Ontario Highway 654
{{short description|Ontario provincial highway}}
{{Infobox road
|province = ON
|type = Secondary
|route = 654
|alternate_name =
|map =
|maint = the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
|length_km = 23.1
|direction_a = South
|terminus_a = {{jcon|Hwy|534}} near Nipissing, Ontario
|junction = {{jcon|Hwy|94}}
|direction_b = East
|terminus_b = {{jcon|Hwy|11}} at Callander
|districts = Parry Sound
|previous_type = ON
|previous_route = 653
|next_type = ON
|next_route = 655
}}
Secondary Highway 654, commonly referred to as Highway 654, is a secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway is {{convert|23.1|km}} in length, connecting Highway 534 south of Nipissing with Highway 11 in Callander. The route was designated in 1964, and has remained unchanged since then. It is sparsely travelled, but paved throughout its length.
Route description
Highway 654 begins immediately south of the community of Nipissing at a junction with Highway 534. This intersection, just north of the Wolfe Creek crossing on Highway 534, features a stop sign for traffic on Highway 654.{{Google maps
| title = Highway 654 length and route
| url = https://www.google.ca/maps?saddr=ON-654+E&daddr=Lake+Nosbonsing+Rd&hl=en&sll=46.196735,-79.353819&sspn=0.007248,0.01929&geocode=FYVBvwId97lC-w;FZ_jwAIdeiVF-w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=16&t=h&z=12
| access-date = September 7, 2014}}
The highway travels north from there through Nipissing, crossing the South River and passing the Nipissing Township Museum. As it leaves the community, the highway turns east and travels straight for several kilometres before making a broad ninety degree curve to the north while passing several pastures.{{cite map
| title = Ontario Back Road Atlas
| year = 2010
| publisher = Peter Heiler
| cartography = MapArt
| page = 95
| section = F31–G32
| isbn = 978-1-55198-226-7}}
The highway travels north straight-as-an-arrow towards Lake Nipissing, with forests to the east and a mix of forests and pastures to the west. It turns east and crosses a muskeg approximately two kilometres (1.25 miles) south of the lake, then enters the municipality of Callander. As it travels eastward towards Callander Bay, the highway serves numerous residences and the occasional farm. It dips south to avoid the bay then encounters the southern terminus of Highway 94 before ending at an interchange with Highway 11. The road continues beyond Highway 11 as Lake Nosbonsing Road for several more kilometres, but this segment is not classified as a provincial highway.{{cite web
|title = Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts
|author = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
|author-link = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
|publisher = Government of Ontario
|year = 2008
|url = http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
|accessdate = November 1, 2011
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192209/http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5
|archive-date = July 6, 2011
|url-status = dead
}}
The highway is {{convert|23.1|km}} in length. Near its southern terminus it is lightly travelled, with an average of 1,000 vehicles using it per day. Traffic increases towards Highway 11, where almost 4,000 vehicles travel on an average day.
History
Highway 654 was designated on July 8, 1964, following an already-paved road between Nipissing and Callander. Minister of Highways Charles MacNaughton ceremoniously planted the first reassurance marker on the route on that day.{{cite press release
| author = Information Section
| publisher = Ontario Department of Highways
| date = July 7, 1964}}{{cite map
| title = Ontario Road Map
| cartography = C.P. Robins
| publisher = Ontario Department of Highways
| year = 1964
| section = N33–34}}
Major intersections
{{ONinttop|division=Parry Sound|maint=MTO|length_ref=}}
{{ONint
|location = Nipissing
|km = 0.0
|road = {{jcon|Hwy|534|city=Powassan|town=Restoule|town2=Port Loring}}
|notes =
}}
{{ONint
|location = Callander
|lspan = 2
|km = 22.7
|road = {{jcon|Hwy|94|dir=(north)|town=Corbeil}}
Stone Road (south)
|notes =
}}
{{ONint
|km = 23.1
|road = {{jcon|Hwy|11|city=North Bay|city2=Toronto}}
|notes = Exit 329
}}
{{jctbtm}}
References
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Ontario Secondary Highways}}