Hanlon Expressway

Hanlon Expressway
Hanlon Parkway
Hanlon Expressway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length	15.4 km[3] (9.6 mi)
History	Proposed 1967 Opened June 28, 1972[1] – November 7, 1975[2]
Major junctions
South end	Highway 401 – London, Toronto
Major intersections	Highway 7 east – Brampton
North end	Highway 6 / Highway 7 – Waterloo, Owen Sound
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Counties	Wellington
Major cities	Guelph
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways Current Former 400-series

The Hanlon Expressway or Hanlon Parkway is a high-capacity at-grade suburban limited-access road connecting Highway 401 with the city of Guelph in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 17 km (11 mi) route travels in a generally north–south direction on the city's west side. It is signed as Highway 6 for its entire length; from Wellington Street to Woodlawn Road it is concurrent with Highway 7. The speed limit alternates between 70 and 80 km/h (45 and 50 mph).

The road was originally designed to be a freeway, but budget limitations precluded the construction of overpasses; apart from the interchanges with Highway 401, Laird Road, and Wellington Street West (Highway 7 and former Highway 24), all junctions are at-grade intersections. There are also two railway crossings near the northern terminus, though both are for spur lines. The Hanlon is graded and landscaped similarly to a freeway, with broad flat shoulders and an open median.

It was initially built between 1972 and 1975, after years of planning and engineering. The first interchange, at Wellington Street, was opened 25 years later in 2001. In late 2013, a second interchange was completed at Laird Road. The Government of Ontario has announced plans to build a new Highway 7 freeway bypass joining the current northern terminus of the Hanlon Expressway to the Conestoga Parkway in Kitchener; in-line with this work, the Hanlon Expressway will be upgraded to 400-series standards. Long-term plans call for a potential extension south of Highway 401 to meet Highway 6 south of Freelton.