Highway52 was first established in 1937 and 1938. The route remained unchanged until the formation of Hamilton-Wentworth, after which the portion north of Highway8 was transferred to the region in 1987. The remainder between Highway53 and Peters Corners was transferred to the region in 1998.
Route description
Highway52 was a rural highway on the outskirts of Hamilton. Although it has been locally maintained for a number of years, the surrounding has remained relatively unaltered since then. The route begins at an intersection with former Highway2 and Highway53 west of Ancaster. From there the highway travelled north, interchanging with Highway403 at Exit55. The route passes through the communities of Summit and Copetown, intersecting the former Highway99, the Governors Road, in the latter. Soon thereafter, it intersects the former western leg of Highway5. Immediately north of this, the route encounters Highway8 at a second intersection, where it ended during the final decade of its existence.[2]
History
Highway52 originally travelled from Highway8 in Rockton north along at least five different township roads over 13 kilometres (8mi), ending at a local township road at the Wellington/Wentworth County Line. This section was assumed by the Department of Highways on September1, 1937.[3]
On April13, 1938, a dirt road from Peter's Corners south to Highway2 and Highway53 (Wilson Street) in Ancaster was assumed as Highway52, creating a 7-kilometre (4mi) concurrency with Highway8.[4]
Throughout World War II, the new section of Highway52 remained unimproved; in 1945 it was gravelled. The road was paved between Highway2 and Highway97 in 1955, with the remainder being paved three years later.[5][6][7][8]
The original section of Highway52 north of Peters Corners was downloaded to the newly-created Regional Municipality of Hamilton–Wentworth on April24, 1986, shortly after the decommissioning of Highway97 in 1984.[citation needed] The road's length was reduced to 10.7 kilometres (6.6mi) and the concurrency with Highway8 removed.[9][10]
As part of a series of budget cuts initiated by premier Mike Harris under his Common Sense Revolution platform in 1995, numerous highways deemed to no longer be of significance to the provincial network were decommissioned and responsibility for the routes transferred to a lower level of government, a process referred to as downloading. On April1, 1998, the remainder of Highway52 was downloaded to the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth, now the City of Hamilton.[11]
The road has not been given a new numerical designation, and is simply known as Westover Road and Trinity Road.[2]
Highway Transfers List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. April 1, 1997. p.2.
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