 Highway 35 | |||||||
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 Highway 35 highlighted in red | |||||||
| Route information | |||||||
| Maintained byMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | |||||||
| Length | 195.6 km[1] (121.5 mi) | ||||||
| Existed | 1931–present | ||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||
| South end |  Highway 401 –Newcastle | ||||||
| Major intersections |  Highway 407 inClarington Highway 115 –Peterborough Highway 7A –Port Perry,Bethany Highway 7 inLindsay Highway 118 atCarnarvon | ||||||
| North end |  Highway 60 nearAlgonquin Provincial Park | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||
| Province | Ontario | ||||||
| Counties | Durham Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Muskoka | ||||||
| Towns | Newcastle,Orono,Lindsay,Coboconk,Norland,Minden Hills,Carnarvon,Dorset,Dwight | ||||||
| Highway system | |||||||
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King's Highway 35, commonly referred to asHighway 35, is aprovincially maintained highway in theCanadian province ofOntario, linkingHighway 401 with theKawartha Lakes,Haliburton, andAlgonquin Provincial Park. The highway travels from west ofNewcastle, throughLindsay, nearFenelon Falls,Coboconk,Minden Hills, and into Haliburton before terminating atHighway 60 to the west of Algonquin Park. Within those areas, it services the communities ofOrono,Cameron,Rosedale,Norland,Moore Falls,Miners Bay,Lutterworth,Carnarvon,Buttermilk Falls,Halls Lake,Pine Springs andDorset. The winding course of the road, combined with the picturesque views offered along its length, have led some to declare it the most scenic highway in Ontario.[2]
Most of the route, including a portion of Highway 60, was assumed by the Department of Highways (DHO), predecessor to theMinistry of Transportation (MTO) by 1940. In the mid-1950s, several bypasses were constructed to divert Highway 35 away from town centres includingLindsay,Fenelon Falls andMinden.Highway 115 was built east fromEnterprise Hill toPeterborough in 1953, and signed concurrently with Highway 35 south for 19 kilometres (12 mi) in 1961. This portion was widened to a divided expressway in the late 1980s. Studies are considering whether to widen the route between Enterprise Hill and Lindsay to four lanes, including reconstructing thetrumpet interchange at the former. Expansion of part of the Lindsay bypass to four lanes was scheduled to begin in 2023.
Highway 35 is patrolled along its entirety by theOntario Provincial Police. The speed limit for most of the length of the highway is 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), slowing to 50 km/h (31 mph) within built-up areas, and increasing to 90 km/h (56 mph) when it connects with Highway 115.
Highway 35 begins at atrumpet interchange with Highway 401 west ofNewcastle, where it isconcurrent with Highway 115 for 18.9 km (11.7 mi) to Enterprise Hill.[1][3]For the length of this concurrency, which is located entirely within the municipality ofClarington in theRegional Municipality of Durham, it is a divided four lane route with no left turns, known asright-in/right-out (RIRO).[4]It begins in a northeasterly direction, with an interchange at formerHighway 2 (nowDurham Regional Highway 2) prior to curving north. Several businesses, including gas stations and fast food franchises, line the next portion of the highway interspersed among farmland. After swerving to the east ofOrono, Highway 35/115 meets the eastern terminus of Highway 407 East.[5]It enters theOak Ridges Moraine and passes through the eastern edge of theGanaraska Forest at Enterprise Hill.[6][7]Highway 35 exits the divided highway—which continues as Highway 115 east to Peterborough—at a trumpet interchange known as the 35/115 split, and proceeds north as a two lane road.[8][9]
Highway 35 crosses into the city ofKawartha Lakes, a mostly ruralsingle-tier municipality,[10]at Boundary Road (Durham/Kawartha Lakes Road 20), which provides access to the nearbyCanadian Tire Motorsport Park.[11]The highway travels north in a straight line, passing to the east ofPontypool before exiting the Oak Ridges Moraine near Ballyduff Road.[12]It intersects the eastern leg ofHighway 7A, then curves northeast briefly before encountering the western leg. The headwaters of thePigeon River lie nearby, the river itself being crossed just south of Janetville Road (Kawartha Lakes Road 57).[12]The terrain flattens approachingLindsay,[13]where the route intersectsHighway 7, onto which it turns west and becomes concurrent. Highway 7/35 bypass Lindsay to the southwest, after which Highway 35 branches east onto Kent Street, then north, while Highway 7 continues west.[12]
