255|m|ft|abbr=on}} between the Canadian and American sides, {{convert|58|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the [[Niagara River]]. Its narrow design proved to be a fatal flaw, and on January&nbsp;27, 1938, under the weight of a massive ice jam in the river, the structure collapsed.<ref name=stamp92-123>{{cite book
+The history of Highway&nbsp;420 predates its designation by nearly 75 years, tied in with the crossing of the Niagara Gorge between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. The first level crossing between the two cities was the [[Honeymoon Bridge (Ontario)|Honeymoon Bridge]], constructed in 1898. The {{convert|14|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide structure spanned {{convert|255|m|ft|abbr=on}} between the Canadian and American sides, {{convert|58|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the [[Niagara River]]. Its narrow design proved to be a fatal flaw, and on January&nbsp;27, 1938, under the weight of a massive ice jam in the river, the structure collapsed.<ref name=stamp92-123>{{cite book
  | title     = Bridging the Border: Structures of Canadian–American Relations
@@ Line 158: / Line 152: @@
  | oclc      = 26930343
  | page      = 123}}</ref>
-A day later, the owners of the previous bridge—the [[International Railway (New York – Ontario)|International Railway Company]] (IRC)—as well as the Minister of Highways [[Thomas Baker McQuesten]] announced intentions to construct a new span; a long political battle ensued for several years over the merits of private or public ownership of border crossings. In the end, the [[Niagara Falls Bridge Commission]] (NFBC) paid the IRC $615,000 to purchase the right-of-way of the old bridge as well as the rights to construct the new one.<ref name=stamp92-124-125>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1992|pp=124–125}}</ref>
+A day later, the owners of the previous bridge—the [[International Railway (New York – Ontario)|International Railway Company]] (IRC)—as well as Ontario Minister of Highways [[Thomas Baker McQuesten]] announced intentions to construct a new span; a long political battle ensued for several years over the merits of private or public ownership of border crossings. In the end, the [[Niagara Falls Bridge Commission]] (NFBC) paid the IRC $615,000 to purchase the right-of-way of the old bridge as well as the rights to construct the new one.<ref name=stamp92-124-125>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1992|pp=124–125}}</ref>
 The future Rainbow Bridge was dedicated by [[King George VI]] and Queen Elizabeth on June&nbsp;7, 1939, just hours after the couple dedicated the QEW.<ref name="thunderalley" />
@@ Line 182: / Line 176: @@
  | date       = August 23, 1940
  | url        = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=grRaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9E8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=queen%20elizabeth%20highway&pg=4452%2C3926563
- | access-date = January 11, 2012}}</ref> Despite the war, work began on a link between the highway and the Rainbow Bridge through the centre of Niagara Falls. This link would not be completed in time for the opening of the new bridge.<ref name=stamp92-129>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1992|p=129}}</ref>
+ | access-date = January 11, 2012}}</ref> Despite the war, work began on a link between the opened QEW and the Rainbow Bridge through the centre of Niagara Falls. This link would not be completed in time for the opening of the new bridge.<ref name=stamp92-129>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1992|p=129}}</ref>
 On November&nbsp;1, 1941, the Rainbow Bridge was officially opened during a simple ceremony. The oldest living couple known to have wed in Niagara Falls, a pair from [[Pennsylvania]], were the first to cross, followed by a newlywed couple from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. This symbolically tied the history of the two bridges together, and was followed by McQuesten and Johnson walking towards the centre of the structure from the Canadian and American sides, respectively, and shaking hands at the centre. Several pyrotechnic explosions at both ends capped the ceremony, and the bridge was opened to traffic.<ref name=stamp92-124-125/>
 [[File:420 Terminus.JPG|right|thumb|Regional Route 420's terminus at Falls Avenue in Niagara Falls near the Rainbow Bridge and [[Clifton Hill (Niagara Falls)|Clifton Hill]]]]
-Work continued on the four lane bridge approach throughout 1941, and by mid-1942 it was possible to drive directly from the bridge onto the QEW. The new link featured a traffic circle at Dorchester Road as well as at the QEW.<ref name=stamp92-126-127/>
+Work continued on the four lane bridge approach throughout 1941, and by mid-1942 it was possible to drive directly from the bridge onto the QEW. The new link featured a traffic circle at Dorchester Road as well as at the QEW.<ref name=stamp92-126-127/> At the time the new link was designated temporarily as part of the QEW{{sfn|Stamp|1987|pp=33–36}} (decades before receiving its own unique route number of Highway&nbsp;420), as a result it was referred to by several names including the Queen Elizabeth Way Extension (and known by locals for decades as the "Queen E Extension")<ref>{{cite book
-Four gravel lanes opened between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie during the summer of 1941, becoming the main route of the QEW.<ref name=stamp87-49>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1987|p=49}}</ref> As a result, what would become Highway&nbsp;420 was referred to by several names, including the Queen Elizabeth Way Extension (and known by locals for decades as the "Queen E Extension")<ref>{{cite book
  | title     = A.A.D.T. Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969
@@ Line 195: / Line 188: @@
  | page      = 4}}</ref>
 and the Rainbow Bridge Approach.<ref name=stamp92-126-127/>
