Highway 417 is a 400-Series Highway in Ontario. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it is known as the Queensway (from the Ottawa Road 174 interchange to at least Highway 7). It extends from the Quebec border (near Hawkesbury, where it continues as Autoroute 40 ) to Arnprior, where it continues as Highway 17. The first sections were constructed through Ottawa in 1971. Highway 417 is often quite congested through Ottawa, but there is no realistic expansion possible and a beltway plan has been only slightly discussed. As of 2005, The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), is in the preliminary planning stages of an extensive upgrade of the infrastructure of the Queensway, along Highway 417 from Highway 416 easterly to Anderson Road.

The MTO also plans to further extend the 417 westerly through the Ottawa Valley by twinning and realigning the existing Highway 17 to a four-lane freeway, although no immediate timelines are planned except for the Arnprior-Pembroke section (which should see construction by the end of this decade, at least in part).

In the western part of the City of Greater Sudbury there is a 20 km freeway section of Highway 17 completed that could be incorporated into a future Highway 417 (likely exit numbers in the low 600s), as well as a section under construction (opening around 2008) from Sault Ste. Marie east for about 27 km to Echo Bay . A further section of Highway 17, from Echo Bay to Desbarats , already exists as a four-lane expressway with grade level intersections (That section would likely carry exit numbers in the low to mid-900s).

The 417 currently has 42 interchanges from the Quebec border to Arnprior, with more planned as the highway is extended westward (shown below). Unlike other highways in Ontario, Exit 1 is on the eastern end of the highway and they increase westward.

Interchanges from East to West

Proposed Interchanges from East to West (exit numbers assumed)

• Beyond that point, no routing has been planned

References

• Cameron Bevers, The History of Ontario's Kings Highways at http://www.thekingshighway.ca/
• Scott Steeves, www.ONTHIGHWAYS.com at http://www.onthighways.com/
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 (for distance estimates)