Ontario Highway 8#Freeport Diversion
{{short description|Ontario provincial highway}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox road
|province = ON
|type = Hwy
|route = 8
|alternate_name =
|map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Ontario Highway 8}}}}
|map_custom = yes
|map_notes = A map of Highway{{nbsp}}8
{{Legend inline|#FF0000|Highway 8}} {{Legend inline|#AAAA00|Waterloo Regional Road{{nbsp}}8 (Cambridge)}} {{Legend inline|#00007F|Connecting Links}}
|length_km = 159.7
|length_ref = {{cite web
| title = Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts
| author = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| publisher = Government of Ontario
| year = 2016
| pages = 8–9
| url = https://www.library.mto.gov.on.ca/SydneyPLUS/TechPubs/Theme.aspx?r=702797&f=files%2fProvincial+Highways+Traffic+Volumes+2016+AADT+Only.pdf&m=resource
| access-date = September 27, 2022
| archive-date = April 9, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220409133142/https://www.library.mto.gov.on.ca/SydneyPLUS/TechPubs/Theme.aspx?r=702797&f=files%2fProvincial+Highways+Traffic+Volumes+2016+AADT+Only.pdf&m=resource
| url-status = live}}
|established = August 1918
|direction_a = West
|terminus_a = {{jcon|Hwy|21|town=Goderich}}
|junction = {{jcon|Hwy|7|city=Stratford}}
{{jcon|Hwy|85|city=Kitchener}}
{{jcon|Hwy|401|city=Cambridge}}
{{jcon|Hwy|5|town=Waterdown}}
|direction_b = East
|terminus_b = {{jcon|Hamilton|8|near Dundas}}
|cities = Stratford, Kitchener, Cambridge, Hamilton
|previous_type = ON
|previous_route = 7A
|next_type = ON
|next_route = 9
|browse = {{ON former|previous=7B|next=8A}}
}}
King's Highway 8, commonly referred to as Highway 8, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The {{convert|159.7|km|adj=on}} route travels from Highway 21 in Goderich, on the shores of Lake Huron, to Highway 5 in the outskirts of Hamilton near Lake Ontario. Before the 1970s, it continued east through Hamilton and along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment to the American border at the Whirlpool Bridge in Niagara Falls. However, the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) replaced the role of Highway{{nbsp}}8 between those two cities, and the highway was subsequently transferred from the province to the newly formed Regional Municipality of Niagara in 1970. In 1998, the remaining portion east of Peters Corners was transferred to the city of Hamilton.
Between Stratford and Kitchener, Highway{{nbsp}}8 is concurrent with Highway 7. The two highways widen into a four-lane freeway east of New Hamburg, eventually becoming the Conestoga Parkway within Kitchener, where it splits with Highway{{nbsp}}7. It follows a short connector freeway – known as the Freeport Diversion, King Street Bypass, or Highway 8 expressway – south to Highway 401. The route continues as the locally maintained Regional Road 8 (King Street East) through downtown Cambridge before resuming as a provincial highway at Branchton Road and soon after that entering the city of Hamilton. Highway{{nbsp}}8 ends east of Peters Corners at an intersection with Hamilton Road{{nbsp}}8.
Highway{{nbsp}}8 was one of the first roads assumed when the provincial highway system was established, though it was not numbered until 1925. The routes that predate the highway, including the Huron Road, and the Queenston Stone Road, were established during the settlement of Southwestern Ontario between 1780 and 1830. These early trails served as the principal routes in the regions through which they passed and eventually became part of the provincial highway system circa 1918.
Route description
File:Highway 7 and 8 in Stratford.png through downtown Stratford|alt=A road travels through a Main Street, with wall-to-wall buildings under a blue sky]]
Highway{{nbsp}}8 is a {{convert|159.7|km|adj=on}} route that connects the shores of Lake Huron at Goderich with the head of Lake Ontario in Hamilton. Portions of the highway through Goderich, Clinton, Seaforth, Mitchell and Stratford are locally maintained under a Connecting Link Agreement with the provincial government.
Highway{{nbsp}}8 begins at its western terminus in downtown Goderich, at a junction with Highway 21, within Huron County. It exits the town travelling southeast as a rural two-lane highway running roughly parallel and south of the Maitland River, passing through farmland outside of the many small communities it serves. At Holmesville, the river moves northwards while the highway continues southeast, now parallel to and north of the Goderich–Exeter Railway. Soon after, it passes through Clinton, where it intersects the northern terminus of Highway 4. Highway{{nbsp}}8 is completely straight for approximately {{convert|50|km}} between Clinton and Stratford. After bisecting Seaforth, the highway enters Perth County and passes through the communities of Dublin, Mitchell (where it intersects Highway 23) and Sebringville.{{cite map
| title = Ontario Back Road Atlas
| cartography = MapArt
| publisher = Mapart Publishing
| year = 2022
| isbn = 1-55198-226-9
| pages = 20–23}}{{Google maps
| title = Highway 8 – Length and Route
| url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.74059,-81.70773/43.3729126,-80.9857005/43.40373,-80.38406/43.2809985,-80.0640355/@43.4999897,-81.3292134,140674m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m11!4m10!1m0!1m0!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-80.3325631!2d43.3815364!3s0x882b89d805fd92f9:0xc075dbdb75310a02!1m0!3e0?hl=en
| access-date = January 31, 2022}}
Entering Stratford as Huron Street, Highway{{nbsp}}8 widens to four lanes. It crosses the Avon River, then turns east onto Ontario Street before encountering Highway{{nbsp}}7 at Erie Street. The two routes become concurrent for the next {{convert|44.5|km}}, between Stratford and Kitchener. East of Stratford, the highway narrows back to two lanes and travels north of and parallel to the CN railway Guelph Subdivision. After passing through the village of Shakespeare, the route enters the Regional Municipality of Waterloo as it widens to four lanes and curves onto the New Hamburg Bypass. It travels south of New Hamburg and crosses the Nith River before becoming a divided four-lane freeway near Baden. At Trussler Road, the combined Highway{{nbsp}}7/8 enters the city of Kitchener, where it is known as the Conestoga Parkway.
File:Freeport_Diversion.png, with widening work underway in 2011|alt=A divided highway travels through a valley]]
The Conestoga Parkway runs through Kitchener, widening to a six-lane freeway near Fischer Hallman Road. At King Street in the city's centre, Highway{{nbsp}}8 splits off southeastward at an interchange, while Highway{{nbsp}}7 continues along the Conestoga Parkway. Traffic on Highway{{nbsp}}8 heading northwest can continue under the Conestoga Parkway onto King Street into downtown Kitchener.
Between the Conestoga Parkway and Highway{{nbsp}}401, Highway{{nbsp}}8 follows an eight-lane freeway known as the Freeport Diversion or Highway{{nbsp}}8 Expressway.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Highways
| edition = 1963
| date = March 31, 1963
| page = 7
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gYb_pMUWRp4C&q=%22the+freeport+diversion%22+Kitchener
| access-date = February 7, 2022
| archive-date = March 2, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220302152734/https://books.google.com/books?id=gYb_pMUWRp4C&q=%22the+freeport+diversion%22+Kitchener
| url-status = live}}{{cite news
| title = Massive road work chugs along; Building tunnel under train tracks biggest project tackled by region
| first = Kevin | last = Swayze
| work = The Record
| date = August 19, 2005
| page = B1
| id = {{ProQuest|358936288}} {{Subscription required}}
| language = en-CA
| quote = The $14.7- million job started in June and involves road widenings, a tunnel under CP Rail tracks serving Toyota and new access ramps to the Highway 8 expressway.}}
The expressway initially travels southeast, passing under Franklin Street before swerving slightly south. It crosses over the Grand River at its midpoint, followed by a partial interchange with King Street East that provides access to Highway{{nbsp}}401 westbound to London. The expressway narrows to six lanes and later to four lanes at Sportsworld Drive. It merges to eastbound Highway{{nbsp}}401 and from westbound 401.
