 Highway 18A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Highway 18A(in thick blue) as it appeared in the 1938–39 Ontario Road Map | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route ofHighway 18 | ||||
| Maintained byMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | ||||
| Length | 31.1 km[3] (19.3 mi) | |||
| Existed | April 13, 1938[1]–July 1, 1978[2] | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  Highway 18 inMalden Center | |||
| East end | Highway 18 inKingsville | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Ontario | |||
| Counties | Essex | |||
| Towns | Malden Center,Colechester,Kingsville | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
King's Highway 18A, commonly referred to asHighway 18A, was aprovincially maintained highway in theCanadian province ofOntario. The 31.1-kilometre-long (19.3 mi) route began and ended atHighway 18, travelling along theLake Erie shoreline and throughColchester. It was the southernmost highway to ever exist in Canada, as the only one to travel south of the42nd parallel. Highway 18A was assumed as a provincial highway in 1938. It was transferred toEssex County in 1978, and has since been known asEssex County Road 50.
Highway 18A was a short route that served the headland that protrudes into Lake Erie betweenAmherstburg andKingsville in the southernmost part of Essex County. It began and ended at junctions with the former Highway 18, nowEssex County Road 20, that are approximately 25.8 kilometres (16.0 mi) apart on that road. The west junction was at the community ofMalden Centre, while the east junction was located on the western edge of Kingsville. The route itself was 31.1 kilometres (19.3 mi) long, detouring to the south along the shore ofLake Erie and passing through Colchester. Highway 18A was the southernmost highway in Canada, and the only one to travel south of the 42nd parallel.[3][4][5][6]
Highway 18A was first assigned during the late 1930s. Essex County council requested that the lakefront road between Malden Centre and Kingsville be taken over by the province and designated Highway 18A in June 1935.[7]The Department of Highways (DHO), predecessor to theMinistry of Transportation, assumed the road on April 13, 1938.[1]The gravel road was paved from Colchester to Kingsville in 1951, and from Malden Centre to Colchester in 1952.[8][9]Following recommendations presented in the Selkirk Report in June 1976, the renamed Ministry of Transportation and Communications rebuilt the road to proper standards, including bypassing several corners; the bypassed route is now Twin Gables Drive and Dolson Road. Subsequently, the entire length was transferred to Essex County effective July 1, 1978. Essex County promptly resigned the route as Essex County Road 50.[2][10]It is now also known as Heritage Road east of Colchester.[4]
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 18A, as noted by theOntario Department of Highways. The entire route was located inEssex County. Distances listed are from 1970.[11]
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malden Centre | 0.0 | 0.0 | Highway 18 –Amherstburg,Windsor | Now County Road 20 | |
| Colchester | 12.9 | 8.0 |  County Road 13 north (Erie Road) –Harrow | ||
| Kingsville | 31.1 | 19.3 | Highway 18 –Leamington | Now County Road 20 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
