St. Clair Parkway | |
|---|---|
| River Road | |
 St. Clair Parkway highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Chatham–Kent and Lambton County | |
| Length | 41.8 km[1] (26.0 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  Municipal Road 32 (Dufferin Avenue) west of Wallaceburg |
| North end | Churchill Road in Sarnia |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Highway system | |
| |
The St. Clair Parkway, historically referred to as the River Road, is a scenic parkway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It travels alongside the St. Clair River from west of Wallaceburg to Sarnia, a distance of 41.8 kilometres (26.0 mi). It formed a portion of the route of Highway 40 until it was bypassed by an inland route that opened in the mid-1970s. The St. Clair River Parkway Commission maintained the route from 1966 until 2006, when it was disbanded and responsibility over the parkway transferred to Chatham-Kent and Lambton County, both of which designate the route as County Road 33. The communities of Port Lambton, Sombra, Courtright, Mooretown, Corunna and Froomfield are located along the parkway, all early settlements of the 19th century.
The River Road was the first overland transportation route in Lambton County, and the only passable road until the 1840s. Although its exact origin is unclear, it was an established road by the 1830s when settlement of the county interior began. It served as a wagon trail until being briefly supplanted by the Erie and Huron Railway after 1886. It regained importance with the rise of the automobile, eventually being designated as a provincial highway (Highway 40) in 1934 and paved over the following decade.
In November 1964, it was announced that a new inland route for Highway 40, bypassing the towns along the river, would be built. The St. Clair Parkway Commission was subsequently formed out of several committees in 1966, the ultimate result of a vision set forth by Alan Brander in 1949. The parkway commission took over the former highway by 1982, as well as numerous parks along the riverfront. Disagreements between Chatham-Kent and Lambton County over funding resulted in the Parkway Commission being dissolved in 2006. Although the parkway retains its name, it is now maintained by those two municipalities.