North of Lindsay, Highway 35 travels near theTrent–Severn Waterway, tracing its route alongsideSturgeon Lake,Cameron Lake andBalsam Lake.[14]It passes over the first of several limestonecuestas near theKen Reid Conservation Area as it approaches the boundary between theOrdovician limestone and the PrecambrianCanadian Shield.[15][16]The route curves northeast and travels through farmland as well as the community ofCameron, before turning back northward atPowles Corners, where it intersects the southern end of formerHighway 121 (now Kawartha Lakes Road 121).It continues north a short distance to intersectKawartha Lakes Road 8, the eastern leg formerly beingHighway 35A intoFenelon Falls.[5][17][18]The highway curves around the southern end of Cameron Lake nearIsaacs Glen, travels north for a brief period then zig-zags northeast throughRosedale,[19]where it crosses the Trent–Severn on the Constable Randall F. Skidmore Bridge, named after a local police officer who was involved in a fatal crash nearby on February 14, 1986.[20]The farmland alongside the highway thins out north of Rosedale, as the route makes its approach toCoboconk.[5]
Approaching the village of Coboconk, Highway 35 descends a second cuesta to theGull River valley.[16] It crosses the river and intersects the former northeastern terminus ofHighway 48.[5][17]North of the village, the route makes its final descent from the flat limestone plateau into the rocky Canadian Shield.[15] The topography quickly shifts from grassland anddeciduous forest togranite outcroppings andBoreal forest as the highway winds along the west side ofSilver andShadow lakes.[5] InNorland, the route intersects formerHighway 503 (now Kawartha Lakes Road 45).[17] It begins to follow alongside the Gull River—which it continues to cross and parallel for the remainder of its length—as it curves northeast intoHaliburton County.[21]Highway 35 travels along the eastern edge of theQueen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park as it curves aroundMoore andGull Lake, passing through the communities ofMoore Falls andMiners Bay. Several passing lanes and a short stretch of four lane highway exist in this segment.[22]It reaches the town ofMinden where it meets former Highway 121 again and provides access to theMinden Wild Water Preserve.[17][23][24]
Highway 35 generally follows the formerBobcaygeon Colonization Road north of Minden, though several realignments over the years have led to its current winding route.[25]AtCarnarvon, it meets withHighway 118. The route then follows the east side ofBoshkung Lake, passes through Buttermilk Falls, travels long the west side ofHalls Lake, then arches northwest to cross the midpoint ofKushog Lake.[26]Heading northward into increasingly mountainous terrain, the highway crosses intoMuskoka nearDorset, and shortly thereafter reaches its terminus atHighway 60 west of Algonquin Park.[2][27]
Traffic volumes on Highway 35 vary considerably over the length of the highway, as well as over the course of the year due to its use for recreational purposes, including snowmobiling, camping, and vacations incottage country. Along the Highway 35/115 concurrency, the average daily vehicle count is above 20,000. This drops as Highway 35 splits off at Enterprise Hill to under 10,000 vehicles per day. That volume is fairly consistent as far north as Minden, at which point the vehicle count drops below 5,000 and tapers off as low as 2,000 at Highway 60.[1]
Highway 35 is patrolled along its entirety by theOntario Provincial Police.[28] The speed limit for most of the length of the highway is 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), slowing to 50 km/h (31 mph) within built-up areas, and increasing to 90 km/h (56 mph) when it connects with Highway 115.[29][30]
Highway 35, like many highways that begin atLake Ontario and eventually cross into theCanadian Shield, began as several trails connecting settlements.[31] Most of the southern portion of the highway follows varioussidelines and concessions.[citation needed]Between Lindsay and Fenelon Falls, Highway 35 follows the formerFenelon Road, while north of there it followsThe Cameron Road, a trail carved in the 1850s between Fenelon andMinden. North of Minden, the highway roughy followsThe Bobcaygeon Road, a colonization road built as far north as Dwight in the 1850s.[32][33]
