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King's Highway 406 (pronounced "four-oh-six"), commonly referred to as Highway 406, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting Welland with St. Catharines. Until January 2, 2015, it was the only 400-series highways with at-grade crossings.〔http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_404-406_images/Hwy406_cons.htm〕 Highway 406 is the primary north-south route though the central portion of the Niagara Peninsula, connecting Welland, Thorold and downtown St. Catharines to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). The section through St. Catharines wraps through the Twelve Mile Creek valley in a winding route, and is therefore posted at rather than the typical speed limit. Construction of Highway 406 began in 1963. The first section opened between St. Davids Road and Geneva Street on December 7, 1965, followed by a southward extension to Beaverdams Road in late 1969. The route was later extended south as a Super two to Merritt Road where it became Highway 58. In 1977, construction began to connect the freeway with the QEW; this was completed in late 1984. Construction on the route resumed in 1987 near Welland, connecting the route with East Main Street in Welland, completed during the mid-1990s. In 2009 construction resumed on the highway to expand the remaining two lane sections to a four lane divided freeway, with the existing route becoming the southbound lanes of the new freeway. The southern terminus in Welland was converted to a roundabout while the remaining at-grade intersections will be rebuilt as interchanges. This work is scheduled for completion in 2014. == Route description == From 1987 until January 2, 2015, Highway 406 was unique as the only 400-series highway with two lane sections and with an at-grade rail crossing. The highway is heavily travelled within St. Catharines, but volumes drop considerably south of the city.〔 The speed limit on Highway 406 varies from to .〔 It is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police. The 406 designation begins at East Main Street in Welland at a roundabout immediately west of East Main Street Tunnel beneath the Welland Canal. From here the now-four-lane divided road veers northeast and travels parallel to the canal. Two golf courses separate the canal. As the highway passes to the west of them, it jogs to the west and crosses a Trillium Railway spur (formerly at-grade, now over the railroad), and meets Daimler Parkway and Woodlawn Road at a newly constructed interchange. Soon after, it crosses the Welland River and then the former channel of the canal, which was replaced by the current Welland By-Pass in the 1970s.〔 The highway curves to the northwest as it passes through thick forest, and meets another newly built interchange with Merritt Road (formerly Highway 58), which as of 2009 was being rebuilt as a grade-separated interchange. After this, it returns to its northward orientation and passes the final at-grade intersection (now an overpass), Niagara Regional Road 63 (Port Robinson Road).〔 North of Port Robinson Road, Highway 406 widens to four lanes and a median opens in the centre, making it a controlled access freeway. The forests break and the freeway continues straight north for through a mostly agricultural area. Along the straightaway are interchanges with former Highway 20 and Niagara Regional Road 67 (Beaverdams Road).〔 The freeway crosses over Lake Gibson, infamous for its connection with the crimes of Paul Bernardo, and curves to the northeast. It passes beneath Niagara Regional Road 71 (St. Davids Road) and Highway 58 at a complicated interchange as it descends the Niagara Escarpment,〔 a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 publisher = Niagara Escarpment Commission )〕 and enters St. Catharines.〔 Within St. Catharines, Highway 406 twists frequently, entering the Twelve Mile Creek valley south of a complicated interchange with Westchester Avenue and Geneva Street and curving west. Within the valley, the freeway features a lower design speed and reduced speed limit of . It passes beneath the high-level St. Paul Street bridge, crosses the creek and intersects Fourth Avenue. Exiting the creek valley, the freeway parallels Fourth Avenue for a , gradually curves to the north and ends to the north, merging with the QEW.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ontario Highway 406」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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