Ontario Highway 12

Highway 12
Route information
Length:	145.1 km[2] (90.2 mi)
Existed:	February 26, 1920[1] – present
Major junctions
South end:	Gatineau hydro corridor south of Brooklin
	Highway 7 – Brooklin  Highway 7 – Sunderland  Highway 48 (near Beaverton)  Highway 11 – Orillia  Highway 400 – Coldwater
North end:	Highway 93 – Midland
Location
Major cities:	Orillia, Whitby
Towns:	Blackwater, Sunderland, Waubaushene, Midland
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways 400-series • Former ← Highway 11 Highway 15 →

King's Highway 12, commonly referred to as Highway 12, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway connects the eastern end of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with Kawartha Lakes (via Highway 7), Orillia and Midland. It forms a part of the Trans-Canada Highway system from north of Sunderland to Coldwater. Highway 12 connects several small towns along its 146 km (91 mi) route, and bypasses a short distance from many others. The rural portions of the highway feature a posted speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph), often dropping to 50 km/h (31 mph) through built-up areas. The entire route is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police.

Highway 12 was first established in 1920 between Highway 2 in Whitby and Lindsay. The section running east from Sutherland became part of Highway 7 before route numbering came into effect in 1925. Highway 12 was then routed through Beaverton and around the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe to Orillia and later to Midland. The section south of Brooklin was transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham in mid-1997 and redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12.

Route description

Highway 12 east of Beaverton

The highway begins at the hydro easement (the future location of Highway 407) just south of the community of Brooklin in the town of Whitby.^[2] It travels north and joins with Highway 7 on the southern edge of Brooklin. Highway 7 runs west to Markham, and is signed concurrently with Highway 12 for 39.1 km (24.3 mi) north of this point. North of Sunderland, Highway 7 separates and travels east to Lindsay; Highway 12 becomes part of the Central Ontario Route of the Trans-Canada Highway at this location.^[3]

The highway then follows the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe, bypassing Beaverton and curving to the northwest towards Orillia. Here, it bypasses Orillia, and shares routing with Highway 11 northwards for about two kilometres between interchanges 131 and 133. At the latter interchange, Highway 12 then heads northwest towards Coldwater, where it routes onto Highway 400 between interchanges 141 and 147.^[3]

At Waubaushene, the Trans-Canada Highway follows Highway 400 north to Parry Sound and Sudbury, while Highway 12 continues west towards Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and the Martyrs' Shrine.^[3] The highway ends at a junction with Highway 93 at the western town limits of Midland.^[2]

History

Highway 12 now begins immediately south of Highway 7. This is also the future location of an interchange with Highway 407 East.

The oldest portion of Highway 12 was originally known as the Coldwater Portage and later the Coldwater Road, connecting the modern sites of Orillia and Coldwater by a 14 mi (23 km) trail. When Sir John Colborne, then Governor of Upper Canada, surveyed the portage in 1830, he ordered it widened for wagon use. As the area was settled and an increasing need for land connection with the south arose, a new road was proposed from Whitby to Sturgeon Bay. In February 1843, the residents formally petitioned the government to construct the route. The Sturgeon Bay Road, from Coldwater to Sturgeon Bay, was opened as a rough wagon road in 1844. The Atherley Narrows, separating Lake Simcoe from Lake Couchiching, were surveyed in the early 1840s and the first causeway and bridge constructed in the years that followed. The portion of the route between Whitby and Orillia, however, was still under construction during the second half of the decade.^[4]

Highway 12 was first introduced into the provincial highway system on February 26, 1920,^[1] along with what would become the short-lived Highway 12A. The highway, initially known as the Whitby–Lindsay Road, was not numbered until the summer of 1925.^[5] The route followed the present day Highway 12 from Whitby to Sunderland, then travelled east to Lindsay.^[1] Assumptions on June 22 and July 2, 1927 extended Highway 7 east from Brampton to Peterborough. In doing so, the route of Highway 12 between Sunderland and Lindsay was renumbered as a part of Highway 7; Highway 12 was then extended north to Orillia, via Beaverton. This was done through two assumptions. On August 17, the majority of the route through Brock, Thorah and Mara Townships was assumed. Several more miles were assumed on December 28, 1927, extending Highway 12 as far as Orillia.^[6] On August 5, 1931, Highway 12 was extended from Orillia to Midland.^[7] The majority of the route paralleled an existing railway, itself constructed over a native portage.

