400-series highways facts for kids

The 400-series highways are a special group of major roads in Ontario, Canada. Think of them as superhighways designed for fast and smooth travel across the province. They help connect many cities and towns, making it easier for people to get around and for goods to be transported. These highways are known for being well-built and having multiple lanes, which helps keep traffic moving smoothly and safely.

Understanding Ontario's 400-Series Highways

The 400-series highways are a network of high-speed roads built to handle a lot of traffic. They are different from regular roads because they have special features. These features include multiple lanes in each direction, no traffic lights, and special ramps called interchanges to get on and off. This design helps drivers travel quickly and efficiently without stopping.

Why Are These Highways Important?

These highways are super important for Ontario. They connect big cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Windsor. This makes it easy for people to visit friends and family, go on vacations, or commute to work. They also play a huge role in the economy. Trucks use these highways to move goods from factories to stores, helping businesses grow and making sure you can find what you need in shops. Without them, travel and trade would be much slower and harder.

How Were They Built?

The idea for these modern highways started way back in the 1930s. The first one, Highway 400, opened in 1952. Over the years, more highways were added to the network. Engineers carefully planned each highway to make sure it was safe and efficient. They designed special bridges and underpasses so that traffic on the highway doesn't cross paths with local roads. This helps prevent accidents and keeps traffic flowing.

Key Design Features

• Multiple Lanes: Most 400-series highways have at least four lanes, two in each direction. Some, like parts of Highway 401, have as many as 18 lanes! This helps handle the huge number of cars and trucks that use them every day.
• Controlled Access: You can only get on or off these highways at specific points called interchanges. This means there are no traffic lights or intersections where cars might cross paths, making travel much safer and faster.
• High Speed Limits: Because of their design, these highways have higher speed limits than regular roads, usually 100 kilometres per hour (about 60 miles per hour).
• Emergency Shoulders: There's a wide shoulder on the side of the road for drivers to pull over safely if they have a problem with their car.

Famous 400-Series Highways

One of the most famous 400-series highways is Highway 401. It's often called the "Macdonald–Cartier Freeway." This highway is incredibly busy and is one of the widest and busiest highways in the entire world! It stretches across southern Ontario, connecting many major cities. Another well-known highway is Highway 407, which is a toll highway, meaning drivers pay a fee to use it. This helps manage traffic and provides an alternative route for drivers.

List of Highways

Here is a list of the main 400-series highways in Ontario:

•  Highway 400
•  Highway 401
•  Highway 402
•  Highway 403
•  Highway 404
•  Highway 405
•  Highway 406
•  Highway 407
•  Highway 409
•  Highway 410
•  Highway 412
•  Highway 420
•  Highway 427

Images for kids

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  Highway 401 south of Pearson Airport is the widest freeway in Canada, and one of the widest and busiest in the world

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  Aerial view of the interchange between Highway 401, 403 and 410 in Mississauga

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  An aerial view of Highway 416 approaching Ottawa

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  A sprawling interchange between Highway 409 and 427 in Etobicoke, one of several in the Greater Toronto Area

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  The Parclo interchange design is used throughout the 400-series network