Highway 51 was a short connector road that served to link Highway 3 to Rondeau Provincial Park. At its southern terminus, the highway began at the entrance gates to the provincial park, proceeding northeast through a small community of recreational cottages. The highway exited the park and turned north onto what is now Chatham–Kent Road 15. From here the highway progressed straight north to Highway 3, passing through the community of New Scotland along the way.[4]
Trees continue to line both sides of this section of the highway, with farmland sprawling out beyond that.[5]
History
In 1961, the section of Highway24 between Highway51 and Orangeville was renumbered as Highway 136; Highway51 was renumbered as Highway24 and the latter signed concurrently with Highway10 north to Orangeville.[6][7]
On April9, 1970, the road from Eatonville to Rondeau Provincial Park was designated as Highway51.[2]
This iteration of the route remained unaltered until April1, 1997, when it was transferred to Kent County, now the City of Chatham–Kent.[3]
It was subsequently designated as Chatham–Kent Road15.[4]
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 51, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.[5] The entire route is located in Chatham–Kent.
^Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (April 1, 1989). Provincial Highways Distance Table. Government of Ontario. p. 66. ISSN0825-5350.
^ ab"Appendix 15 - Schedule of Existing Roads Assumed As Portions of the King's Highway". Annual Report (Report). Department of Highways. March 31, 1971. p. 146.
^ abHighway Transfers List (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. April 1, 1997. p. 5.
^ abMapart (2010). Ontario Back Road Atlas (Map). Peter Heiler Ltd. p. 7. § B11–12. ISBN978-1-55198-226-7.
^Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by C.P. Robins. Ontario Department of Highways. 1961. §§ S32–33. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.
^Ontario Road Map (Map). Cartography by C.P. Robins. Ontario Department of Highways. 1962. §§ S32–33. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via Archives of Ontario.