File:Highway 8 northwest near Rockton.png|alt=A two lane highway with gravel shoulders passes through farmland, with a barn in the distance]]
The {{abbr|MTO|Ministry of Transportation of Ontario}} maintains approximately {{convert|670|m|1}} of King Street and Shantz Hill Road at the Highway{{nbsp}}401 interchange as an unsigned portion of Highway{{nbsp}}8.{{cite web
| title = Ontario Road Network - Ontario Provincial Highways
| author1 = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario Geomatics Office
| author2 = Land Information Ontario
| date = December 10, 2020
| url = https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=21d0776a5fb347728a3c79a0d7ace051
| website = ArcGIS.com
| access-date = February 8, 2022
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304123924/https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=21d0776a5fb347728a3c79a0d7ace051
| url-status = live}}
Within Cambridge, the route continues as Waterloo Regional Road 8 along Shantz Hill Road, Fountain Street, King Street, Coronation Boulevard, and Dundas Street.{{cite web
| title = Regional Roads By Name
| publisher = Region of Waterloo
| date = October 19, 2016
| pages = 2, 3, 5
| url = https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/resources/Roads-and-Traffic/Regional-Roads-By-Name.pdf
| access-date = February 8, 2022
| archive-date = December 22, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211222153728/https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/resources/Roads-and-Traffic/Regional-Roads-By-Name.pdf
| url-status = live}}
Highway{{nbsp}}8 resumes at Branchton Road, where it exits urban Cambridge into farmland travelling southeast. After approximately {{convert|3|km}}, the route enters Hamilton. It bypasses the communities of Sheffield and Rockton before eventually reaching Peters Corners, where it meets the western terminus of Highway{{nbsp}}5 at a multilane roundabout. Highway{{nbsp}}8 ends {{convert|200|m}} to the east at an intersection with Hamilton Road{{nbsp}}8.
History
= Predecessors (1780–1918) =
While its history as a provincial highway dates back to 1918, significant portions of the roads that would be taken over by the province and eventually designated as Highway{{nbsp}}8 had existed for nearly a century or longer. These include the Huron Road between Berlin (renamed Kitchener in 1916) and Goderich, which was built {{circa|1827}};{{sfn|Shragge|Bagnato|1984|pp=30–31}}{{cite news
| first = Betty Jo | last = Belton
| title = Reflections: Taking a trip down the Huron Road
| work = The Stratford Beacon-Herald
| date = June 4, 2021
| url = https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/opinion/reflections-taking-a-trip-down-the-huron-road
| access-date = February 14, 2022
| archive-date = February 10, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220210031915/https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/opinion/reflections-taking-a-trip-down-the-huron-road
| url-status = live}}
the Dundas and the Hamilton Stone Road that were established in 1819 along a trail blazed between Hamilton and Berlin in 1798;{{cite news
| first = Jon
| last = Wells
| title = Take A Drive
| work = Hamilton Spectator
| date = September 18, 2010
| url = https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2010/09/17/take-a-drive.html
| access-date = February 14, 2022
| archive-date = February 10, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220210031916/https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2010/09/17/take-a-drive.html
| url-status = live}}{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|p=63}}{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|p=428}}
and the Queenston Road (later the Queenston Stone Road or the Queenston and Grimsby Stone Road{{cite news
| title = Are we willing to roll the dice?
| work = Stoney Creek News
| date = February 16, 2000
| page = 8
| id = {{ProQuest|358936288}} {{Subscription required}}}}{{cite news
| title = Niagara Then and Now: St. Davids
| work = Niagara Falls Review
| date = December 16, 2000
| page = A8
| id = {{ProQuest|361156845}} {{Subscription required}}}}),
established along an aboriginal trail at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment in the 1780s.{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|p=63}}{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=423–424}}
File:Queenston Road, Cape Horn, 1918.png
When settlers began arriving in the Niagara Peninsula following the American Revolution and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, natives were non-existent in the area, the local tribe having been ravaged over a century earlier. Trails crisscrossed the peninsula, with the dominant routes favouring an east–west orientation.{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=421–422}} The most significant of these was the Iroquois Trail that traversed along the foot of the Niagara Escarpment. In the east, Queenston provided an ideal crossing of the Niagara River. In the west, the escarpment breaks at Dundas, where the trail continued towards the Grand River at present-day Brantford, thus providing a portage between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The Iroquois Trail was utilised by famous historical figures, including John Graves Simcoe in 1793 on his voyage to Detroit, as well as during the War of 1812.{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=423–424}} It was widened to accommodate wagon traffic by 1785.{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=425–426}}
Between approximately 1800 and 1820, large numbers of German and Dutch settlers from Pennsylvania travelled west across the Niagara Peninsula and onward to the Waterloo area.{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|p=60}} A trail cut from Hamilton to the Grand River, at Galt, in 1798{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|p=428}} or 1799,{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|pp=62–63}} was gradually widened to be fit for wagons by 1819.{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|pp=62–63}} While Niagara-on-the-Lake served as the initial focal point of settlement into southwestern Ontario, Hamilton emerged in 1816 at the head of Lake Ontario, and immediately became the new hub for settlers.{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=427–428}} The route between Hamilton and Waterloo was improved to a stone road circa 1836.{{cite web
| title = Crastor Scott Recalls Schooldays with the Late James E. Carter
| publisher = Clarks of Tomfad
| url = http://www.clarksoftomfad.ca/CrastorScottreminisces.htm
| access-date = February 14, 2022
| archive-date = December 24, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211224114523/http://www.clarksoftomfad.ca/CrastorScottreminisces.htm
| url-status = live}}
Over the years the route was known by various names, including the Waterloo Road, the Galt Road, the Old Dutch Road,{{sfn|Burghardt|1969|pp=428–429}} the Beverly Road,{{sfn|Breithaupt|1919|pp=62–63}} and most often the Dundas and Hamilton Stone Road.
Settlement beyond Waterloo was accomplished by the Canada Company, which acquired the Huron Tract in 1826.{{cite web
| title = About Our Heritage – The Founding of Goderich
| date = January 21, 2020
| publisher = Town of Goderich
| url = https://www.goderich.ca/en/my-goderich/about-our-heritage.aspx
| access-date = February 14, 2022
| archive-date = February 14, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220214235049/https://www.goderich.ca/en/my-goderich/about-our-heritage.aspx
| url-status = live}}
In order to implement the grand settlement plan, a trail was surveyed by Mahlon Burwell and William Dunlop from Guelph to Lake Huron at the mouth of the Maitland River beginning in 1827. After company commissioner Thomas Mercer Jones rode the muddy trail from Guelph to Goderich in June 1829, he recommended that it be widened to four rods ({{convert|20|m|0}}),{{sfn|Lee|2004|p=110}} which was done by the end of that year by Colonel Anthony Van Egmond.{{sfn|Lee|2004|p=158}} The trail was further improved to allow for the passage of wagons by 1832. The Canada Company venture would ultimately fail, but not before establishing the present-day settlement patterns.{{cite journal
| first = Donald G.
