Ottawa Road 174

Ottawa Road 174, formerly Ottawa-Carleton Regional Road 174 and commonly referred to as Highway 174, is a city-maintained road in the City of Ottawa which serves the eastern suburbs of Orléans and Cumberland.

Ottawa Road 174
"Highway 174", "Regional Road 174"
Route information
Maintained by City of Ottawa
Length27.0 km (16.8 mi)
HistoryFormerly Ontario Highway 17, downloaded 1998 to Ottawa-Carleton Region, transferred to City of Ottawa in 2001
Major junctions
West endContinues as Highway 417
East endContinues as Prescott & Russell County Road 17
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Major citiesOttawa
Gloucester, Orleans, Cumberland
Highway system
    Ontario municipal expressways
     (in alphabetical order)
    ← Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway Ottawa Road 174 Red Hill Valley Parkway →

    The four-lane freeway segment between Highway 417/Aviation Parkway junction to Trim Road is also known as the Queensway, in addition the Queensway name continues to be applied to Highway 417 west of that intersection. Although the road continues through the towns of Rockland and Hawkesbury to the Quebec border, the portion east of the Ottawa city boundary is known as Prescott and Russell County Road 17. Originally the alignment of Highway 17, which was the route of the Trans-Canada Highway between Ottawa and the Quebec border, Regional Road 174 (as it was then designated) was created on April 1, 1997 when the provincial government of Mike Harris transferred responsibility for portions of the road to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton and moved the Trans-Canada route onto Highway 417. The road was extended by a second transfer on January 1, 1998, bringing it to its current length.

    Route description
    Ottawa Road 174 between Orléans and Cumberland

    Ottawa Road 174 is a municipal expressway[note 1] on the east side of Ottawa that extends from The Split — an interchange with Highway 417 — to the city limits at Canaan Road. The segment between the Highway 417 junction and Trim Road is a four-lane controlled-access highway, while the remainder east of Trim Road is a rural two lane arterial road.[1] Dedicated OC Transpo bus lanes are in the shoulder lanes in each direction from Blair Road to Place d'Orléans.[2] At the Prescott-Russell county line it becomes Prescott-Russell County Road 17, which continues to Hawkesbury.

    History
    Highway 17 & Champlain St. intersection at Place d'Orléans in 1982

    Regional Road 174 was created on April 1, 1997, when the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario transferred the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep along 14.2 kilometres (8.8 mi) of Highway 17, between Highway 417 and Trim Road (Regional Road 57), to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton.[3]

    The alignment of Regional Road 174 originated during the late 1940s. Aiming to bypass the winding and hilly route between Montreal and Ottawa, the Department of Highways, predecessor to the Ministry of Transportation, planned a new route for Highway 17. The majority of this new route was built along the right-of-way of a former Canadian Northern Railway track.[4][5][6] Construction began in 1947 at Green's Creek, east of Gloucester, and proceeded east towards Rockland.[4][7] Another contract, which began in August 1949, extended construction beyond Trim Road to Canaan Road.[8] The new route, which was internally referred to as Highway 17 Alt, was completed and opened to traffic on November 10, 1952.[9][6] However, it was not given unique designation until 1955.[10][11][12]

    To the west, construction of the Queensway was soon to begin. It was a major part of the Greber Plan, which was produced by Jacques Gréber under the direction of Prime Minister Mackenzie King in the late 1940s. Although Gréber had been corresponding with King as early as 1936, World War II halted any plans from reaching fruition at that time. Following the war, Gréber was again contacted and his expertise requested. He arrived on October 2, 1945 and began working almost immediately.[13] The Greber Plan was released in 1950 and presented to the House of Commons on May 22, 1951.[14] The plan called for the complete reorganization of Ottawa's road and rail network, and included amongst the numerous parkways was an east to west expressway along what was then a Canadian National Railway line.[15][16]

