Skip to main content

King's Highway 402

While recently visiting Ontario I drove the entirety of King's Highway 402 from the Blue Water Bridge to KH 401 near London.


The western terminus of KH 402 is in Sarnia of Lambton County on the St. Clair River at the Blue Water Bridge.  The history of the Blue Water Bridge can be found on the previous blog below.

Blue Water Bridge; east terminus of Interstate 94 and north terminus of Interstate 69

KH 402 is a limited access freeway which is 102.5 Kilometers (63.7 miles) in length.  The first section of KH 402 was designated in 1953 when a limited access approach road from the Blue Water Bridge to KH 7 and KH 40 was opened.  Although plans had been announced to connect KH 402 to KH 401 near London had been announced by 1957 construction of the extension began in 1972.  KH 402 was fully completed to KH 401 by 1982.

Functionally KH 402 serves as a limited access replacement of KH 7 and KH 22 from Sarnia east to London.  This is very apparent comparing the 1931 and 1955 Province Road Maps to a modern roadway map.

1931 Ontario Road Map

1955 Ontario Road Map 

KH 402 eastbound begins beyond the Customs Station at the end of the Blue Water Bridge.  Traffic is almost immediately notified at Exit 1 that KH 401 near London is the primary control city.





Speed limits on freeways in Ontario are signed usually slower than their American counterparts.  KH 402 gradually ascends to a terminal 100 KM/H which equates to about 62 MPH.  At Exit 6 KH 402 meets KH 40.






London is signed as being 107 Kilometers away east of KH 40.  The design difference between Ontario freeways and American Interstates (this is an American highway page after all) east of KH 40.  KH 402 largely lacks inside shoulders and has guard rails surprisingly close to the left travel lane.  This gives the impression when viewed that KH 402 is very narrow.


Exit 15 on KH 402 east accesses County Route 26 on Mandaumin Road. 



East of Exit 15 KH 402 has a truck inspection station.


At KH 402 Exit 25 there is signed access to County Routes 21 and 30 via Oil Heritage Road.



At KH 402 east Exit 402 there is signed access to County Route 8 and KH 21 via Forest Road.



KH 402 crosses over KH 22 east of Exit 34.  KH 22 from Sarnia east to just past Exit 34 runs south of the freeway.  KH 22 remains north of the remainder of KH 402 all the way to London.

At KH 402 east Exit 44 there is signed access to County Route 79 via Nauvoo Road.



East of County Route 79 KH 402 enters Middlesex County.  At Exit 56 KH 402 east accesses County Route 6 on Kerwood Road.



At Exit 65 KH 402 east meets County Route 81 on Centre Road.



At KH 402 east Exit 69 there is signed access to County Route 39 on Hickory Drive.



At KH 402 east Exit 82 there is access to County Route 14 on Glendon Drive.



At KH 402 east Exit 86 there is signed access to County Route 2 on Longwoods Road.



At KH 402 east Exit 98 there is signed access to KH 4 on Colonel Talbot Road.  At Exit 100 there is access to Wonderland Road.



KH 402 east terminates at KH 401 on the outskirts of London.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...