| last = Paterson
| title = The Failure of British Business in Canada, 1980-1914
| journal = Proceedings of the Business History Conference
| volume = 3
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 1975
| pages = 14–31
| jstor = 44512540
| url = http://www.jstor.org/stable/44512540
| access-date = February 15, 2022
| archive-date = February 16, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220216020849/https://www.jstor.org/stable/44512540
| url-status = live}}
= Designation and paving (1918–1949) =
File:Highway 8 between Stratford and Sebringville, 1922.png
Until 1918, the majority of the primary roads through southern Ontario formed part of the County Road System. The Department of Public Works and Highways paid up to 60% of the construction and maintenance costs for these roads, while the counties were responsible for the remaining 40%.{{sfn|Shragge|Bagnato|1984|pp=73–75}} The Ontario government passed an act in 1917 to permit the newly formed Department of Public Highways (DPHO) to take over (or assume) responsibility and upkeep of a provincial highway system. The initial system, between Windsor and Quebec, was bookended by branches to Niagara and Ottawa.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1918
| date = April 11, 1919
| section = III. Provincial Highways
| page = 13
| url = https://archive.org/details/n04ontariosessional51ontauoft/page/n169/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 15, 2022
| via = Internet Archive}}
The branch to Niagara would become the first provincial highway connection to the United States, and later become the easternmost portion of Highway{{nbsp}}8.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1920
| date = April 26, 1921
| section = Plan Showing Provincial Highways Assumed in the Province of Ontario in 1919
| page = 41
| url = https://archive.org/details/n04ontariosession53ontauoft/page/n155/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 15, 2022
| via = Internet Archive}}
The Hamilton–Queenston Highway was assumed as part of "The Provincial Highway" in August 1918.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1919
| section = Hamilton–Queenston Road
| page = 16
| url = https://archive.org/details/p4ontariosession52ontauoft/page/n157/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 15, 2022
| via = Internet Archive}}
In 1919, the federal government passed the Canada Highways Act, which provided C$20,000,000 to provinces under the condition that they establish an official highway network; up to 40% of construction costs would be subsidized. The first network plan was approved on February{{nbsp}}26, 1920, and included the Queenston Road.{{cite book
| title = From Footpaths to Freeways
| first1 = John | last1 = Shragge
| first2 = Sharon | last2 = Bagnato
| publisher = Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee
| year = 1984
| isbn = 0-7743-9388-2
| pages = 73–75}}
Most of the remainder of what would become Highway{{nbsp}}8 – from Goderich to Hamilton – was assumed by the department throughout July 1920.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1920
| date = April 26, 1921
| pages = 42–45
| url = https://archive.org/details/n04ontariosession53ontauoft/page/n157/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 17, 2022}}
On October{{nbsp}}13, several roads were taken over by the province between St. David's near Queenston and the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge in Niagara Falls. The new route followed the present Four Mile Creek Road, St. Paul Avenue, and Portage Road south to Thorold Stone Road, which it followed east to Stanley Avenue, thence south to Bridge Street.{{cite map
| title = Niagara, Ontario. Map Sheet 30 M/03
| cartography = General Staff, Geographical Section
| publisher = Department of National Defence
| year = 1906
| scale = 1:63,360
| edition = 1930
| url = http://geo.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP63360K030M03_1930TIFF&_add:true_nozoom:true
| access-date = March 1, 2022
| via = Scholars GeoPortal
| archive-date = August 13, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220813191639/http://geo1.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP63360K030M03_1930TIFF&_add:true_nozoom:true
| url-status = live}}
However, none of these roads would receive a route number until the summer of 1925.{{Cite journal
| title = Provincial Highways Now Being Numbered
| publisher = Monetary Times Print
| journal = The Canadian Engineer
| date = August 25, 1925
| volume = 49
| issue = 8
| page = 246
| quote = Numbering of the various provincial highways in Ontario has been commenced by the Department of Public Highways. Resident engineers are now receiving metal numbers to be placed on poles along the provincial highways. These numbers will also be placed on poles throughout cities, towns and villages, and motorists should then have no trouble in finding their way in and out of urban municipalities. Road designations from "2" to "17" have already been allotted...}}
File:Highway 8 south of Galt, 1921.png
Initially Highway{{nbsp}}8 was almost entirely unpaved, except within towns and portions between Stratford and Shakespeare as well as between Kitchener and Hamilton. During the initial few years of the existence of the highway network, which were spent rebuilding culverts, bridges, and ditches, paving took a low priority. The first sections of Highway{{nbsp}}8 paved by the DPHO were in 1922 between Hamilton and Stoney Creek, as well as between Sebringville and Stratford.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1922
| date = May 28, 1923
| pages = 12–14
| url = https://archive.org/details/n04ontariosession55ontauoft/page/n173/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = March 1, 2022}}
The rest of the highway between Hamilton and Niagara Falls, as well as the remaining gaps between Kitchener and Hamilton, were paved the following year. Work was completed between Shakespeare and New Hamburg, as well as on the gaps between Petersburg and Kitchener in 1924. In 1925, paving between Mitchell and Sebringville was completed.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1923, 1924 and 1925
| date = April 26, 1926
| pages = 66–68
| url = https://archive.org/details/n05ontariosession58ontauoft/page/66/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = March 2, 2022}}
At this time, Highway{{nbsp}}8 was paved from Mitchell to New Hamburg, and from Petersburg to Niagara Falls.{{cite map
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Public Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1925
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050471.jpg
| access-date = February 17, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = January 29, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220129053957/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050471.jpg
| url-status = live}}
In 1926, paving was completed for {{convert|10|km|0}} southeast of Goderich, as well as between Dublin and Mitchell. The following year, it was completed on the remaining gap between Goderich and Clinton, as well as between Seaforth and Dublin.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1926 and 1927
| date = March 1, 1929
| pages = 22–24
| url = https://archive.org/details/n05ontariosession61ontauoft/page/n951/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 23, 2022}}
The final unpaved section of Highway{{nbsp}}8, between Clinton and Seaforth,{{cite map
| cartography = D. Barclay
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Public Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1928
| section = D5
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050477.jpg
| access-date = February 17, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304112348/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050477.jpg
| url-status = live}}
was completed in 1928.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| edition = 1928 and 1929
| date = March 3, 1931
| section = Provincial Highway Construction, 1928
| page = 21
| url = https://archive.org/details/n05ontariosession63ontauoft/page/n1133/mode/2up?view=theater
| access-date = February 27, 2022}}
= Bypasses and the Conestoga Parkway (1949–1970) =
Highway{{nbsp}}8 would remain unchanged for approximately 20{{nbsp}}years until bypasses of several cities and towns along the route were built. The first such bypass was in Kitchener, where until 1949, the highway travelled into and out of the downtown core along King Street and Queen Street before following Highland Road west towards Stratford.{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1949
| inset = Waterloo / Kitchener
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050517.jpg
| access-date = February 27, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301031847/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050517.jpg
| url-status = live}}
By 1950, to divert truck traffic from the King and Queen Street intersection, it was redirected slightly along Ottawa Street and Courtland Avenue.{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1950
| inset = Waterloo / Kitchener
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050519.jpg
| access-date = February 27, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301031848/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050519.jpg
| url-status = live}}{{cite news
| first = Rych
| last = Mills
| title = Flash From the Past
| work = The Record
| date = October 22, 2016
| url = https://www.therecord.com/life/2016/10/22/flash-from-the-past.html
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190650/https://www.therecord.com/life/2016/10/22/flash-from-the-past.html
| url-status = live}}
The New Hamburg Diversion opened in 1957, bypassing its namesake as well as the community of Baden. The original route – following Huron Street, Waterloo Street, and Snyder's Street West – met the new bypass at Gingerich Road east of Baden.{{cite map
| title = Stratford, Ontario. Map Sheet 40 P/7
| cartography = General Staff, Geographical Section
| publisher = Department of National Defence
| year = 1927
| scale = 1:63,360
| edition = 1938
| url = http://geo.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP63360K040P07_1938TIFF
| access-date = March 1, 2022
| via = Scholars GeoPortal
| archive-date = August 13, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220813191639/http://geo1.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP63360K040P07_1938TIFF
| url-status = live}}{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Public Highways
| date = April 15, 1958
| section = District No. 3—Stratford
| page = 47
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6f8iAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Hwys.+7+and+8+-+New+Hamburg+Diversion%2C+opened+to%22
| access-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-date = August 13, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220813191639/https://books.google.com/books?id=6f8iAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Hwys.+7+and+8+-+New+Hamburg+Diversion%2C+opened+to%22
| url-status = live}}{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1958
| section = T31
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050535.jpg
| access-date = February 28, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301031846/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050535.jpg
| url-status = live}}
Farther east, two bypasses were constructed around the villages of Rockton and Sheffield beginning in 1958 that opened the following year.{{cite news
| title = Paving Near New Liskeard Among Highway Contracts
| date = June 3, 1958
| work = The North Bay Nugget
| page = 14
| volume = 50
| issue = 111
| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96611799/paving-near-new-liskeard-among-highway/
| access-date = February 28, 2022
| via = Newspapers.com
| archive-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301031845/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96611799/paving-near-new-liskeard-among-highway/
| url-status = live}}{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1959
| section = T31–32
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050537.jpg
| access-date = February 28, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 1, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301031847/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050537.jpg
| url-status = live}}{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1960
| section = T32
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050539.jpg
| access-date = February 28, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = November 29, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211129021039/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050539.jpg
| url-status = live}}
Within Hamilton, growing congestion in the 1950s led the city to hire American traffic engineer Wilbur Smith, who had made a business of consulting for cities to develop one-way street plans.
