Proposed during the 1950s as the Spadina Expressway, initial sections completed in 1964, completed to Eglinton in 1976
Major junctions
South end
Eglinton Avenue
North end
Kennard Avenue (continues as Dufferin Street)
Location
Country
Canada
Province
Ontario
Major cities
Toronto
Highway system
Roads in Toronto
North–South
East–West
Diagonal
Toronto Municipal Expressways
← Don Valley Parkway (1961)
Allen Road (1964)
Black Creek Drive (1982) →
William R. Allen Road, also known as Allen Road, the Allen Expressway and colloquially as the Allen, is a short expressway and arterial road in Toronto. It starts as a controlled-access expressway at Eglinton Avenue West, heading north to just south of Transit Road, then continues as an arterial road north to Kennard Avenue, where it continues as Dufferin Street. Allen Road is named after Metro Toronto chairman William R. Allen and is maintained by the City of Toronto. Landmarks along the road include the Lawrence Heights housing project, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Downsview Park, and Downsview Airport. A section of the Line 1 Yonge–University subway is located within the median of the expressway from Eglinton Avenue to north of Wilson Avenue.
The portion south of Transit Road was originally constructed as part of the Spadina Expressway. The Spadina was proposed in the 1950s as a north–south freeway, intended to connect downtown Toronto to the suburbs of North York and to serve the Yorkdale Shopping Centre project; it was only partially built before being cancelled in 1971 due to public opposition. Initially proposed in the 1950s as part of a network of freeways surrounding Toronto, its cancellation in 1971 ended proposals for other proposed expressways into and around Metro Toronto. Despite this, extensions were opened south to Eglinton in 1976 and north to Kennard Avenue in 1982.
In 1983, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto and the government of Metropolitan Toronto (Metro) agreed to a land transfer that saw a strip of land south of Eglinton, as well as the right-of-way for the proposed expressway, transferred to the city in exchange for the fully-constructed arterial extension of Highway 400 now known as Black Creek Drive. Various proposals since to extend Allen Road south of Eglinton—either above or below ground—have never gained traction, and the route remains a backlogged stub of the original proposals. Despite this, the decision to cancel the Spadina—and by extension similar expressways into downtowns—has been regarded as one of the defining moments of urban planning in Canada.
William R. AllenRoad, also known as AllenRoad, the Allen Expressway and colloquially as the Allen, is a short expressway and arterial road in Toronto...
would be south of our place, but when we turned down ‘our’ road, now named the Duane AllenRoad, my stomach just about came out of my body. I was so thrilled...
Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in...
Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of AllenRoad on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West. Line 5 Eglinton will also serve...
sections, the York Beltline Trail west of AllenRoad, the Kay Gardner Beltline Park from the Allen to Mount Pleasant Road, and the Ravine Beltline Trail south...
reminder for drivers that AllenRoad ends at Eglinton Avenue West by using flashing light/sign and display screen on southbound AllenRoad at Glengrove Avenue...
Located at the southwest corner of the interchange between Highway 401 and AllenRoad, it opened in 1964 as the largest enclosed shopping mall in the world...
Sheppard Avenue and Dufferin Street (the latter which is bypassed by AllenRoad in the vicinity of the intersection), though it is popularly seen as including...
It also runs through the roundabout. The Line 1 Yonge–University along AllenRoad in northwest Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Mascouche line along the median...
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of the William R. AllenRoad just south of Highway 401. Opened in 1978, the station is named after...
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison...
were lifted out of a shaft west of AllenRoad and moved about 100 metres (330 ft) to a shaft just east of AllenRoad. In April 2015, merchants along Eglinton...
Irwin Allen Ginsberg (/ˈɡɪnzbɜːrɡ/; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he...
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons...
Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college...
Allen Millyard from Thatcham, Berkshire, England,[failed verification] is an engineer and custom motorcycle builder for over 25 years, having created...
twenty largest malls. It is located on Lawrence Avenue West, west of AllenRoad, in the neighbourhood of Lawrence Heights, the district of North York...
Eglinton West on the Yonge–University–Spadina line and the terminus of AllenRoad.[citation needed] Line 5 Eglinton Queen subway line Osbaldeston, Mark...
Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer...
-79.47833 Today, Sheppard also intersects AllenRoad on this section, but the intersecting portion of AllenRoad was not constructed until 1982. Sheppard...
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (informally Booz Allen) is the parent of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., an American government and military contractor...
Fiona Allen (born 13 March 1965) is an English comedian and actress, most known for her work on Channel 4's Smack the Pony between 1999 and 2003. Allen has...
Karen Jane Allen (born October 5, 1951) is an American film and stage actress. She made her film debut in the comedy film Animal House (1978), which was...
Route 169 onto AllenRoad which quickly merges into Freedley Road. The road then heads northeast into Woodstock. Woodstock The post road briefly passes...
located within North York City Centre. Downsview Airport, near Sheppard and AllenRoad, employs 1,800 workers. Downsview Airport will be the location of the...
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