Ontario Highway 410 - History

History

Planning for highway 410 began during the late 1960s as a result of the rapid suburbanization of Brampton. On May 25, 1965, the Department of Highways (DHO) unveiled the Toronto Region Western Section Highway Planning Study. The plan designated several new highway corridors and widening projects through Peel and Halton, including Highway 10. However, it did not include a truck bypass that was desired by Brampton city council. In 1969, William H. Brydon would encourage the DHO to construct this bypass utilizing Heart Lake Road, and announced the plans at his final city council meeting as mayor, claiming that it may be known as the Brampton Expressway and would connect with Highway 401. Successor Jim Archdekin announced in the new year that he would meet with highways minister George Gomme to discuss the route of the bypass. The DHO studied the corridor over the next several months before releasing a report in late August.

Ontario Premier Bill Davis, who was known as "Brampton Billy", formally initiated the construction of Highway 410 along the Heart Lake Road corridor during his administration. Prior to the construction of Highway 410, Heart Lake Road was flanked by the industrial lands of Brampton and Bramalae north of Steeles Avenue. Between Steeles and Highway 401 was agricultural lands. In 1975, construction began on the widening of Highway 401 between Highway 10 (Hurontario Street) and Highway 427. During this expansion from six to eight lanes, a directional and loop ramp were constructed at Heart Lake Road to allow access to and from Toronto. Heart Lake Road was rebuilt over the next several years, and reopened as a two lane expressway on November 15, 1978. It was at this point that the road was designated Highway 410 as far north as Queen Street.

Construction to twin the highway began in 1983, following the completion of a culvert over the east branch of the Etobicoke Creek; the interchange with Clark Boulevard was built at the same time. The City of Brampton constructed the West Drive Extension, between Orenda Road and Tomken Road, as a detour in 1983. The following year, contracts were awarded to build the two structures over the Canadian National Railway south of Orenda Road, as well as an interchange at Queen Street; the former was completed by the end of the year while the latter took until late 1985. Construction of the interchange at Boivard Drive began in 1985 and was completed the following summer. With the construction of each interchange, the future northbound lanes of the freeway were constructed and opened to two-way traffic. By 1988, two lanes were open between Steeles Avenue and Boivard Drive.

In 1987, construction began south of the future Highway 407 interchange, expanding the two lane Heart Lake Road to a six lane freeway. In addition, work began on the future southbound lanes north of Steeles Avenue. In 1990, work began on an interchange with Courtney Park Drive. By mid 1991, Highway 410 was complete from north of Highway 401 to Boivard Drive, and work was underway on two large flyover ramps. The interchange with Highway 401 was rebuilt alongside the windening of that highway to a collector-express system and opened to traffic ramp-by-ramp beginning August 28, 1990 and continuing through the end of the year.

In the fall of 1991, alongside the widening of Highway 410 into a full freeway, construction began on the connecting ramps between Highway 403 and Highway 410, which pass under the existing bridge structures for Highway 401 collector traffic, while new overpasses were constructed for the Highway 401 express lanes. The 2.2-kilometre (1.4 mi) link opened on November 2, 1992, at a cost of $7.3 million.