Smith proposed a complete reorganisation of the downtown area, including converting Main Street – which Highway{{nbsp}}8 followed through the city{{cite map
| cartography = C. P. Robins
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1957
| inset = Hamilton
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050532.jpg
| access-date = March 5, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 5, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220305185846/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050532.jpg
| url-status = live}}
– to an eastbound one-way. King Street served the opposing direction in the one-way pairing. The switch from two-way to one-way traffic took place on October{{nbsp}}28, 1956. It immediately drew condemnation from local businesses, which saw a significant reduction in customers. A special council meeting to discuss the matter was held on July{{nbsp}}15, 1957, which drew a large public audience. At it, alderman Ramsey Evans, a member of the committee that had first suggested the one-way conversion, sought to undo it. The motion was defeated, and Main Street and King Street remain one-way streets.{{cite news
| first = Paul
| last = Wilson
| title = WILSON: Wilbur's one-way streets take decades for Hamilton to defeat
| work = Hamilton Spectator
| date = October 25, 2016
| url = https://www.thespec.com/life/2016/10/25/wilson-wilbur-s-one-way-streets-take-decades-for-hamilton-to-defeat.html
| access-date = March 5, 2022
| archive-date = March 5, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220305185844/https://www.thespec.com/life/2016/10/25/wilson-wilbur-s-one-way-streets-take-decades-for-hamilton-to-defeat.html
| url-status = live}}
In the fall of 1961, the Department of Highways began construction of the Freeport Diversion, providing a new divided highway crossing of the Grand River. The diversion, connecting with King Street south of the Grand River and at Fergus Street, was completed in 1963.{{cite news
| first = Jeff | last = Outhit
| title = Freeport Bridge to get $1.6-million overhaul
| work = The Record
| date = March 8, 2002
| page = B1
| id = {{ProQuest|266974851}} {{Subscription required}}}}{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Ontario Department of Highway
| date = March 31, 1962
| page = 32
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=f2tOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22freeport%22
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| quote = "Work on the dual highway diversion of Highway 8 at Freeport, with structures, was begun in the fall of 1961."
| archive-date = March 16, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220316023749/https://books.google.com/books?id=f2tOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22freeport%22
| url-status = live}}{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Ontario Department of Highway
| date = March 31, 1963
| page = 31
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gYb_pMUWRp4C&q=%22Freeport%22+%22opened+on%22
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = March 16, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220316023750/https://books.google.com/books?id=gYb_pMUWRp4C&q=%22Freeport%22+%22opened+on%22
| url-status = live}}
Although the concept of a ring road around Kitchener and Waterloo originated from the Kitchener-Waterloo and Suburban Planning Board in 1948,{{cite news
| title = Expect Expressway Opening Soon
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = December 13, 1962
| pages = 1, 4
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546950/page/5?n=
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190803/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546950/page/5?n=
| url-status = live}}{{cite news
| title = Expressway Objections Continue To Increase
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = April 11, 1963
| page = 1
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546966/page/2?n=9
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190707/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546966/page/2?n=9
| url-status = live}}
actual consideration was not given to it until it was recommended by a 1961 traffic study.{{cite news
| title = Expressway Has Top Priority
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = February 14, 1963
| page = 1
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546958/page/2?n=6
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190615/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3546958/page/2?n=6
| url-status = live}}
By then, the opening of Highway{{nbsp}}401 was attracting business away from the rapidly growing twin cities. Land was gradually purchased over the intervening years and picked up considerably when plans for the expressway system were first raised in late 1962.
The provincial government reached a funding arrangement with Kitchener and Waterloo to cover 75% of the expected C$22 million cost, and officially announced the Kitchener–Waterloo Expressway on May{{nbsp}}21, 1964.{{cite news
| title = Expressway Unveiled For Kitchener Region
| work = The Globe and Mail
| date = May 22, 1964
| page = 4
| id = {{ProQuest|1282688633}} {{Subscription required}}}}
The province eventually took over authority for the entire project in August 1965.{{cite news
| title = D Of H Take Over K-W Expressway
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = August 11, 1965
| page = 3
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547084/page/2?n=4
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190756/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547084/page/2?n=4
| url-status = live}}
File:Conestoga and Freeport interchange.png
Construction of the Kitchener–Waterloo Expressway began in February 1966 with the awarding of a C$3 million contract to rebuild {{convert|2.7|km}} of King Street into a four lane divided highway from Fairway Road (renamed from Block Line Road) to Doon Road,{{cite news
| title = Start Soon On Kitchener Expressway
| work = The Brantford Expositor
| date = February 15, 1966
| page = 3
| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96917552/start-soon-on-kitchener-expressway/
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Newspapers.com
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304220624/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96917552/start-soon-on-kitchener-expressway/
| url-status = live}}
including the half cloverleaf interchange that would serve the western and northern legs of the expressway system.{{cite news
| title = '67 Parkway Construction Hits $11 Million
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = December 27, 1967
| page = 3
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547207/page/4?n=3
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304220625/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547207/page/4?n=3
| url-status = live}}
In the mid-to-late 1960s, Highway{{nbsp}}8 was redirected along Fairway Road, Mill Street (now Vanier Drive) and a new road named Henry Sturm Boulevard that travelled east from Ottawa Street and Highland Road to Mill Street.{{cite map
| title = Kitchener - Breslau (Kitchener East), Ontario. Map Sheet 40P/08E
| cartography = Surveys and Mapping Branch
| publisher = Department of Energy, Mines and Resources
| year = 1968
| scale = 1:25,000
| edition = 1
| url = http://geo.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP25K040P08e_1968TIFF&_add:true_nozoom:true
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Scholars GeoPortal
| archive-date = August 13, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220813191639/http://geo1.scholarsportal.info/#r/details/_uri@=HTDP25K040P08e_1968TIFF&_add:true_nozoom:true
| url-status = live}}
The expressway was renamed the Conestoga Parkway in January 1967, after being chosen by a joint committee from a shortlist of 12 publicly submitted names.{{cite news
| title = Choose Name For Expressway
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = January 25, 1967
| page = 1
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547159/page/2?n=3
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190744/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547159/page/2?n=3
| url-status = live}}
The reconstruction of King Street was completed and opened in November 1967.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Ontario Department of Highway
| date = March 31, 1968
| page = 10
| quote = "In November the first major contract for the Kitchener-Waterloo Expressway, a two-mile section of King Street in Kitchener, was completed."}}
Construction began several months later in October on a C$3.6 million contract to build a {{convert|2.9|km|adj=on}} segment of the parkway from King Street to west of Homer Watson Boulevard.{{cite news
| title = Kitchener–Waterloo Expressway Design: King street to west of Homer Watson blvd.