Several portions of Highway 35 were built along or nearby the Bobcaygeon Road, a colonization road built in the 1850s to open settlement into the frontier of Central Ontario. The first half of the 19th century saw settlement occur along "the front", the townships established along the shores of Lake Ontario. Seeking to open the interior lands ofUpper Canada to prospective settlers and farming, the government began the construction of the colonization roads through the wilderness of the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. In 1854, Michael Deane surveyed a line between present-day Bobcaygeon and Carnarvon.[33][34] Actual construction of a passable road along the survey line began on October 16, 1856. It was named byPeterborough County sheriff William Conger, whom had promoted the building of the road for several years.[33]
Five miles (8 km) of the Bobcaygeon Road were opened by the end of 1856. By the end of 1858, it was opened to north of theBurnt River in Kinmount, and by 1860 to the Gull River, where the townsite of Minden was established. The road was opened farther north to the Peterson Road at Carnarvon in the summer of 1861, and to Dorset by the end of 1862.[33]Maintenance of the road was accomplished throughstatute labour, which was unable to keep up with the degradation caused by the elements. Despite its poor condition, the Bobcaygeon Road stayed in use until the future route of Highway 35 was built in the 1930s.[33][25]
At the height of theGreat Depression, work began in late 1931 between Coboconk and Dorset to build a new road.[35]The relief project employed upwards of 2,300 men, who resided in at least 13 temporary work camps. Work was done by hand in many places, with only dynamite and horses to aid construction along the rocky shorelines of lakes.[25][36]Construction wrapped up by the end of 1936, the final year before the jurisdiction of the DHO was extended north of the Trent–Severn Waterway.[25][37]
The Highway 35 designation was first applied in 1931 to the road between Lindsay and Fenelon Falls. TheDHO assumed the Cameron Road through the townships ofOps andFenelon on July 1 of that year.[38][39]It was extended north along the road between Fenelon Falls and Rosedale on April 15, 1934, bringing the length of the highway up to 38.9 km (24.2 mi).[38][40]On April 1, 1937, the Department of Northern Development merged into theDHO,.[37] As a result, an additional 138.4-kilometre (86.0 mi) of road were added to the length of Highway 35. The portion south of Coboconk withinVictoria County was assumed by the department on August 11 of that year, while the remainder within the county from Coboconk to north of Norland was assumed several weeks later on September 1. The portion lying within Haliburton County, from north of Norland to Dwight and Huntsville, was assumed a month later on October 6.[41]Finally, the 53.2 kilometres (33.1 mi) between Lindsay and Newcastle were assumed by theDHO on April 13, 1938, bringing the highway to its peak length of 232.6 kilometres (144.5 mi).[38][42]
At this point, much of the assumed route was agravel road. Only the section south of Orono and from Lindsay to Cameron was paved.[43]Construction quickly began to pave the gravel sections of the route. Approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) of paving between Cameron and Fenelon Falls was completed in 1938.[44]By 1939, the concurrency of Highway 35/60 between Huntsville and Dwight was also paved.[45]In 1940, paving of a gravel mulch surface was completed from Dwight south for approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) toBirkendale, as well as approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) from the Victoria–Haliburton county boundary north of Norland to Minden.[46]Approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) of paving north of Carnarvon to Wren Lake was completed in 1942.[47]The remaining 27 kilometres (17 mi) of gravel road between Wren Lake and Birkendale was paved in 1945.[48]A permanent pavement was laid from north of Norland to Dwight, as well as between Fenelon Falls and Rosedale in 1947.[49]Paving was completed between Rosedale and Coboconk in 1950,[50]and on the remaining gap between Coboconk and the Victoria–Haliburton county boundary in 1953.[51][52]It would take until 1958 for paving to commence south of Lindsay.[38]
In 1953, Highway 115 was built as a two lane road eastward from Highway 35 nearPontypool.[38] It was completed toPeterborough by 1954,[53]and co-designated with Highway 35 southwards in 1961.[38][54]Construction began to widen both to four lanes beginning in 1984,[55]which was completed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[56]The concurrency with Highway 60 was removed from Highway 35 after 1961,[57]but before 1969.[58]
