Southwest and Southeast Bypasses (Sudbury)

The Southwest Bypass and Southeast Bypass are two separately-constructed roads in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, that form a loop around the southern end of the city's urban core for traffic travelling on Highway 17, a route of the Trans-Canada Highway. Most of the route is a Super 2 road with at-grade intersections, with the exception of 1 km of divided freeway at an interchange with Highway 69, although the remainder of the road is expected to be converted to a freeway within the next decade. With the Northwest Bypass from Lively to Chelmsford, the roads form a partial ring road around the city's urban core.

History

Prior to the construction of the bypasses, the Highway 17 designation belonged to what is now Municipal Road 55.

The Southwest Bypass was opened in 1974 as a local route primarily designed to reduce traffic pressure on the main highway by offering an alternate route into the city from Walden and points west. The road was considered part of the provincial highway system, although it was designated with a private 7000-series number and was never signed as a provincial highway — only with trailblazers to Highway 69 eastbound and Highway 17 westbound.

When the Highway 17 freeway route through Walden was completed in 1980, the Southwest Bypass terminus in Lively became the freeway's eastern interchange point. The former Highway 17 route through Walden was decommissioned, although the route east of the interchange remained part of Highway 17 until...
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