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = October 11, 1967
| page = 9
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547196/page/10?n=628
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304220628/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547196/page/10?n=628
| url-status = live}}
This section, which was built along the alignment of Henry Strum Boulevard, was opened to traffic between Courtland Avenue and King Street on November{{nbsp}}25, 1968,{{cite book
| first = Bill | last = Thompson
| title = The Conestoga Parkway vision to reality: with some stories and events along the way
| publisher = Pandora Print Shop
| year = 2014
| section = Commencement of Construction for the Expressway
| page = 61}}{{cite news
| title = No Fanfare As X-way Link Opens
| work = The Record
| date = November 25, 1968}}
at which point the Highway{{nbsp}}8 designation was redirected along King Street and the Conestoga Parkway to Homer Watson Boulevard, via Henry Strum Boulevard, and onto Highland Road.{{cite map
| cartography = Photogrammetry Office
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Department of Highways of Ontario
| edition = 1970
| inset = Waterloo / Kitchener
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050559.jpg
| access-date = March 5, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = October 7, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211007202458/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050559.jpg
| url-status = live}}
= Transfers and expressway extensions (1970–1997) =
File:Conestoga Parkway, 1970.png
During the 1960s, the Department of Highways undertook several regional transportation studies to determine traffic patterns, which had changed significantly since the highway network was established in the 1920s. Among these was the Niagara Peninsula Planning Study, released in 1964. It indicated that several highways were no longer provincially significant, and responsibility for them should be transferred to local government. Having largely been supplanted by the Queen Elizabeth Way, opened in the 1940s, the winding route of Highway{{nbsp}}8 east of Winona was transferred to the new Regional Municipality of Niagara on September{{nbsp}}1, 1970.{{cite report
| title = Niagara Peninsula Planning Study
| author = Planning Branch
| publisher = Department of Highways
| year = 1964
| pages = }}{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Department of Highways
| date = March 31, 1971
| section = Appendix 17 – Schedule of Reversions and Transfers of Sections of the King's Highway and Secondary Highway Systems for the fiscal Year Ending March 31, 1971
| page = 153}}
The region designated the former highway as Regional Road{{nbsp}}81.{{cite map
| cartography = Cartography Section, Surveys and Plans Office
| title = Ontario Road Map
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation and Communications
| edition = 1980/81
| inset = South-Central Ontario
| url = http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050578.jpg
| access-date = March 5, 2022
| via = Archives of Ontario
| archive-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220306013308/http://ao.minisisinc.com/FS_IMAGES/I0050578.jpg
| url-status = live}}
Meanwhile, work continued on the Conestoga Parkway in the early 1970s, with a section between Courtland Avenue and Fischer-Hallman Drive opening on September{{nbsp}}1, 1971.{{cite news
| title = All X-Way Open Now
| work = The Record
| date = September 1, 1971}}
Around this time, construction was underway on a new two lane alignment of Highway{{nbsp}}7/8, first announced in 1963, to connect the New Hamburg Diversion with the Conestoga Parkway. It opened on August{{nbsp}}13, 1973, bypassing Baden; the former alignment east of New Hamburg is now known as Gingerich Road.{{cite news
| title = X-way link to Hamburg opens today
| work = The Record
| date = August 13, 1973}}{{cite news
| title = To Build New Road
| work = The Kingston Whig-Standard
| date = August 17, 1963
| page = 18
| volume = 37
| issue = 217
| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97650429/to-build-new-road/
| access-date = March 14, 2022
| via = Newspapers.com
| archive-date = March 15, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220315030019/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97650429/to-build-new-road/
| url-status = live
}}
During the mid-1970s, proposals for a Highway{{nbsp}}8 bypass of Cambridge were floated, but never gained traction.{{cite news
| title = Consistency the Key
| work = Waterloo Chronicle
| date = March 13, 1974
| page = 4
| url = https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547529/page/3761785?q=Highway+8+Bypass
| access-date = March 4, 2022
| via = Waterloo Public Library
| archive-date = March 5, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220305155957/https://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547529/page/3761785?q=Highway+8+Bypass
| url-status = live
}}
Although the proposal was shelved in 1988,{{cite news
| first = Christian | last = Aagaard
| title = New roads overdue, residents complain
| work = The Record
| date = May 12, 1999
| page = B01
| id = {{ProQuest|275682678}} {{Subscription required}}}}
the bypass idea was briefly revived as a result of recommendations in the Cambridge Area Transportation Study, released in June 1992. It recommended construction of a C$54.5 million bypass of Highway{{nbsp}}8 around the west side of Cambridge, from Highway{{nbsp}}401 to south of the city. The proposal faced public backlash due to the cost as well as environmental concerns of crossing the Grand River and five environmentally sensitive areas.{{cite news
| first = Susan | last = Danard
| title = Highway 8 bypass plan opposed in Cambridge
| work = Kitchener - Waterloo Record
| date = June 17, 1992
| page = B3
| id = {{ProQuest|275395985}} {{Subscription required}}}}
File:Highway 8 and Freeport Diversion facing south.png facing southeast towards Highway{{nbsp}}401 in the distance|alt=An aerial view of a freeway interchange]]
Following the completion of an environmental assessment in 1984,{{cite report
| title = Highway 8 New From: Freeport Road South-easterly to Highway #401, 3.5 Km, Environmental Assessment Category "Aa", Regional Municipality of Waterloo, District #3 - Stratford, Grading, Drainage, Granular Base, Paving and Structures
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation and Communications
| year = 1984
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=E3eUXwAACAAJ
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = August 13, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220813191639/https://books.google.com/books?id=E3eUXwAACAAJ
| url-status = live
}}
construction began by 1985 on a new {{convert|3.3|km|adj=on}} freeway link between the Freeport Diversion and Highway{{nbsp}}401, which was known as Highway{{nbsp}}8 New during construction.{{cite report
| title = Annual Report
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation and Communications
| edition = 1985–1986
| page = 16}}
Highway{{nbsp}}8 New was completed by 1988, and received the non-public designation Highway{{nbsp}}7187, since the Highway{{nbsp}}8 designation continued along King Street East and Shantz Hill Road towards Cambridge. However, in 2008, Highway{{nbsp}}8 was rerouted along the {{convert|3.3|km|adj=on}} freeway segment, while King Street East and Shantz Hill Road were re-designated as Waterloo Regional Road{{nbsp}}8.{{cite report
| author = Traffic Office, Highway Standards Branch
| title = Provincial Highways Traffic Volumes 1988-2008: King's Highways / Secondary Highways / Tertiary Roads
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| year = 2008
| pages = 900–901}}{{cite report
| author = Traffic Office, Highway Standards Branch
| title = Provincial Highways Traffic Volumes 1988-2009: King's Highways / Secondary Highways / Tertiary Roads
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| year = 2009
| page = 150, 944}}
The province continues to maintain approximately {{convert|670|m|1}} of Waterloo Regional Road{{nbsp}}8 at the Highway{{nbsp}}401 interchange as an unsigned portion of Highway.{{nbsp}}8.{{cite web
| title = Ontario Road Network - Ontario Provincial Highways
| author1 = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario Geomatics Office
| author2 = Land Information Ontario
| date = December 10, 2020
| url = https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=21d0776a5fb347728a3c79a0d7ace051
| website = ArcGIS.com
| access-date = February 8, 2022
| archive-date = March 4, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220304123924/https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=21d0776a5fb347728a3c79a0d7ace051
| url-status = live
}}
The two lane segment of Highway 7/8 from Fischer-Hallman Road west to Baden was originally slated to be twinned to four lanes in the 1980s, but the project was put off for a decade. Early works tree clearing got underway in 1991 before the project was put on hold for archeological excavations.{{cite news
| title = Finishing the job
| work = Kitchener - Waterloo Record
| date = January 7, 1991
| page = A6
