Ontario Highway 402

Highway 402 is one of the original 400-series highways. It was numbered in 1953, a year after Highway 400 and Highway 401.[19] The short 6.1-kilometre (3.8 mi) dual highway was built as an approach to the Blue Water Bridge, which itself opened to traffic October 10, 1938.[25] As such, the highway was named the Blue Water Bridge Approach. Construction began in 1939. However, like many other road projects, World War II halted construction. In 1947 a new survey was undertaken; construction resumed by 1952. The approach road was opened in 1953, at which point the route was designated Highway 402. It featured an interchange with Christina Street and at-grade intersections with Front Street, Indian Road and Modeland Road (the Highway 40 Sarnia bypass); after Modeland Road the route continued to London as Highway 7.[19]

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.[20] Construction on a new grade-separated intersection with Modeland Road began in 1963 and opened in 1964, although as before Highway 402 still continued eastward as Highway 7.[26][27] On February 28, 1968, a 98-kilometre (61 mi) extension towards London was officially announced by Minister of Highways George Gomme.[21] It was decided to construct the extension on a new right-of-way, 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 1964; Exmouth Street was redirected to connect with Highway 7 (London Line) at that junction, and Quinn Street now follows the former routing of Highway 402.[28] For the new Highway 402, an overpass crossing was required with the then-CNR line (now the Howard Watson Nature Trail) and a Parclo B4 interchange with the newly twinned Highway 40 just north of the 1964 interchange. Construction east of Highway 40 began in 1972.[22]

Highway 402 facing east towards the Modeland Road intersection in 1959. In the distance beyond the intersection, the two carriageways converge into Highway 7. This intersection was reconstructed as an interchange by 1963, but then bypassed by a new alignment of Highway 402 in the 1970s.

Under two construction contracts, construction of 23.2 kilometres (14.4 mi) of Highway 402 began near Highway 7 in 1974.[29] A third contract to bridge the gap between that project and Sarnia was awarded in 1975.[30] On October 13, 1978, Highway 402 was opened to traffic between Highway 40 and Highway 21.[31] 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.[32] The section between Highway 21 and Highway 81 north of Strathroy was the next to be completed; it was opened to traffic on November 26, 1979.[33] On November 17, 1981, the section between London and Delaware was completed, including the interchange at Highway 401. It forced westbound drivers to exit at Longwoods Road (Highway 2). Construction was already underway on the final section between Strathroy and Delaware at this point.[34]

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 in time for the official opening in Sarnia on November 10, 1982.[23]

Highway 402 westbound in Sarnia; lanes are separated to split local traffic from international/NEXUS traffic bound for the Blue Water Bridge. This allows the highway to function locally during long border delays.

In 1997, noise barriers were erected upon both sides of the highway between Colborne Road to just east of the Howard Watson Trail.[35][36] At the Indian Road interchange, the directional ramp in the NW quadrant was removed and replaced with a signalized left turn for the NE quadrant loop ramp, enabling a continuous noise barrier to be placed in place of the former directional ramp.[11] However, the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce was concerned that the new noise barriers would cause travelers to overlook the city. A partnership was formed between the municipality and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to make additional aesthetic improvements to the highway corridor within the city that would be funded by the community, including a "City of Sarnia" landscaped sign that was completed in 2001.[35]

In 2007, the southern part of the Front Street interchange was realigned. It was originally a parclo AB2 (folded diamond) configuration when it opened in 1982, since Highway 402 needed to cross a railway as well as Front Street; however the railway has since been removed by the 1990s allowing a new on-ramp to Highway 402 eastbound to be built in the SE quadrant. For the overpass carrying eastbound highway traffic, the acceleration lane which previously served the now-removed loop ramp in the SW quadrant was instead allocated to a new on-ramp from the Canada Border Services Agency secondary inspection; previously transport trucks exiting the customs plaza had to make a right-turn from Marina Road to the highway which caused considerable congestion.[37][38][39]

On Monday, December 13, 2010, a whiteout caused by lake-effect snow squalls left an 80-kilometre (50 mi) stretch of Highway 402 closed for several days.[40] Lambton County officials declared a state of emergency. Although the entire distance between Sarnia and London is subject to occasional snow squalls and whiteout conditions, they usually dissipate or move in less than a day. The exceptional conditions at that time were caused by a snow squall which remained stationary over several days, dropping up to two metres (6 ft) of snow in some parts of the area.[40] Defence Minister Peter MacKay sent two Canadian Forces Griffon helicopters and a C-130 Hercules to Sarnia to aid in the search-and-rescue efforts.[41] The hospitality of locals in providing shelter for stranded motorists was the primary focus of local media coverage.[42] The highway was reopened to traffic on the morning of December 16.[43] A single death was reported; a man succumbed to hypothermia on a nearby county road.[44]

Highway 402 was widened in the Sarnia area from four to six lanes due to extensive traffic backups from the bridge crossing towards the USA; the westbound lanes were widened by two lanes, while eastbound capacity remains unchanged. The new four-lane roadway is divided into specific lanes for cars, trucks, local traffic, and NEXUS card holders.[45] The new lanes begin just before the Murphy Road overpass with a local lane breaking away for interchange access; all travellers wishing to exit the highway from this point must be travelling in this lane.[46] Construction began August 4, 2009,[24] between the Blue Water Bridge and Lambton County Road 26 (Mandaumin Road) and included the reconstruction of several bridges, as well as completely rebuilding the Christina Street exit to accommodate southbound access. Work was completed by the end of 2012.[45][46] Between 2004 and 2013, the speed limit along the westbound lanes from Airport Road westward was reduced from the standard 100 kilometres per hour (60 mph). However, following the reconstruction, the speed limit was raised between Indian Road and Airport Road on June 20, 2013.[47]

On January 5, 2013, a temporary vehicular roadblock was created at the Blue Water Bridge as part of the "Idle No More" protests by First Nations groups. The blockade was known in advance and was planned to occur during the noon hour. Lambton OPP monitored the protest by walking alongside the protesters. Traffic resumed flowing normally by 1:30 p.m. While Highway 402 itself was not closed, the protest did back up traffic onto the highway causing congestion in the areas of Front Street and Christina Street.[48] Later that year, another protest was held west of Strathroy on October 19, advocating against wind turbine construction due to the health effects experienced by those living near them. The rolling protest of about 150 vehicles, including farm equipment, was monitored by the OPP and required intermittent ramp closures to the westbound lanes.[49]

On November 23, 2015, the Indian Road overpass was damaged by an flatbed trailer carrying an over-height load. The eastbound lanes of the highway were closed for 60 hours, while the girders damaged in the impact had to be removed, while the overpass reopened for Indian Road traffic which was reduced to two lanes for the next few months.[50] The overpass was repaired by May 2016 at a cost of $554,000 (overall damage of $3 million). The trucking company, under the Highway Traffic Act, was held liable and had to compensate the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario for the repair costs.[51][52][53]