    With the rail lines removed, construction of the new expressway got underway in 1957 when Queen Elizabeth visited Ottawa to open the first session of the 23rd Parliament. On October 15, the Queen detonated dynamite charges from the Hurdman Bridge, which now overlooks the highway as it crosses the Rideau River, and formally dedicated the new project as the Queensway. At the ceremony, premier Leslie Frost indicated that the entire project would cost C$31 million and emphasized the importance of the link to the Trans-Canada Highway.[17][18]

    The Queensway was constructed in four phases, each opening independently. The section from Alta Vista Drive (now Riverside Drive) east to the split between Highway 17 (Montreal Road) and Highway 17 Alt was the first phase,[19] and was opened to traffic on November 25, 1960, extending west to the Rideau River.[20] Construction of a new freeway between Ottawa and Montreal, entirely bypassing the route of Highway 17, began in the late 1960s. Contracts to construct the route were opened to bidding on November 15, 1968; construction began in May 1969 starting at Base Line Road (now Ramsayville Road) and proceeding easterly.[21][22] The segment of this new freeway that linked to the Queensway at The Split was the final one to open, on December 2, 1975.[23] The portion of the Queensway west of the new interchange became part of Highway 417 by 1980, while the portion to the east remained part of Highway 17.[24]

    • Province announces Highway 17 widening from Montreal Road to Champlain Street April 15, 1980, to start that summer.[25][26]
    • Jeanne D'Arc overpass completed in 1985.[27]
    • Study for further widening to Trim Road in 1988.[28]

    Despite the protests of the city that the road served a provincial purpose, a second round of transfers saw Highway 17 east of Ottawa downloaded entirely on January 1, 1998 adding 12.8 km (8.0 mi) to the length of Regional Road 174. The Trans-Canada Highway designation was taken from the former Highway 17 and applied to the existing Highway 417 freeway in 1997-98. Ottawa immediately renumbered the transferred sections of Highway 17.[29] Regional Road 174 was renamed Ottawa Road 174 when the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton amalgamated with the municipalities of the region to form the new City of Ottawa in 2001,[30]

    Over the past few years, traffic between Highway 417 and Rockland became much heavier due to suburban growth in Orléans and Rockland leading to frequent congestion during peak hours. Meanwhile, the easternmost portion of the road was regarded as dangerous due to several fatal accidents. In 2007, both the provincial and federal governments committed funding for the widening of Ottawa Road 174 between Trim Road and Rockland, although the widening project was still several years away. However, in April 2008, Ottawa City Council refused a $80 million funding from both provincial and federal governments citing it would not benefit Ottawa, which delayed the construction indefinitely.[31]

    Potential future transfer to the Province

    The section of roadway costs the City of Ottawa millions to maintain, which has resulted in a backlog of repairs. Several sinkholes and potholes have remained unfixed for months. The road was built by the province the 1950s, then transferred to the cash strapped region in the late 1990s. The highway was called for expansion several times, but the unavailability of funds has resulted in increased congestion in the region.

    The city aims to negotiate a settlement to maintain the roadway with the province in the future. Several municipal politicians have petitioned the province to turn the highway back into provincial jurisdiction.

    Major intersections

    The following table lists the major junctions along Ottawa Road 174.[32] The entire route is located in Ottawa. 

    km[32]miDestinationsNotes
    0.00.0 Highway 417 / TCH – Ottawa, Cornwall, MontrealThe Split; no access to Aviation Parkway; Highway 417 exit 113A
    1.10.68Blair Road
    3.72.3Montreal Road
    7.94.9Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard
    9.96.2Place d'Orléans Drive / Champlain StreetAccess to Place d'Orléans mall
    0.90.56Tenth Line Road
    13.38.3 Regional Road 57 (Trim Road)
    End of divided freeway
    20.112.5 Regional Road 35 (Cameron Street)
    22.313.9Morin Road
    25.015.5Old Montreal RoadOriginal route of Highway 17
    26.316.3Canaan RoadOttawa city limits; route continues east as County Road 17
    1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

