 Highway 72 | |||||||
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| Route information | |||||||
| Maintained by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | |||||||
| Length | 68.5 km[1] (42.6 mi) | ||||||
| Existed | October 6, 1937[2]–present | ||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||
| South end |  Highway 17 inDinorwic | ||||||
| Major intersections |  Highway 664 –Hudson | ||||||
| North end |  Highway 642 inSioux Lookout | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||
| Province | Ontario | ||||||
| Highway system | |||||||
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King's Highway 72, commonly referred to asHighway 72, is aprovincially maintained highway in the northern half of theCanadian province ofOntario. The highway connectsHighway 17 inDinorwic with the town ofSioux Lookout, where there are connections withHighway 516 towardsSavant Lake andHighway 642 towardsSilver Dollar.
Highway 72 was built as a trunk route by 1920, and became a provincial highway in 1937. It has remained largely unchanged since then, aside from the reconstruction and realignment of the Frog Rapids bridge, and the renumbering of the fork towardsHudson asHighway 664. The length of the highway is 68.5 km (42.6 mi), the entirety of which is situated inKenora District. There are no significant settlements between its endpoints.
Highway 72 is a 68.5 km (42.6 mi) route which serves to connect Sioux Lookout with theTrans-Canada Highway.[1] The route begins at Highway 17, on the western edge of Dinorwic. From there it follows an old routing of Highway 17 along the northern edge of the village, but eventually turns to the north into the wilderness. Between this point and south of theFrog Rapids Narrows, where Highway 664 intersects the route, the highways passes through a remoteforested region dotted with lakes andmuskeg; there is almost no human habitation.[3]After crossing the Frog Rapids Narrows, the highway enters Sioux Lookout. It zig-zags through the town, crossing the oldGrand Trunk Railroad, now aCanadian National Railway line, next to a large rail depot. It exits Sioux Lookout, ending at an intersection with the Ed Ariano Bypass, Highway 516 and Highway 642 just east of the town.[4]
Sioux Lookout and Hudson were both originally accessible only by rail and water when they were established as stops on theGrand Trunk Railway shortly after 1900; roads would not reach the remote area until 1920.[5]The road connecting Sioux Lookout and Hudson with the Ignace–Dryden Road was initially under the upkeep of the Department of Northern Development. On April 1, 1937, that department was merged into the Department of Highways (DHO), after which the provincial highway network was expanded intonorthern Ontario.[6]
Shortly after the merger, the DHO began to assume highways throughout northern Ontario. On October 6, 1937, Highway 72 was established,[2]connecting Highway 17 with both Sioux Lookout and Hudson. On the 1938–39 Official Ontario Road Map, the distance from Dinorwic to Sioux Lookout is listed as 48.0 miles (77.2 km), and from Dinorwic to Hudson as 53.0 miles (85.3 km).[7]This routing remained in place until at least 1953.[8]By 1954, however, the branch leading to Hudson was renumbered asHighway 116.[8]Highway 72 has, aside from minor realignments, remained unchanged since then.[4]
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 72, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.[1] The entire route is located inKenora District.
| Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinorwic | 0.0 | 0.0 |  Highway 17 /TCH –Kenora,Thunder Bay | Highway 72 southern terminus | |
| Sioux Lookout | 60.5 | 37.6 | Highway 664 west –Hudson,Lac Seul First Nation | ||
| 63.1 | 39.2 | CrossesFrog Rapids Narrows | |||
| 67.2 | 41.8 | Ed Ariano Bypass / 1st Avenue | Highway 72 follows Ed Ariano Bypass | ||
| 68.5 | 42.6 | Highway 642 east –Silver Dollar Alcona Drive  Highway 516 north –Pickle Lake | Highway 72 northern terminus | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
