Niagara Parkway - Route Description

Route Description

The Niagara Parkway is a two-lane minor arterial road with a 60 km/h (37 mph) speed limit for the majority of its length, although the section from Hiram Avenue to Upper Rapids Boulevard in Niagara Falls is a four lane divided road signed at 40 km/h (25 mph). It is 55 km (34 mi) in length, crossing the entire Niagara Peninsula between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The route falls under the jurisdiction of the Niagara Parks Commission, an agency of the Government of Ontario, for most of its length. However, the section from Hiram Street to Glenview Avenue belongs to the City of Niagara Falls. Despite this, it is still signed as part of the Niagara Parkway. The Niagara River Recreation Trail, a mixed-use pedestrian and cycling path, follows 53 km (33 mi) of the length of the parkway between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie.

The parkway begins at the old Fort Erie, south of the Peace Bridge, where it is known as Lakeshore Road and connects with the Queen Elizabeth Way and the former Highway 3. East of the Mather Circle, the road becomes known as Niagara Parkway and proceeds north through downtown Fort Erie, beneath the International Railway Bridge. It gradually curves to the east opposite the southern shore of Grand Island. Houses line the southern side of the parkway along this section. The road curves back northward as it crosses the Black Creek and passes through a sparsely populated stretch. It passes the Willoughby Historical Museum followed by the Legends on the Niagara Golf Course. Shortly thereafter, it enters Niagara Falls and meets the Welland River. Traffic is diverted west to cross the river at Portage Road, where it then resumes on the Niagara Parkway at King's Bridge Park.

North of this point, the Robert Moses State Parkway travels along the American side of the Niagara River. The Niagara Parkway travels alongside the Upper Rapids and passes adjacent to Horseshoe Falls. It crosses a park and enters downtown Niagara Falls, where it is known as River Road north of Clifton Hill. The parkway passes below the Rainbow Bridge; side streets provide access to Highway 420, but River Road itself does not meet it. As it progresses north, it passes beneath the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge before wrapping around the Whirlpool Rapids. At Victoria Avenue, River Road becomes the Niagara Parkway again. The parkway passes the Butterfly Conservatory and the Niagara Floral Clock, one of the largest floral clocks in the world with a diameter of 12.2 m (40 ft). Shortly thereafter, the parkway crosses the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations. It passes beneath Highway 405 at the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge, the interchange with which was removed by December 2006.

North of the bridge, the route descends the Niagara Escarpment near Brock's Monument, a column which commemorates the death of Sir Isaac Brock during the Battle of Queenston Heights. At the bottom of the escarpment, the route passes the village of Queenston. The parkway meanders north, parallel to the river, with houses lining the western side. Approaching the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the road becomes known as Queen's Parade. It diverges from the river and travels northwest towards the town, ending at Fort George.