Highbury Ave over CPR - 1957

When I lived off Hale St. in the 1970's a short drive from this location I remember my father in law telling me then that this area was out in the country and rural less than 20 years ago.

A work crew is seen atop the Highbury Ave-Canadian Pacific Railway overpass, as demolition begins on the old wooden structure. This view is looking south toward Dundas Street. Highbury Ave had been a two lane dirt road, one lane southbound and one lane northbound, but with the expansion of the City of London in the 1950s and into 1960s, it was necessary to have a 4 lane road to handle the projected traffic increases.

Now, almost 70 years later this overpass will be expanded to handle 6 lanes of traffic, with 2 lanes each direction for vehicle traffic and one lane each direction for public transit vehicles.  

July 9, 1957

London Free Press Negative Collection, Western University Archives, courtesy of Mike Rice