Connecting Link

The Connecting Link program is a provincial subsidy provided to municipalities to assist with road construction, maintenance and repairs in the Canadian province of Ontario. Roads which are designated as connecting links form the portions of provincial highways through built-up communities which are not owned by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). Connecting links are governed by several regulations, including section 144, subsection 31.1 of the Highway Traffic Act and section 21 of the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act. While the road is under local control and can be modified to their needs, extensions and traffic signals require the approval of the MTO to be constructed.

The Connecting Link program was established in 1927. Today, 355.4 kilometres (220.8 mi) of roadway in 77 municipalities are maintained under the program. These links cross 70 bridges also maintained under the program.

In return for that particular road being downloaded, the town or county receives money and assistance in maintaining it, and is able to still sign and list it as a provincial highway, though not all connecting links are signed as provincial highways. Some connecting links, however, were never provincial highways at all, but rather county or regional roads, or even local streets that the town or city has assistance in maintaining. Conversely, not all roads formerly signed as highways are connecting links. In cases where the former highway terminates in a city and doesn't revert into a provincially maintained route, such as the section of Highway 11 (Yonge Street) through Toronto, highway designations were originally applied for continuity, and subsequently removed.

Most connecting links are busy municipal or county roads that were once provincial highways, and are designated by small yellow squares or diamonds with the text "C/L" or "CL" on them at their start and end termini. These are similar to, but not always related to 7000-series highways.