Highway 27 (Ontario)

Highway 27 refers to a major arterial running through the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. It is considered an undivided expressway in Toronto's municipal expressway network. Although the Ontario Ministry of Transportation was once responsible for the length of this route, when it ran through much of Southern Ontario, it now only maintains a 2.3 km portion that extends from its interchange with Highway 427 to Dixon Road.

History

Highway 27 was originally a King's Highway that extended from Highway 2 in Long Branch (Etobicoke Township) to Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay. In the 1950s, the highway was upgraded to a four-lane freeway between the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and Highway 401. In 1964, the province opened the nearby Airport Expressway to connect to Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The freeway section between the QEW and Highway 401 was widened to a collector-express system in the late 1960s, and was re-designated Highway 427 upon completion in 1972, making it a 400-Series Highway. The section of Highway 27 south of the QEW was downloaded to municipal authorities and renamed Browns Line. The portion north of Highway 401 remained designated as Highway 27 and the collectors of Highway 427 default onto this remnant. Mainline/express 427 traffic was rerouted to the Airport Expressway (which was incorporated as part of 427 in 1972) or Highway 401, so the remainder of Highway 27 declined in importance afterwards.

After provincial downloading in 1997, most of the remaining sections of Highway 27 were removed from the King's Highway system and made the responsibility of local municipalities.

Today the road is simply named as Highway 27 in Toronto. After the downloading in 1997, the City of Toronto proposed renaming Highway 27 to "Etobicoke Drive" but it was turned down due to potentially causing confusion.

Landmarks

* Humber College
* Woodbine Centre Shopping Mall
* Woodbine Race Track
* Toronto Congress Centre
* Toronto Pearson International Airport

ee also

* Highway 427
* Highway 409
* York Regional Road 27
* Simcoe County Road 27