Ontario Highway 17A

Highway 17A
Kenora By-Pass
Route information
Auxiliary route of Highway 17
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length:	33.6 km (20.9 mi)
Existed:	1990 – present
Major junctions
Beltway around Kenora
West end:	Highway 17 west near Keewatin
	Highway 596 near Keewatin Highway 658 near Jaffray–Melick Highway 659 Highway 671
East end:	Highway 17 east near Kenora
Location
Counties:	Kenora District
Major cities:	Kenora, Kenora Airport
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways 400-series • Former ← Highway 17 Highway 19 →

King's Highway 17A, commonly referred to as Highway 17A or as the Kenora By-Pass, is an alternate route of Highway 17 around the city of Kenora, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was built along a former Canadian Pacific Railway right-of-way, and has two westbound passing lanes in separate parts, and one eastbound passing lane.

Route description

Although it is not an official part of the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 17A is designated as the through route when travelling into Kenora on the Trans-Canada. The road also provides access to Kenora Airport, but otherwise avoids the built up areas of the city. The highway passes through a heavily forested area dominated by large granite rock outcroppings, geography typical of the Canadian Shield. On an average day approximately 3,200–5,200 vehicles travel along the road, varying by season.

History

Highway 17A was constructed beginning in 1981 after it became apparent that the city of Kenora was becoming congested with traffic, representing a severe bottleneck for cross-national traffic. The bypass opened in stages as it was constructed from west to east. The first 8.4 kilometres (5.2 mi), from Highway 17 to Highway 596 opened in September 1983. Following this, contracts were tendered for construction of the Winnipeg River bridge. The section between Highway 596 and Highway 659 opened several years later in the autumn of 1988. The final section, linking Highway 659 with Highway 17, was opened in the early 1990s.^{[citation needed]}

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 17A, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. The entirety of the highway is located within Kenora District.

Location	km	Destinations	Notes
Kenora	0.0	Highway 17 west – Winnipeg
	1.2	Highway 641 – Laclu	CPR overpass
	7.1	Highway 596 (Darlington Drive) – Minaki
	12.6		Winnipeg River Bridge
	14.9	Highway 658 (Redditt Road) – Redditt
	21.1	East Melick Road	Formerly Highway 659
	25.5	Highway 671 (Jones Road) – Jones
	33.5	Highway 17 east – Dryden, Thunder Bay
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

• Highway 17A pictures and information