Third Crossing West Shore - Then and Now

As the city's Third Crossing across the Great Cataraqui River comes close to completion, the project's final steps are being publicized. The above image shows the current drone view of Montreal Street, with the new John Counter Boulevard cutting across the aerial view and leading to the west bridge approaches. Having just traversed this area on foot, I enjoyed the challenge of marking approximately where the CN Kingston Subdivision mainline (yellow dots) and Hanley Spur (red dots) once ran. The 1974 mainline realignment between Montreal and Division Streets is just visible at the extreme right. 

Contrast that with the sparsely-populated circa 1948 aerial view by George Lilley (Queen's University Archives photo) that also shows Elliott Avenue cutting across the former Outer Station alignment, with Montreal Street heading to the left and the Hanley Spur just east of it near the river. The city limits end just inside the curve, prior to four waves of annexation of the former Kingston Township.

That CN mainline curve was sharp and speed-limiting. Those seeing the current view and trying to imagine what it used to look like face a real challenge!