The Highways of Hamilton /

Ontario 56 and Hamilton Regional Road 56

Highway	Duration	Start	Terminus	Length (km)
ON 56	1934-1997	RR 20, Elfrida	Haldimand County line near Blackheath	12
RR 56	1997-	RR 20, Elfrida	Haldimand County line near Blackheath	12

Overview

Highway 56 is a north-south road in greater Hamilton's southeast corner. Although it's not heavily-trafficked, it does provide access to the community of Binbrook and functions as a back door into neighbouring Haldimand County, where it continues as Haldimand CR 56.

History

Hamilton RR 56 originated in 1934 as an Ontario provincial highway; one of the earliest of a "second wave" of numbered roads taken on by the province in the mid to late 1930s to help flesh out the map. Its initial routing was upon pre-existing infrastructure from the nineteenth century.

The highway has seen minor adjustments in the intervening decades:

A: By 1960, a 2.5km jog at the Haldimand county line was straightened, bypassing the community of Blackheath.
B: By 1984, the north end was realigned to intersect more neatly with Highway 20.
C: In 1997, the entire length of ON 56 in Hamilton-Wentworth was reclassified as a Regional Road.

Gallery

Hamilton Regional Road 56.

This stub is a pre-1960 alignment of ON 56 found near Blackheath at the Haldimand county line (see A). Beyond the barrier, a former road bridge sits covered by grass. Inexplicably, however, both sides of the closed and disused bridge are topped by new rails and striped hazard marker signs dated 2015! Is Hamilton still performing maintenance on this structure over 60 years after it last carried through traffic?! It makes you wonder...

presents

The Highways of Hamilton /

Ontario 56 and Hamilton Regional Road 56

Overview

History

Gallery

Links