| id = {{ProQuest|275155011}} {{Subscription required}}}}{{cite news
| title = Archeologists scrape away time in Baden
| work = Kitchener - Waterloo Record
| date = May 30, 1991
| page = B3
| id = {{ProQuest|275240090}} {{Subscription required}}}}{{cite news
| title = Highway 7-8 "bottleneck" annoys Wilmot councillor
| work = Kitchener - Waterloo Record
| date = October 15, 1991
| page = A15
| id = {{ProQuest|275245441}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Construction began to widen the route as far west as Waterloo Regional Road{{nbsp}}12 (Queen Street), south of Petersburg, on July{{nbsp}}6, 1992, with a planned completion by August 1993.{{cite news
| title = Highway widening to start on Monday
| work = Kitchener - Waterloo Record
| date = July 4, 1992
| page = B1
| id = {{ProQuest|275422550}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Budget constraints brought on by a recession in the 1990s resulted in the Mike Harris provincial government forming the Who Does What? committee to determine cost-cutting measures in order to balance the budget after a deficit incurred by former premier Bob Rae.{{cite web
| title = The Age of Non-Planning
| date = 28 June 2013
| publisher = The Neptis Foundation
| url = http://www.neptis.org/publications/growth-plan-greater-golden-horseshoe-historical-perspective/chapters/age-non-planning
| access-date = May 26, 2015
| archive-date = 27 May 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150527030208/http://www.neptis.org/publications/growth-plan-greater-golden-horseshoe-historical-perspective/chapters/age-non-planning
| url-status = live
}}
It was determined that many Ontario highways no longer served long-distance traffic movement and should therefore be maintained by local or regional levels of government. The MTO consequently transferred many highways to lower levels of government in 1997 and 1998, which resulted in the removal of a significant percentage of the provincial highway network.{{cite report
| title = Local Services Realignment: A User's Guide
| author = Association of Municipalities of Ontario
| publisher = Government of Ontario
| date = Autumn 1999
| section = 5.5 Highway Transfers
| page = 5.13
| isbn = 0-7778-9068-2
| url = http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=4997
| access-date = May 26, 2015
| archive-date = June 11, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140611073049/http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=4997
| url-status = live
| first = John | last = Ibbitson
| title = Rough roads ahead under Tories: Experts fear Ontario's plan to turn over local highways to municipalities could lead to the demise of the road system
| work = The Ottawa Citizen
| date = February 1, 1997
| page = E.10
| id = {{ProQuest|240087831}} {{Subscription required}}}}
As a result of this, the portion of Highway{{nbsp}}8 east of Highway{{nbsp}}5 at Peters Corners, through Dundas, Hamilton and Stoney Creek, was transferred to the Regional Municipality of Hamilton–Wentworth on April{{nbsp}}1, 1997. A {{convert|2.3|km|adj=on}} section of King Street in Kitchener, from north of the Highway{{nbsp}}401 interchange to the Freeport Diversion, was also transferred on that day to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.{{cite report
| title = Highway Transfers List
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| date = April 1, 1997
| pages = 2–3}}{{cite news
| title = Region forced to assume responsibility for highway
| work = The Record
| date = July 4, 1996
| page = B3
| id = {{ProQuest|}} {{Subscription required}}}}
= Since 1997 =
In the early 1990s, the provincial government announced plans to widen the Conestoga Parkway and Freeport Diversion, as well as to improve the interchange between the two.{{cite news
| first = Greg | last = Crone
| title = Province must find alternative to road widening, Wagner says
| work = The Record
| date = February 11, 1992
| page = B2
| id = {{ProQuest|275282812}} {{Subscription required}}}}
The project was broken into several phases, and included rebuilding the Ottawa Street and Franklin Street overpasses.{{cite news
| first = Kevin | last = Crowley
| title = Parkway plans miff neighbors
| work = The Record
| date = February 13, 1998
| page = B1
| id = {{ProQuest|275522021}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Construction began in August or September 1998 to widen the Conestoga Parkway from four to six lanes between Courtland Avenue and King Street.{{cite news
| title = Parkway upgrade begins
| work = The Record
| date = July 9, 1998
| page = B2
| id = {{ProQuest|275553956}} {{Subscription required}}}}
It was completed, along with widening of the parkway between King Street and Frederick Street, in July 2000.{{cite news
| first = Carol | last = Goodwin
| title = Overpass woes will blossom in spring
| work = The Record
| date = July 21, 2000
| page = B01
| id = {{ProQuest|266880910}} {{Subscription required}}}}
The expansion of Highway{{nbsp}}8 from four lanes to eight lanes between the Conestoga Parkway and Fergus Avenue was originally scheduled to begin in 2001, but was delayed as businesses along Weber Street fought expropriation.{{cite news
| first = Bob | last = Burtt
| title = Highway 8 project on back burner
| work = The Record
| date = October 12, 2001
| page = A01
| id = {{ProQuest|266960877}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Construction instead began in April 2002, which involved shifting one of the retaining walls further north and a new Franklin Street bridge to accommodate the eight lane cross-section freeway. Included with this project was a reconstruction of the bottle-necked interchange of the Conestoga Parkway and Highway{{nbsp}}8, including a new flyover ramp from westbound Conestoga Parkway to eastbound Highway{{nbsp}}8 to replace one of the two loop ramps, and realignment of the northbound to eastbound ramp.{{cite news
| first = Brian | last = Caldwell
| title = Highway bottleneck surgery starts
| work = The Record
| date = April 27, 2002
| page = A1
| id = {{ProQuest|266981212}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Both were completed and opened on June{{nbsp}}11, 2004.{{cite news
| title = Enjoy the ride
| work = The Record
| date = June 10, 2004
| page = A12
| id = {{ProQuest|267094832}} {{Subscription required}}
| quote = It cost $29 million and took three years of construction work, but the most loathed and clearly one of the most dangerous interchanges in Waterloo Region is being closed and replaced by a new flyover. If the weather co-operates, this two-lane, 800-metre long engineering marvel which boasts its own automatic, de-icing system will open in time for tomorrow morning's rush hour.}}
Work began on the next phase, widening Highway{{nbsp}}8 from four to eight lanes from Fergus Avenue to northwest of the Grand River, in April 2006. This work included rebuilding the Fairway Road interchange.{{cite news
| title = Highway 8 widening begins
| work = Cambridge Times
| date = April 13, 2006
| page = 4
| id = {{ProQuest|358639829}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Construction to twin Highway{{nbsp}}8 over the Grand River and widen it northwest of the Sportsworld Drive interchange began in the summer of 2009, following the relocation of approximately 50 Wavy-rayed lampmussel, considered a species at risk in Canada.{{cite news
| first = Frances | last = Barrick
| title = Hwy 8 gets expansion funding
| work = Waterloo Region Record
| date = June 16, 2009
| page = A.1
| id = {{ProQuest|267297664}} {{Subscription required}}}}{{cite news
| first = Jeff | last = Outhit
| title = Mussels must be relocated before Hwy. 8 expansion finished
| work = Waterloo Region Record
| date = May 23, 2009
| page = B.1
| id = {{ProQuest|267284068}} {{Subscription required}}}}
Both projects were completed and opened, except for one westbound lane over the Grand River, in November 2011; the fourth westbound lane was opened the following year.{{cite news
| first = Jeff
| last = Outhit
| title = Better late than never as highways widen
| work = The Record
| date = November 5, 2011
| url = https://www.therecord.com/opinion/columnists/2011/11/05/better-late-than-never-as-highways-widen.html
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = March 8, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220308014337/https://www.therecord.com/opinion/columnists/2011/11/05/better-late-than-never-as-highways-widen.html
| url-status = live
}}
An operational and safety review of the three intersections at Peters Corners near Hamilton was undertaken in February 2001. Studies, including an environmental assessment were conducted between 2004 and 2009, and settled upon a roundabout as the ideal replacement, with traffic signals at the two intersections with Westover Road.{{cite periodical
| title = Gonna Go 'Round in Circles
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| magazine = Road Talk
| volume = 19
| issue = 2
| url = http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/publications/road-talk/road-talk-19-fall.shtml
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220306051142/http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/publications/road-talk/road-talk-19-fall.shtml