Highway 12 remained unaltered for several decades, until the mid 1960s, during which the Beaverton Bypass was constructed. On November 4, 1966, the 10.3 km (6.4 mi) bypass opened,^[8] routing Highway 12 to the east. Portions of the former route of Highway 12 were renumbered as Highway 48B.^[9] The highway again remained unchanged for several decades, until a short portion of the southern end of the highway was decommissioned in the late 1990s. On April 1, 1997, the portions of Highway 12 south of Brooklin were transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham, which subsequently redesignated the road as Durham Regional Highway 12.^[10][11]

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 12.^[3]

Division	Location	km[2]	Destinations	Notes
Durham	Whitby	−8.1	Highway 401 – Toronto, Kingston	Section decommissioned on April 1, 1997,[10] since redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12[11]
		0.0	Spencers Road
	Brooklin	1.9	Highway 7 west – Markham	Southern end of Highway 7 concurrency
	Whitby	6.0	Regional Road 26 (Thickson Road)
	Manchester	16.1	Highway 7A – Peterborough, Port Perry
	Scugog	19.0	Regional Road 8 (Reach Street) – Port Perry, Uxbridge
		23.2	Durham Regional Highway 47 west – Uxbridge
	Saintfield	29.0	Regional Road 6 (Saintfield Road) – Seagrave
	Sunderland	38.2	Regional Road 10 (Sunderland Road)
	Brock	41.0	Highway 7 east – Peterborough, Lindsay	Northern end of Highway 7 concurrency
		50.9	Highway 48 west – Toronto, Sutton
		57.0	Regional Road 15 (Simcoe Street) – Beaverton
		61.1	Regional Road 23 (Mara Road) – Beaverton
		63.6	Durham Regional Highway 48 (Portage Road) – Coboconk
		64.3	Regional Road 50 – Gamebridge
Simcoe	Ramara	74.1	County Road 169 – Washago	Formerly Highway 169
	Atherley	88.9	County Road 44 (Rama Road) – Casino Rama
Orillia		91.4	Atherley Road
		93.6	West Street
		94.9	Memorial Avenue
		96.8	Highway 11 south – Barrie	Southern end of Highway 11 concurrency
		99.2	Highway 11 north – North Bay, Gravenhurst	Northern end of Highway 11 concurrency
Simcoe	Prices Corners	105.0	County Road 22 (Horseshoe Valley Road) – Craighurst
	Oro-Medonte	115.8	County Road 19 (Moonstone Road) – Elmvale
	Severn	118.9	Coldwater Road – Coldwater Woodrow Road
		120.6	Highway 400 south – Toronto County Road 16 / County Road 23	Exit 141; southern end of Highway 400 concurrency
	Waubaushene	126.5	Highway 400 north – Parry Sound, Sudbury County Road 23 – Fesserton	Exit 147; northern end of Highway 400 concurrency
	Victoria Harbour	132.7	Park Street
		134.1	Newton Street
	Tay	139.1	Road 58 (Old Fort Road)
Midland		145.1	Highway 93 south (Penetanguishene Road) – Barrie County Road 93 north – Penetanguishene
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Shragge, John; Bagnato, Sharon (1984). From Footpaths to Freeways. Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee. p. 74. ISBN 0-7743-9388-2. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2008). "Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts". Government of Ontario. http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5. Retrieved November 7, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Peter Heiler (2010). Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Cartography by MapArt. p. 31, 41–42, section X28–G36. ISBN 978-1-55198-226-7. 
4. ^ Hunter, Andrew F (1909). A History of Simcoe County. 1. Barrie: County Council. pp. 88–91. http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=589960. Retrieved June 25, 2011. 
5. ^ "Provincial Highways Now Being Numbered". The Canadian Engineer (Monetary Times Print) 49 (8): 246. August 25, 1925. "Numbering of the various provincial highways in Ontario has been commenced by the Department of Public Highways. Resident engineers are now receiving metal numbers to be placed on poles along the provincial highways...Road No. 12 — To Karwartha (sic) Lakes, via Whitby to Lindsay" 
6. ^ Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 31, 1928. p. 60. 
7. ^ Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 31, 1932. p. 78. 
8. ^ AADT Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969. Department of Highways. 1969. p. 49. 
9. ^ AADT Traffic Volumes 1955–1969 And Traffic Collision Data 1967–1969. Department of Highways. 1969. p. 85. 
10. ^ ^{a b} Highway Transfers List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. April 1, 1997. p. 2. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Regional Roads". Regional Municipality of Durham. http://www.durham.ca/works.asp?nr=/departments/works/roads/regroadslist1.htm&setFooter=/includes/worksFooter.inc. Retrieved June 25, 2011. 

External links

• Canada NewsWire Press Release
• Highway 12 @ Asphaltplanet.ca