Constructed 16 September 1936 | Length 18 km | |
Existed: September 16, 1936 – March 31, 1997 North end: County Road 2 (Longwoods Road) | ||
King's Highway 76, commonly referred to as Highway 76, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route began at Highway 3 in Eagle and progressed north through the community of West Lorne, encountering Highway 401 immediately before terminating southwest of Glencoe at Longwoods Road (formerly Highway 2). Today the route it followed is known as Elgin County Road 76 and Middlesex County Road 76.
Contents
Route description
Highway 76 began near the Lake Erie shoreline in Eagle, at Highway 3. From there it travelled northwest through a mixture of farmland and woodlots for 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) to the town of West Lorne, meeting . Immediately north of West Lorne before encountering an interchange with Highway 401. About 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) north of Highway 401, Highway 76 crossed over the Thames River. Highway 76 ended 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) beyond the river at Longwoods Road (then Highway 2) midway between Wardsville and Strathburn.
History
Highway 76 was first assigned by the Department of Highways (DHO), predecessor to today's Ministry of Transportation, on September 16, 1936. It was initially 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi) long, connecting Highway 3 with the village of West Lorne to the northwest along an existing gravel township road. The DHO quickly improved the route, fully paving it by 1938. Several highway routings were altered southwest of London in late 1957, in anticipation for the construction of Highway 401. On December 5, 1957, Highway 76 was extended 12.4 kilometres (7.7 mi) northwest to Highway 2 between Wardsville and Strathburn.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 76, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.