| url-status = live
}}
Construction began in the spring of 2012, and the C$6.3 million roundabout was opened on September{{nbsp}}25, 2012.{{cite news
| first = Daniel
| last = Nolan
| title = Some doubt about new roundabout
| work = Hamilton Spectator
| date = September 11, 2012
| url = https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/2247254-some-doubt-about-new-roundabout/
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220306051142/https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/2247254-some-doubt-about-new-roundabout/
| url-status = live
}}
Future
The interchange between the Freeport Diversion and Highway{{nbsp}}401 is incomplete, providing access only between eastbound Highway{{nbsp}}8 and eastbound Highway{{nbsp}}401, and between westbound Highway{{nbsp}}401 and westbound Highway{{nbsp}}8.{{Google maps
| title = Highway 401 and Highway 8 interchange
| url = https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4038035,-80.3756129,778m/data=!3m1!1e3
| access-date = March 6, 2022}}
Although a detailed design for two additional ramps to provide access to and from the west to Highway{{nbsp}}8 was prepared in 2010, there is no schedule or funding as of 2021 for this work.{{cite news
| title = Highway 401 widening work starts Monday in Cambridge
| work = The Record
| date = June 5, 2015
| url = https://www.therecord.com/news-story/5664230-highway-401-widening-work-starts-monday-in-cambridge/
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150613003823/https://www.therecord.com/news-story/5664230-highway-401-widening-work-starts-monday-in-cambridge/
| archive-date = June 13, 2015
| access-date = March 6, 2022}}{{cite web
| title = Ontario's Highway Programs
| publisher = Government of Ontario
| date = July 21, 2021
| url = https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-highway-programs#section-3
| access-date = March 6, 2022
| archive-date = March 7, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220307021808/https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-highway-programs#section-3
| url-status = live
}}
{{clear}}
Suffixed routes
{{Main|List of suffixed routes of Ontario Highway 8}}
Major intersections
{{ONinttop|maint=MTO|append=Highway 8 is maintained under a Connecting Link agreement within Goderich, Clinton, Seaforth, Mitchell, and Stratford.{{cite report
| title = Connecting Links
| author = Contract Management and Operations Branch
| publisher = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
| year = 2011
| page = 3}}}}
{{ONint
| division = Huron
| dspan = 9
| location = Goderich
| lspan = 2
| km = 0.0
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|21|city=Sarnia|city2=Owen Sound|Victoria Street}}
| notes = Highway 8 western terminus; beginning of Goderich Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km = 2.1
| notes = End of Goderich Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = Central Huron
| lspan = 2
| km = 6.8
| road = {{jcon|Huron|1|dir=north|Benmiller Line}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| km = 13.9
| road = {{jcon|Huron|18|dir=west|Cut Line Road}}
{{jcon|Huron|31|Shapes Creek Line / Cut Line Road}}
| notes = Holmesville
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = Central Huron
(Clinton)
| lspan = 3
| km = 18.7
| notes = Beginning of Clinton Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km = 19.9
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|4|dir=south|city=London|Victoria Street}}
{{jcon|Huron|4|dir=north|Albert Street}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| km = 20.8
| notes = End of Clinton Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = Central Huron
| km = 28.4
| road = {{jcon|Huron|15|Kinburn Line}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| location = Huron East
| km = 32.3
| km2 = 33.7
| notes = Seaforth Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = Huron–Perth boundary
| location_special = Huron East–West Perth boundary
| km = 43.5
| road = {{jcon|Huron|14|con=180|contype=Perth|dir=north|fulltext=y}}
| notes = Dublin; {{jcon|Huron|14|con=180|contype=Perth|ot=y|fulltext=y}} concurrency north of Highway 8
}}
{{ONint
| division = Perth
| dspan = 6
| location_special = West Perth
(Mitchell)
| lspan = 4
| km = 49.9
| notes = Beginning of Mitchell Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| type = concur
| km = 51.5
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|23|dir=south|city=London}}
| notes = Western end of Highway 23 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| type = concur
| km = 51.7
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|23|dir=north|town=Listowel}}
| notes = Eastern end of Highway 23 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| km = 52.7
| notes = End of Mitchell Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| location_special = Perth South–Perth East boundary
| lspan = 2
| km = 63.9
| road = {{jcon|Perth|135|dir=north}}
| notes = Sebringville
| nspan = 2
}}
{{ONint
| km = 65.9
| road = {{jcon|Perth|130|dir=south}}
| notes = none
}}
{{ONint
| municipality_special = Stratford
| lspan = 5
| km = 69.6
| notes = Beginning of Stratford Connecting Link agreement
}}
{{ONint
| km = 73.3
| road = {{jcon|Perth|122|dir=north|O'Loane Avenue}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| type = concur
| km = 75.4
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|7|dir=west|Erie Street|city=London}}
| notes = Western end of Highway 7 concurrency; western end of former {{jcon|Hwy|19|nosh=y}} concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| km = 75.6
| road = Waterloo Street
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|19|dir=north|nosh=y}}; eastern end of former Highway 19 concurrency; to {{jcon|Perth|119|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| km = 78.4
| notes = End of Stratford Connecting Link
}}
{{ONint
| division = Perth
| location = Perth East
| km = 87.1
| road = {{jcon|Perth|107}}
| notes = Shakespeare; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|59|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| division_special = Perth–Waterloo boundary
| location_special = Perth East–Wilmot boundary
| km = 95.2
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|1|Wilmot–Easthope Road}}
| notes = New Hamburg Bypass
| nspan = 3
}}
{{ONint
| division = Waterloo
| dspan = 23
| location = Wilmot
| lspan = 7
| km = 97.4
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|3|dir=south|Walker Road}}
| notes = none
}}
{{ONint
| km = 98.4
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|4|dir=west|Peel Street}}
| notes = none
}}
{{ONint
| km = 99.2
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|4|dir=east|Bleams Road}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| km = 100.7
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|5|dir=north|Nafziger Road}}
| notes =
}}
{{Jctplace
| km = 102.1
| place = Controlled-access highway begins
}}
{{ONint
| km = 102.9
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|51|Foundry Street|town=Wilmot Centre}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| km = 107.7
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|12|Queen Street (south) / Notre Dame Drive (north)|town=Petersburg}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| location = Kitchener
| lspan = 12
| km = 111.6
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|70|Trussler Road|town=Mannheim}}
| notes = Kitchener city limits; becomes Conestoga Parkway
}}
{{ONint
| km = 114.5
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|58|Fischer Hallman Road}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| km = 117.1
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|28|Homer Watson Boulevard}}
| notes = Eastbound entrance via Ottawa Street South
}}
{{ONint
| km = 118.4
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|53|Courtland Avenue}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| type = concur
| km = 119.8
| uspan = 2
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|7|dir=east|city=Waterloo|city2=Guelph|Conestoga Parkway}}
| notes = Highway 8 exits Conestoga Parkway onto Freeport Diversion; eastern end of Highway 7 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| type = incomplete
| km = none
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|15|dir=north|King Street East}}
| notes = Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; no connection to Conestoga Parkway
}}
{{ONint
| km = 122.0
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|53|Fairway Road}}, Weber Street
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| type = incomplete
| km = 124.5
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|8|to=401|totype=Hwy|todir=west|King Street|city=Cambridge|city2=London}}
| notes = Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former route of Highway 8
}}
{{ONint
| km = 128.4
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|38|Sportsworld Drive, Maple Grove Road}}
| notes =
}}
{{ONint
| type = incomplete
| km = 130.5
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|401|dir=east|city1=Toronto}}
| notes = Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; Highway 401 exit 278