Beginning in 1954, several bypasses were constructed around the towns and villages along the route.[38]The first of these was in Minden, bypassing the old route along the Bobcaygeon Road and South Water Street.[59]This was followed by the bypassing of Fenelon Falls in 1955. Highway 35 followed present dayKawartha Lakes Road 121 andKawartha Lakes Road 8 into and out of the village until the Seventh Concession Line was paved and the highway rerouted onto it.[31][60]In 1956, Newcastle and Orono were bypassed and Highway 35 connected directly to the then eastern terminus of Highway 401 west of the village.[38] The former route is nowDurham Regional Road 19.[61]Work also began that year to rebuild the highway north to Lindsay, as well as on the Lindsay Bypass.[62]Prior to the opening of the bypass, Highway 35 followed Lindsay Street to Kent Street and jogged northwest along William Street and Colborne Street. It then followed today'sKawartha Lakes Road 4 north and west to the current intersection with Highway 35.[38][63]This routing became Highway 35B when the bypass opened on October 10, 1958.[64]In the 1960s, the route through Pontypool (now known as John Street) was bypassed.[38]
Prior to 2007, the highway was extensively rehabilitated between Kawartha Lakes Road 121, near Fenelon Falls and Highway 118 in Carnarvon. This included widening the highway for a third passing lane, as well as the resurfacing of several sections.[65]
On the day beforeRemembrance Day, 2009, the section of Highway 35 between Lindsay and Norland was renamed theMidland Regiment Commemorative Highway, in honour of veterans of World War II. Signs are placed along the highway at regular intervals to acknowledge the designation.[66]On April 25, 2012, four bridges along the highway were renamed in memory of police officers killed in the line of duty: The Constable Randall F. Skidmore Bridge over theTrent–Severn Waterway in Rosedale; the Constable Eric Nystedt Bridge over theGull River in Moore Falls; and the Corporal James Smith Bridge and Detective Sergeant Lorne J. Chapitis Bridge between Miners Bay and Minden.[67][68]
The MTO is currently performing an environmental assessment on Highway 35 between the Highway 115 split and Lindsay, in preparation for a four-lane expansion.[69][70]In 2009, the provincial government ofDalton McGuinty promised to widen Highway 7/35 near Lindsay.[71]Work began later that year to widen the bridge over theScugog River to accommodate a four lane cross section.[72]A detailed design report was submitted in late 2021 to move forward with the widening, which is scheduled to begin in 2023.[73]
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 35, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.[1]
| Division | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | Clarington | 0.0 | 0.0 | Highway 401 –Toronto,Kingston Highway 115 begins | Highway 35 / Highway 115 southern terminus; southern end of Highway 115concurrency; Highway 401 exit 436 |
| 0.7 | 0.43 | Lovekin Road | |||
| 1.3 | 0.81 |  Regional Highway 2 –Newcastle,Bowmanville | FormerlyHighway 2 | ||
| 4.2 | 2.6 |  Regional Road 17 (Main Street) –NewcastleClarke 3rd Concession | |||
| 6.2 | 3.9 | Clarke 4th Concession | |||
| Clarington (Orono) | 8.1 | 5.0 | Regional Road 17 (Main Street) | No northbound entrance; northbound exit via Clarke 5th Concession | |
| 8.6 | 5.3 | Station Street | No access across Highway 115 (right-in/right out) | ||
| 10.2 | 6.3 | Mill Street / Tamblyn Road | Southbound exit and entrance to Mill Street; northbound exit and entrance to Tamblyn Road | ||
| 10.9 | 6.8 |  Regional Road 4 (Taunton Road)Clarke 6th Concession | |||
| Clarington | 13.4 | 8.3 |  Regional Road 9 (Clarke 7th Concession) –Bewdley | ||
| 14.3 | 8.9 | Highway 407 west –Toronto | Highway 407 exit 14; opened on December 9, 2019.[74][75] | ||
| 15.4 | 9.6 | Clarke 8th Concession | |||
| 17.6 | 10.9 | Skelding Road | Southbound exit and entrance | ||
| 18.7 | 11.6 | Old Highway 35 | Southbound entrance | ||
| Wilcox Road | Northbound exit and entrance | ||||
| 18.9 | 11.7 | Highway 115 north –Peterborough | Highway 115 exit 19; northern end of Highway 115 concurrency | ||
| Durham–Kawartha Lakes boundary | Clarington–Kawartha Lakes boundary | 20.4 | 12.7 |  Durham Regional Road 20 /Kawartha Lakes Road 20 (Boundary Road) | |
| Kawartha Lakes | Pontypool | 22.9 | 14.2 |  Road 12 east (Pontypool Road) | |
| 30.5 | 19.0 | Highway 7A east –Peterborough,Bethany | Southern end of Highway 7A concurrency | ||
| 32.0 | 19.9 | Highway 7A west –Port Perry | Northern end of Highway 7A concurrency | ||
