Ontario Highway 402 - History

History

Highway 402 is one of the original 400-series highways, having been numbered alongside Highway 400 and Highway 401 in 1952. The short 6.1 km (3.8 mi) dual highway was built as an approach to the Blue Water Bridge, which itself opened to traffic October 10, 1938. As such, the highway was appropriately named the Blue Water Bridge Approach. Construction began in late 1938. When it was opened at some point between 1946 and 1949, it featured at-grade crossings with Front Street, Indian Road and Modeland Road (the Highway 40 Sarnia bypass).

Ultimately, Highway 402 was designated with the intent of extending it to Highway 401. This was formally announced by the Department of Highways in late 1957. Construction on a new grade-separated intersection with Modeland Road began in 1963. Then, in February 1968, a 98 km (61 mi) extension towards London was officially announced. It was decided to construct the extension on a new alignment, as had been done with most freeways constructed after Highway 400. East of the Murphy Road overpass, Highway 402 was re-aligned to bypass the interchange with Highway 40 constructed in 1963; Exmouth Street was redirected to connect with Highway 7 (London Line) at that junction, and Quinn Street now follows the former alignment of the highway. For the new Highway 402, an overpass crossing was required with the then-CNR line (now the Howard Watson Nature Trail) as well as an interchange with the newly twinned Highway 40 just north of the 1963 interchange. Construction east of Highway 40 began in 1972.

The initial construction began near Highway 7, under two contracts extending 23.2 km (14.4 mi) west of there. A third contract to bridge the gap between that project and Sarnia was awarded in 1975. On October 13, 1978, Highway 402 was opened to traffic between Highway 40 and Highway 21. By the end of that year, construction was progressing on the section between Highway 21 and Highway 81 near Strathroy, as well as on the section connecting Highway 2 with Highway 401. The section between Highway 21 and Highway 81 north of Strathroy was the next to be completed, and was opened to traffic on November 26, 1979. On November 17, 1981, the section between London and Delaware was completed, including the interchange at Highway 401. It forced drivers off at Longwoods Road (Highway 2). Construction was already underway on the final section between Strathroy and Delaware at this point.

The opening of the section between Highways 2 and 81 completed Highway 402 from London to the Blue Water Bridge. In addition, the removal of the Front Street intersection in Sarnia made the entire route a controlled-access highway. Both were completed by the end of 1982. The route was officially opened on November 10, 1982 in Sarnia.

On Monday, December 13, 2010, a whiteout caused by lake-effect snow squalls left an 80 km (50 mi) stretch of Highway 402 closed for several days. Lambton County officials declared a state of emergency. Defence Minister Peter MacKay sent two Canadian Forces Griffon helicopters to Sarnia, as well as a C-130 Hercules to aid in the search-and-rescue efforts. The hospitality of locals in providing shelter for stranded motorists was the primary focus of local media coverage. The highway was reopened to traffic on the morning of December 16. A single death was reported; that of a man who succumbed to hypothermia on a nearby county road.