Sherman Avenue (Hamilton, Ontario)

Sherman Avenue is a collector road in the lower portion of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It begins at the Niagara Escarpment ('The Mountain') just south of Cumberland Avenue and is a one-way street bisecting the industrialized northern neighbourhoods of the city. It ends at Ship Street — the site of Steel Company of Canada (Stelco).

Corner of Sherman Avenue North & Barton Street

Upper Sherman Avenue is located on the top of escarpment, running roughly from North to South, starting from Concession Street to Rymal Road. It does not directly connect with Sherman Avenue below.

The two Shermans are a former sideroad between lots 8 and 9 of the former Barton Township.[1][note 1]

The Sherman Cut is a rock cut through the brow of the escarpment. Beginning at Crockett Street, it runs downhill and north, parallel to Upper Sherman. It passes under Concession Street and Mountain Park Avenue, coming to an end at a tee-intersection with the Sherman Access. Photos Video. In 2019, the Cut handled 21,392 car trips per day.[2]

The Sherman Access runs diagonally down the slope of the escarpment. From the base of the Sherman Cut, it has two legs. The west leg (originally known as Mountain Boulevard)[3] proceeds downhill, and makes a sharp hairpin turn in the area of the Jolley Cut and the Claremont Access. It ends in a tee intersection with Charlton Avenue East. The east leg proceeds downhill until it intercepts the Kenilworth Access.

The Sherman Access has reversible lanes. It is the only mountain access with time restrictions. The northbound (downhill) is open to traffic for the morning rush; while the southbound (uphill) is open to traffic during the afternoon rush. The rest of the time, it operates as a regular two-lane road.[4]

The Sherman Access was constructed in 1929, passing under the Wentworth Incline Railway.[5] From 1937 to 1956, Highway 55 travelled over portions of Gage Road, Crockett Street, Sherman Cut, and the west leg of the Sherman Access.[3]Map

Due to the continuing erosion of the escarpment, the Access has been closed several times due to rock falls: in 2012[6] 2016[7] and 2018.[8] Each rockfall costs (in 2016) between $25,000 to $500,000 for the city to clean up.[9] Hamilton has 16 escarpment crossings, each of which is inspected daily.[10] The Access was closed for major, half-year repairs in 2017[11] and for six weeks in 2021.[12]

  1. ^ "Historic Map Works Barton". historicmapworks.com. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ Van Dongen, Matthew. "Does Hamilton still need the Claremont Access?". www.stcatharinesstandard.ca. St Catharines Standard. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Hwy 55 (#1)". The Kings Highway. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ "TRAFFIC SIGNALS & SIGNAGE". hamilton.ca. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Mount Hamilton Incline Railway/Wentworth Incline Railway". trainweb.org. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  6. ^ "Sherman Access closed after rock slide". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Sherman Access open: Councillors want to know what's up with falling rocks". thespec.com. Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ Zamperin, Rick. "Rock slide closes Hamilton's Sherman Access until further notice". globalnews.ca/. Global News. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  9. ^ Craggs, Samantha. "City predicts future rock falls at 7 places on the escarpment". cbc.ca. CBC. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  10. ^ "The escarpment is falling and it's costing Hamilton thousands". cbc.ca. CBC.
  11. ^ "WEST LEG OF THE SERMAN ACCESS AND WENTWORTH STAIRS RE-OPENED TODAY". hamilton.ca. City of Hamilton. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  12. ^ Zamperin, Rick. "Portion of Sherman Access in Hamilton to close for 6 weeks". global. Global News. Retrieved 28 December 2023.


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