+At the same time construction on QEW between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, was underway, but the ongoing war delayed its completion. As an interim measure, four gravel lanes of the highway was opened during the summer of 1941, then two lanes of pavement were laid in 1946, and the four-lane extension was fully paved and opened on October&nbsp;14, 1956. Bypassed by the new QEW extension to Fort Erie in 1941, the Niagara Falls bridge approach became a spur route that was no longer part of the QEW so it was officially named the Rainbow Bridge Approach for the next three decades.{{sfn|Stamp|1987|p=49}}
 === Upgrade to freeway ===
@@ Line 235: / Line 230: @@
  | access-date = April 19, 2014}}</ref>
-[[File:QEW - 420 Interchange.png|thumb|left|A traffic circle connected Highway 420 and the QEW until the 1970s]]
+[[File:ON 420 WB past Niagara RR 102.jpeg|thumb|left|Highway&nbsp;420 westbound past Niagara Regional Road&nbsp;102 in Niagara Falls]]
 In 1998, the Niagara Falls Transportation Study was released, recommending that Roberts Street be rebuilt as a gateway to the city as opposed to a freeway. Highway&nbsp;420 east of Stanley Avenue was transferred to Niagara Region.<ref name="gateway" />
 In the early 2000s, Highway&nbsp;420 from the QEW interchange to Drummond Road was reconstructed with high-mast lighting poles and an Ontario tall-wall concrete median [[Jersey barrier]], similar to the upgrades that other high-traffic provincial freeways received around that time. The rest of the route from Drummond Road eastwards (including Regional Road&nbsp;420) was instead upgraded to {{convert|15|m|ft|adj=on}} and {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=on}} decorative "ER" lightposts, to commemorate the route's historical status as the original routing of the QEW and its historical tie to the [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|Queen Mother]].<ref name=stamp87-31-34>{{harvp|ps=.|Stamp|1987|pp=31–34}}</ref> The "ER" style lighting poles are themselves a historical decorative lighting pole model, discontinued decades earlier, that was revived originally for the early 2000s Highway&nbsp;420 reconstruction and would also be later used for QEW's bridges in Mississauga, Oakville, and St. Catherines. The Drummond Road and Portage Road overpasses that originally built in 1941 and rehabilitated in the early 1970s were demolished in 2004; their new replacement bridges plus Highway&nbsp;420's concrete median barrier feature decorative stone facades, which in combination with the "ER" light poles restores the heritage look that was lost in the 1970s reconstruction.
@@ Line 257: / Line 252: @@
  | archive-date= October 5, 2013
  | access-date = March 17, 2012}}</ref>
+In 2016, the flyovers of the Highway&nbsp;420-QEW interchange were rehabilitated.[https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2016/06/20/photo-facelift-for-420.html]
 == Exit list ==
@@ Line 277: / Line 274: @@
 | notes            = At-grade; western terminus of Highway&nbsp;420; continues as Watson Street
 }}
-{{ONint
+{{ONint|1=incomplete
 | km               = 0.4
 | road             = {{jcon|Hwy|QEW|city=Toronto|town=Fort Erie}}
-| notes            = Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
+| notes            = Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; QEW exit&nbsp;30
 }}
 {{ONint
@@ Line 294: / Line 291: @@
 {{ONint
 | km               = 3.3
-| road             = {{jcon|Niagara|102|Stanley Avenue}}
+| road             = {{jcon|Niagara|102|Stanley Avenue}}<hr/>{{jcon|Niagara|420|Falls Avenue|dir=begins|nolink=yes}}
-| notes            = At-grade; eastern terminus of Highway&nbsp;420; continues as Falls Avenue / Regional Road&nbsp;420, maintained as a [[Connecting Link]]<ref name="CL" />
+| notes            = At-grade; present-day eastern terminus of Highway&nbsp;420; continues as {{jcon|Niagara|420|Falls Avenue|ot=yes}}, maintained as a [[Connecting Link]]<ref name="CL" />
+}}
+{{Jctplace
+| type              = closed
+| km                = 4.8
+| mspan             = 3
+| bridge            = [[Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing]]
+}}
+{{Jctbridge
+| location_special  = {{centre|[[Niagara River]]<br/>[[Canada&ndash;United States border]]}}
+| lspan             = 2
+| type              = closed
+| km                = none
+| bridge            = [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]]<ref>{{cite web
+ | title      = Toll Cost & Vehicle Definitions
+ | publisher  = Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
+ | url        = http://niagarafallsbridges.com/index.php/crossing-info/toll-cost-vehicle-definitions
+ | access-date = June 8, 2014}}</ref>
 }}
 {{ONint|former
+| km                = none
+| road              = {{jct|state=NY|NY|955A|NY|104|NY|384|Parkway|Niagara Scenic|dir1=east|dir2=east|dir3=south|to2=yes|noshield1=yes|city1=Niagara Falls}}
+| notes             = Continuation into [[New York (state)]]; former Highway&nbsp;420 eastern terminus
+}}
+<!--{{ONint|former
 | km               = 4.8
 | road             = [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]] to [[United States]]
 | notes            = Former eastern terminus<ref name="km" />
-}}
+}}-->
-{{jctbtm|keys=closed}}
+{{jctbtm|keys=closed,incomplete,trans}}
 [[File:Hwy 420 and Horseshoe Falls.png|thumb|center|400px|Highway 420 crosses through Niagara Falls, becoming Regional Road 420 at Stanley Avenue before descending [[Clifton Hill (Niagara Falls)|Clifton Hill]] to cross the [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]]. In this aerial photo, the highway is visible beginning at the top left and across the majority of the image before abruptly turning towards the bridge crossing the river.]]
@@ Line 322: / Line 341: @@
 [[Category:400-series highways|20]]
-[[Category:Niagara Regional Roads|420]]
+[[Category:Niagara regional roads|420]]
 [[Category:Roads in Niagara Falls, Ontario]]
-{{bots|deny=MonkBot}}

v t e Roads in Niagara Region, Ontario
Regional Roads (former King's Highways)	3A 20 55 81 420
King's Highways	Queen Elizabeth Way 3 20 58 58A 140 405 406 420 7146
Tourist routes	Niagara Parkway Welland Canal Route Wine Route
Roads in Ontario