    See also

    References
    1. Councillor Rainer Bloess (September 7, 2004). Responsibilities and Obligations Re Highway 174 (Report). City of Ottawa. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
    2. Transit Priority - Freeway Shoulder Bus Lanes (Report). City of Ottawa. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
    3. Highway Transfers List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. April 1, 1997. p. 3.
    4. "Junction For Highway". The Ottawa Citizen. October 18, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    5. "Contract Let For New Road At Rockland". The Ottawa Citizen. March 30, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    6. "New Highway Opened". The Ottawa Citizen. November 11, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    7. "New East, West And South Highway Approach To City". The Ottawa Citizen. April 30, 1949. p. Capital Plan Section. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    8. "Road-Building Plan To Cost $1,600,000". The Ottawa Citizen. July 22, 1949. p. 2. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    9. "Super-Road Shapes Up Ottawa to Plantagenet". The Ottawa Journal. October 3, 1951. p. 26. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    10. "Driver Hurt When Auto Overturns". The Ottawa Citizen. October 6, 1960. p. 38. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    11. Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by C.P. Robins. Department of Highways. 1954. §§ O41–P42. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Archives of Ontario.
    12. Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by C.P. Robins. Department of Highways. 1955. §§ O41–P42. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Archives of Ontario.
    13. Gréber, Jacques (1950). Plan for the National Capital (Greber Report) Introduction. Queen's University. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    14. Gordon, David (1950). Weaving a Modern Plan for Canada's Capital: Jacques Gréber and the 1950 Plan for the National Capital Region. Queen's University. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    15. Gréber, Jacques (1950). Plan for the National Capital (Greber Report) Plate 12. Queen's University. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    16. Gréber, Jacques (1950). Plan for the National Capital (Greber Report) Plate 26. Queen's University. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    17. Connolley, Greg (October 15, 1957). "City's "Turn" To Play Host At Ceremony". The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
    18. Robertson, Peter. "The Queensway Began with a Royal Blast: Flashback to 1957". Carlington Community Association. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    19. Legislative Assembly of Ontario Hansard. Government of Ontario. 1964. p. 1644. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
    20. Clark, Glenn (April 14, 2012). A Historical Timeline for the Township of Gloucester. The Gloucester Historical Society. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
    21. "Legislative Assembly of Ontario Hansard". Government of Ontario. November 19, 1968. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    22. "Two Big Road Jobs Ending". The Ottawa Citizen. July 20, 1970. p. 10. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    23. "417 Opens On Dec. 2". The Ottawa Citizen. November 27, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    24. Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by Cartography Section, Surveys and Plans Office. Ministry of Transportation and Communications. 1980–81. Ottawa inset. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Archives of Ontario.
    25. "Ont. to widen Highway 17 'Killer Strip'". The Ottawa Citizen. April 15, 1980. p. 4. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    26. "Long-awaited facelift to start on Highway 17". The Ottawa Journal. March 1980. p. 5.
    27. https://app06.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/archives/rmoc/Transportation/21Jun00/fnjeannedarc.pdf
    28. "Ontario Government Notice". The Ottawa Citizen. June 27, 1988. p. 47. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    29. Department of Public Works and Services (September 14, 2004). Responsibilities and Obligations Re: Highway 174 (Report). City of Ottawa. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
    30. "City of Ottawa Act, Chapter 14, Schedule E". Service Ontario/Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
    31. http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2008/04-16/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0105.htm
    32. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (April 1, 1989). "Provincial Highways Distance Table". Provincial Highways Distance Table: King's Secondary Highways and Tertiary Roads. Government of Ontario: 37. ISSN 0825-5350.

    Explanatory notes
    1. The City of Ottawa classifies Ottawa Road 174 as a "City Freeway" from Highway 417 to approximately 450 m (1,500 ft) east of Trim Road, and an arterial road thereafter to the Ottawa city limits.

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