Ontario Highway 654 Explained

Province:ON
Type:Secondary
Route:654
Maint:the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length Km:23.1
Established:July 8, 1964
Direction A:South
Terminus A: near Nipissing, Ontario
Direction B:East
Terminus B: 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 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.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.[1]

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.[2]

The highway is 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.[3] [4] The route has remained unchanged since then.

Notes and References

  1. Ontario Back Road Atlas . 2010 . Peter Heiler . . 95 . F31 - G32 . 978-1-55198-226-7.
  2. Web site: Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts . Ministry of Transportation of Ontario . Ministry of Transportation of Ontario . Government of Ontario . 2008 . November 1, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192209/http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=5 . July 6, 2011 . dead.
  3. Information Section . Ontario Department of Highways . July 7, 1964.
  4. Ontario Road Map . C.P. Robins . Ontario Department of Highways . 1964 . N33 - 34.