 Highway 108 | |||||||
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| Route information | |||||||
| Maintained by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | |||||||
| Length | 41.6 km[2] (25.8 mi) | ||||||
| Existed | December 19, 1957[1]–present | ||||||
| Tourist routes | Deer Trail | ||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||
| South end |  Highway 17 inSerpent River | ||||||
| North end |  Highway 639 north ofElliot Lake | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||
| Province | Ontario | ||||||
| Highway system | |||||||
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King's Highway 108, commonly referred to asHighway 108, is aprovincially maintained highway in theCanadian province ofOntario. Located in theAlgoma District, the highway extends for 41.6 kilometres (25.8 mi) from an intersection withHighway 17 west ofSerpent River, through the urban core ofElliot Lake, to an intersection withQuirke Mine Road in the north end of the city. The highway continues as SecondaryHighway 639 north of Quirke Mine Road.
An earlier but unrelated Highway 108 existed for approximately one year inToronto, followingThe Queensway betweenHighway 27 and theQueen Elizabeth Way. Like most provincial highways in Toronto, it was transferred to Metropolitan Toronto after its formation. The current Highway 108 was designated in 1957 and has remained more-or-less unchanged since then.
Highway 108 is a highway in Algoma District that serves to connect theTrans-Canada Highway with the mines in the Elliot Lake andQuirke Lake area. Elliot Lake is the only community on the highway and is located approximately two-thirds of the distance between Highway 17 and Highway 546. The route begins at Highway 17, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east ofSpragge and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Serpent River. It proceeds 24 kilometres (15 mi) north through a lake-ridden and remote wilderness before entering the built-up community of Elliot Lake.[3]
Within the urban portion of Elliot Lake, the highway is locally maintained under aConnecting Link agreement.[2] It passes theNuclear Mining Museum and the Mount Dufourski resort before leaving the community and crossing the eastern end of the geographic Elliot Lake. From this point to the northern terminus of the highway, the route provides access to several mines that dot the surrounding areas.[3] Immediately south of Quirke Mine Road, Highway 108 becomes Secondary Highway 639; the centre lane ends and the pavement quality is visibly reduced.[4]
Highway 108 forms part of theDeer Trail tourist route, which continues north along Highway 639, then southwest along Highway 546 toIron Bridge.[5] Like other provincial routes in Ontario, Highway 108 is maintained by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario. In 2010, traffic surveys conducted by the ministry showed that onaverage, 2,250 vehicles used the highway daily along the 4.0-kilometre (2.5 mi) section immediately south of the Elliot Lake Connecting Link while 280 vehicles did so each day along the northernmost section approaching Highway 639, the highest and lowest counts along the highway, respectively.[2]
Highway 108 in Algoma is the second highway to carry the designation. In 1953, The Queensway in Toronto was assumed by theDepartment of Highways (DHO) as the original Highway 108, between Highway 27 (now Highway 427) and the eastern end of the Queen Elizabeth Way at theHumber River.[6]The route was created in order to widen it to provide access from Highway 27 to the new DHO offices at Kipling as well as theOntario Food Terminal.[7]The designation was short lived, and the route was decommissioned and transferred to the newly formed Metropolitan Toronto on December 26, 1956.[8]
The current iteration of Highway 108 was assumed by the Department of Highways in sections, beginning in late 1957, shortly after the discovery ofuranium deposits in the area. Prior to its assumption, the route it followed was designated asHighway 612. The first section, located in the urbanized area of Elliot Lake, was assumed on December 19, 1957. This was followed on December 30 with the majority of the route being assumed. Finally, on January 23, 1958, the northernmost 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of Highway 612 was designated as part of Highway 108, eliminating that highway entirely.[1]On January 1, 1998, a 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi) section of the highway was transferred to the Municipality of Elliot Lake.[9]The route has remained unchanged since then.[3]
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 108, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.[2] The entire route is located inAlgoma District.[3]
| Location | km[2] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The North Shore | 0.0 | 0.0 |  Highway 17 /TCH –Sault Ste. Marie,Sudbury | Highway 108 southern terminus | |
| Elliot Lake | 20.7 | 12.9 | Nordic Mine Road | Mine access road | |
| 24.7 | 15.3 | Esten Drive South | Beginning of Elliot LakeConnecting Link agreement | ||
| 30.4 | 18.9 | Timber Road North | End of Elliot Lake Connecting Link agreement | ||
| 37.0 | 23.0 | Stanrock Mine Road | Mine access road | ||
| 40.0 | 24.9 | Denison Mine Road | |||
| 41.0 | 25.5 | Panel Mine Road | |||
| 41.6 | 25.8 | Highway 639 north | Highway 108 northern terminus; continues as Highway 639 | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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