}}
{{jctgap
| type = closed
| col = 6
| text = Former alignment via Waterloo Regional Road 8
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 124.5
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|8|King Street}}
{{jct|state=ON||Freeport Diversion|Hwy|401|dir2=east|to2=y}}
| notes = Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; continuation from Highway 8 west; Highway 8 formerly exited Freeport Diversion and followed King Street (present-day {{jcon|Waterloo|8|dir=east|ot=y}})
}}
{{ONint|former
| location_special = Kitchener–Cambridge boundary
| km = 127.1
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|401|city=Toronto|city2=London}}
| notes = Highway 401 exit 278
}}
{{ONint|former
| location = Cambridge
| lspan = 3
| km = 133.4
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|24|Hespeler Road, Water Street N}}
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|24|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 136.2
| road = {{jcon|Waterloo|97|Main Street}}
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|97|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint
| type = trans
| km = 141.5
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|8|dir=resumes|nolink=y|shield=y}}
{{jcon|Waterloo|8|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}
{{jcon|Waterloo|43|dir=south|Branchton Road}}
| notes = Highway 8 resumes
}}
{{ONint
| municipality = Hamilton
| lspan = 10
| km = 153.3
| road = {{jcon|Hamilton|52|dir=north|Kirkwall Road|town=Kirkwall}}
| notes = Rockton; former {{jcon|Hwy|52|dir=north|nosh=y}}; western end of former Highway 52 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| type = concur
| km = 159.5
| road = {{jcon|Hamilton|52|dir=south|town=Copetown}}
{{jcon|Hwy|5|dir=begins}}
{{jcon|Hamilton|5|dir=west|town=Paris}}
| notes = Peters Corners; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|52|dir=south|nosh=y}}; eastern end of former Highway 52 concurrency; western end of Highway 5 concurrency
}}
{{ONint
| type = trans
| km = 159.7
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|5|dir=east|city=Burlington}}
{{jcon|Hwy|8|dir=ends|nolink=y|shield=y}}
{{jcon|Hamilton|8|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}
| notes = Highway 8 eastern terminus; eastern end of Highway 5 concurrency; continues as City Road 8
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 170.5
| road = {{jcon|Hamilton|99|dir=west|Dundas Street}}
| notes = Dundas; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|99|dir=west|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 173.1
| road = Main Street West
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|2|dir=west|nosh=y}}; former western end of Highway 2 concurrency; Highway 8 followed Main Street
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 174.4
| km2 = 175.7
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|403|city=Toronto|city2=Brantford}}
| notes = Highway 403 exits 69 & 70; one-way transition where eastbound follows Main Street and westbound follows King Street; present-day {{jct|province=ON|Hwy|403|Hwy|6|noshield=y|nolink1=y}} concurrency
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 175.9
| road = Dundurn Street
| notes = Formerly {{jct|state=ON|Hwy|2|Hwy|6|dir1=east|dir2=north|noshield=y}}; former eastern end of Highway 2 concurrency; former western end of Highway 6 concurrency
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 178.4
| km2 = 178.6
| road = Wellington Street / Victoria Avenue
| notes = One-way pair; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|6|dir=south|nosh=y}}; former eastern end of Highway 6 concurrency
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 181.5
| road = King Street East / Kensington Avenue
| notes = One-way transition; former Highway 8 continued on Main Street East
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 186.7
| road = {{jcon|Hamilton|20|Centennial Parkway}}
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|20|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| division_special = Hamilton–Niagara boundary
| location_special = Hamilton–Grimsby boundary
| km = 198.0
| road = {{jcon|Hamilton|8|dir=ends|fulltext=y}}
{{jcon|Niagara|81|dir=begins|fulltext=y}}
| notes = Former Highway 8 eastern terminus (1970–1997)
}}
{{ONint|former
| division = Niagara
| dspan = 10
| location = St. Catharines
| km = 232.3
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|406}}
| notes = Highway 406 exit 6; access via {{jcon|Niagara|46|Geneva Street|nosh=y}} or {{jcon|Niagara|91|Westchester Avenue|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location_special = Welland Canal
| km = 237.6
| bridge = Homer Lift Bridge
}}
{{ONint|former
| location = Niagara-on-the-Lake
| lspan = 3
| km = 238.2
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|55|dir=north|city=Niagara-on-the-Lake}}
| notes = Formerly {{jcon|Hwy|55|dir=north|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 240.4
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|QEW|city=Toronto|city2=Niagara Falls}}
| notes = QEW exit 38; access via {{jcon|Niagara|89|Glendale Avenue|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 245.5
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|81|dir=east|York Road}}
{{jcon|Niagara|100|dir=north|4 Mile Creek Road}}
| notes = St. David's; formerly {{jcon|Hwy|8A|dir=east|nosh=y}}; former Highway 8 follows present-day {{jcon|Niagara|100|dir=south|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location_special = Niagara-on-the-Lake–Niagara Falls boundary
| km = 246.9
| road = {{jcon|Hwy|405}}
| notes = Former Highway 8 eastern terminus (1968–1970); access via {{jcon|Niagara|61|Townline Road|nosh=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| location = Niagara Falls
| lspan = 4
| km = 248.1
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|100|dir=ends}}
{{jcon|Niagara|101|Mountain Road}}
| notes = St. Paul Avenue continues south
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 250.4
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|57|Thorold Stone Road}}
| notes = Former Highway 8 follows present-day {{jcon|Niagara|57|dir=east|Thorold Stone Road|ot=y}}{{cite map |title = Niagara Falls |trans-title = Ontario, New York |map = Sheet 030M03A |map-url = https://ocul.on.ca/topomaps/map-images/HTDP25K030M03a_1963TIFF.jpg |year = 1963 |scale = 1:25000 |cartography = Canadian Army Survey Establishment |publisher = Mapping Branch of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Government of Canada |edition = 2}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 251.5
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|102|Stanley Avenue}}
| notes = Former Highway 8 followed present-day {{jcon|Niagara|102|dir=south|Stanley Avenue|ot=y}}
}}
{{ONint|former
| km = 251.5
| road = {{jcon|Niagara|43|Bridge Street|dir=east}}
| notes = Former Highway 8 followed present-day {{jcon|Niagara|43|dir=east|Bridge Street|ot=y}}
}}
{{Jctbridge
| type = closed
| river = Niagara River
| km = 254.6
| bridge = Whirlpool Rapids Bridge
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=closed,concur,incomplete,trans}}
See also
References
=Footnotes=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite report
| first = William Henry | last = Breithaupt
| title = Seventh Annual Report
| publisher = Waterloo Historical Society
| year = 1919
| url = https://www.whs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1919.pdf
| access-date = February 14, 2021}}
- {{cite journal
| first = Andrew F. | last = Burghardt
| title = The Origin and Development of the Road Network of the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, 1770-1851. , 59(3), 417–440.
| year = 1969
| journal = Annals of the Association of American Geographers
| volume = 59 | issue = 3
| pages = 417–440
| doi = 10.1111/j.1467-8306.1969.tb00683.x
| jstor = 2561724
| url = http://www.jstor.org/stable/2561724
| access-date = February 13, 2021| url-access= subscription
}}
- {{cite book
| first = Robert C. | last = Lee
| title = The Canada Company and the Huron Tract, 1826-1853 : personalities, profits and politics
| publisher = Natural Heritage / Natural History
| year = 2004
| isbn = 1-896219-94-2
| url = https://archive.org/details/canadacompanyhur0000leer/page/158/mode/2up
| access-date = February 14, 2022
| via = Open Library}}
External links
{{Attached KML|display=title, inline}}
{{commons category|Ontario Highway 8}}
- [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.74059,-81.70773/43.3729126,-80.9857005/43.40373,-80.38406/43.2809985,-80.0640355/@43.4999897,-81.3292134,140674m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m11!4m10!1m0!1m0!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-80.3325631!2d43.3815364!3s0x882b89d805fd92f9:0xc075dbdb75310a02!1m0!3e0?hl=en Highway 8 – Length and Route on Google Maps]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Xmy6K5wUI Video of the King Street Bypass (Highway 8)]
- [https://niagararegion.ca/projects/twenty-mile-creek-arch-bridge-replacement/pdf/esr-appendix-b.pdf History of Highway 8 in Niagara (pp. 15–26)]
{{Ontario King's Highways}}
Category:Roads in Hamilton, Ontario
Category:Roads in Kitchener, Ontario