| 39.1 | 24.3 |  Road 57 west (Golf Course Road) –Janetville | |||
| 40.6 | 25.2 |  Road 31 east (Mount Horeb Road) –Omemee | |||
| Lindsay | 50.0 | 31.1 |  Highway 7 east /TCH –Peterborough Road 15 north (Lindsay Street) –Lindsay | Southern end of Highway 7 concurrency and Lindsay Bypass; formerlyHighway 7B west /Highway 35B north | |
| 51.4 | 31.9 | Road 4 (Angeline Street South / Little Britain Road) | |||
| 55.5 | 34.5 | Highway 7 west /TCH –Toronto | North end of Highway 7 concurrency and Lindsay Bypass[1] | ||
| 56.3 | 35.0 | Kent Street West / Uniroyal Road | Kent Street West formerlyHighway 7B east /Highway 35B south | ||
| 59.5 | 37.0 | Road 4 (Thunder Bridge Road) | |||
| 62.9 | 39.1 |  Road 21 north (Killarney Bay Road) | |||
| Road 9 west (Cambray Road) | |||||
| Cameron | 67.2 | 41.8 |  Road 34 (Cameron Road / Long Beach Road) | ||
| Powles Corners | 72.4 | 45.0 |  Road 121 north (Victoria Road) –Fenelon Falls | FormerlyHighway 121 north | |
| 76.6 | 47.6 |  Road 8 east (Victoria Road) –Fenelon Falls | FormerlyHighway 35A east | ||
| 77.4 | 48.1 | Road 8 west (Glenarm Road) | |||
| Coboconk | 92.5 | 57.5 |  Road 43 east (Somerville 7th Concession) –Burnt River,Four Mile Lake | ||
| 92.9 | 57.7 |  Road 42 east (Baseline Road) | |||
| 93.7 | 58.2 |  Road 48 west (Portage Road) –Beaverton | FormerlyHighway 48 west | ||
| Norland | 101.4 | 63.0 |  Road 45 (Monck Road) –Uphill,Kinmount | FormerlyHighway 503 | |
| Haliburton | Minden Hills | 111.8 | 69.5 | County Road 2 north (Deep Bay Road) | Moore Falls |
| 126.0 | 78.3 | County Road 121 south –Kinmount | FormerlyHighway 121 south; former southern end of Highway 121 concurrency | ||
| 128.7 | 80.0 |  County Road 16 east (South Lake Road) –Gelert,Lochlin County Road 2 south (Newcastle Street) | Minden | ||
| 130.5 | 81.1 | County Road 21 east –Haliburton Village | FormerlyHighway 121 east; former northern end of Highway 121 concurrency | ||
| 143.6 | 89.2 | Highway 118 –Bracebridge,Haliburton Village | Carnarvon | ||
| Algonquin Highlands | 154.2 | 95.8 |  County Road 13 east (Little Hawk Lake Road) | ||
| 160.4 | 99.7 |  County Road 11 south (Kushog Lake Road) | |||
| Muskoka | Lake of Bays | 177.9 | 110.5 |  District Road 117 west –Bracebridge | FormerlyHighway 117 west |
| Haliburton | Algonquin Highlands | 179.4 | 111.5 |  County Road 39 south (Main Street) | Dorset |
| 179.8 | 111.7 | County Road 8 east (Kawagama Lake Road) | |||
| Muskoka | Lake of Bays | 193.7 | 120.4 | District Road 21 west (Fox Point Road) | |
| 195.6 | 121.5 | Highway 60 –Huntsville,Whitney,Algonquin Park | Dwight | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
 Highway 35A | |
|---|---|
| Location | Highway 35–Fenelon Falls |
| Length | 3.7 km[76] (2.3 mi) |
| Existed | May 25, 1955–April 1, 1997[77] |
Highway 35A was created when a new bypass ofFenelon Falls was assumed by theDHO as part of Highway 35 on May 25, 1955. The old route, between Powles Corners and Fenelon Falls, became part of the newHighway 121 at that time, while the remainder travelling east out of Fenelon Falls was renumbered as Highway 35A.[31][78]The short 2.7-kilometre (1.7 mi) route remained in the provincial highway system until April 1, 1997, when it was transferred to Victoria County.[77]
 Highway 35B | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kent Street, Lindsay Street |
| Length | 5.8 km[76] (3.6 mi) |
| Existed | October 10, 1958–April 1, 1997[77] |
Highway 35B, which wasconcurrent for its entire length withHighway 7B, travelled through Lindsay, following Kent Street West and Lindsay Street South, connecting with Highway 35 at both ends.[76] It was created when the Lindsay Bypass was opened on October 10, 1958, redirecting the combined Highway 7/35 southwest of the town.[64]Initially, Highway 35B followed Lindsay Street to Kent Street, then jogged northwest along Kent Street, William Street and Colborne Street. It then followed today'sKawartha Lakes Road 4 north and west to the current intersection with Highway 35, a distance of 8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi).[38][63]However, on September 21, 1968, the 2.2-kilometre (1.4 mi) portion north of Kent Street was transferred to Victoria County;[79]Highway 35B was consequently rerouted along Kent Street.[80]The remaining 5.8-kilometre (3.6 mi) of the route was decommissioned on April 1, 1997, and transferred to Victoria County.[77]
Highway 35B | |
|---|---|
| Location | Main Street inDorset |
| Existed | 1958–1974 |
Highway 35 which might be Ontario's most scenic road
Media related toOntario Highway 35 at Wikimedia Commons
