Greater Sudbury Municipal Roads

The city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, maintains a unique infrastructure network of numbered municipal roads. Unlike most of Northern Ontario, where provincially maintained secondary highways handle local connectivity, Greater Sudbury is the only census division in the region to operate its own comprehensive numbered municipal road system. This network ensures efficient travel across the city's vast geography, connecting urban centers with rural communities and industrial sites.

Historically, these roads were managed by the Regional Municipality of Sudbury and were designated as regional roads. Following the city's amalgamation in 2001, they transitioned to municipal status. Many of these routes were originally provincial secondary highways before the current system was established in 1973.

Key Facts

• Numbering Logic: Odd numbers are generally assigned to east-west routes, while even numbers are used for north-south routes.
• Regional Uniqueness: Greater Sudbury is the only census division in Northern Ontario with a numbered municipal road system.
• Historical Roots: Several current municipal roads were previously designated as provincial secondary highways.
• Administrative Shift: Roads transitioned from "regional" to "municipal" designations after the 2001 amalgamation.

Road Network Structure and Designations

The municipal road system serves as the backbone for transit between major communities such as Chelmsford, Azilda, Lively, and Hanmer. The network includes a variety of road types, from urban streets in the downtown core to rural connectors and specialized industrial access roads.

Urban and Arterial Routes

Many of the city's primary arteries are municipal roads. For example, Municipal Road 55 (formerly Highway 17) serves as a major corridor passing through Whitefish, Lively, and downtown Sudbury. Similarly, Municipal Road 71 (LaSalle Boulevard) and Municipal Road 73 (Maley Drive) provide critical high-capacity access in the New Sudbury area, with Maley Drive featuring sections of divided freeway and expressway.

Rural and Industrial Connectors

The system also supports the region's mining heritage. Municipal Road 4 travels through the ghost town of Victoria Mines, and Municipal Road 24 passes by the Creighton Mine ghost town. Other routes, such as Municipal Road 8, provide essential access to the communities of Onaping and Levack.

Detailed Route Directory

The following table provides a detailed overview of the numbered municipal roads within Greater Sudbury, including their termini and the communities they serve.

Greater Sudbury Municipal Road Directory

Road Number	Primary Names	Western/Southern Terminus	Eastern/Northern Terminus	Major Communities
MR 3	Bay Street	MR 4	MR 55	Whitefish
MR 4	Fairbank Lake Road	Highway 17	Wickie Rd / Park Rd	Worthington
MR 5	Spanish River Road	Nairn and Hyman Boundary	MR 4 (Worthington)	Turbine
MR 8	Nickel St / Third Ave / Mine Rd	Highway 144	Mine Road	Onaping, Levack
MR 10	Panache Lake Road	Panache North Shore Rd	MR 55	Whitefish
MR 12	Gordon Lake Road	MR 13	Highway 144	Larchwood
MR 13	Vermilion Lake Rd / Joseph St	Mina Street	Highway 144	Larchwood, Hull
MR 14	Errington Ave / Main St	Highway 144	MR 15	Chelmsford
MR 15	MR 15 / Main Street	Hwy 144 / MR 35	MR 80	Chelmsford, Boninville, Blezard Valley, Val Caron
MR 18	Montée Rouleau / Gagnon St	MR 35	MR 15	Azilda
MR 21	Notre-Dame Street	MR 35	Azilda	Azilda
MR 24	MR 24 / Main Street	MR 55	Highway 144	Lively
MR 30	Power St / Godfrey Dr	MR 55	MR 32	Copper Cliff
MR 32	Balsam Street	MR 55	MR 30	Copper Cliff
MR 34	Big Nickel Mine Road	MR 55	MR 35	Gatchell / Little Britain
MR 35	Elm Street	MR 55	Hwy 144 / MR 15	Chelmsford, Azilda, Downtown
MR 37	Kelly Lake Road	Southview Drive	MR 55	Robinson
MR 38	Regent St / Beatty St	MR 55 / MR 46	MR 42 / MR 58	Little Britain
MR 39	Ramsey Lake Road	MR 80	Kirkwood Drive	Ramsey Lake shore
MR 40	Martindale Road	MR 40/46/47	MR 55	Robinson
MR 42	Frood Rd / Elm St	MR 71	MR 67	Downtown / Donovan
MR 43	Ontario St / McLeod St / Hyland Dr	MR 40	MR 46	Gatchell
MR 45	York Street	MR 46	MR 80	Downtown
MR 46	Regent Street	Hwy 69 / Hwy 17	MR 55 / MR 38	Lo-Ellen / Four Corners
MR 47	Walford Road	MR 40 / MR 46	MR 80	Lockerby
MR 49	Lorne Street	MR 55	MR 35	Downtown
MR 51	Larch Street	MR 67	MR 49	Downtown
MR 53	Cedar Street	MR 67	MR 49	Downtown
MR 55	Old Hwy 17 / Lorne St / Douglas St	Highway 17 (West)	Highway 17 (Coniston)	Whitefish, Lively, Downtown, Coniston
MR 57	Van Horne Street	MR 80	MR 67	Downtown
MR 58	Kathleen Street	MR 42 / MR 38	MR 80	Donovan / Flour Mill
MR 61	Ste-Anne Road	Mackenzie St / MR 67	MR 80	Downtown
MR 63	College Street	MR 35 / MR 55	MR 58	Downtown
MR 66	Barry Downe Road	MR 55	MR 73	New Sudbury
MR 67	Elgin St / Morris St / East St	MR 55 / MR 61	Highway 17	Downtown, Minnow Lake, Coniston
MR 68	Auger Avenue	MR 86	MR 71	New Sudbury
MR 70	Bancroft Drive	MR 67	MR 55	Minnow Lake
MR 71	LaSalle Boulevard	MR 35	MR 86	New Sudbury
MR 72	Second Avenue	MR 67	MR 55 / MR 86	Minnow Lake
MR 73	Maley Drive	MR 71	MR 86	New Sudbury
MR 74	Moonlight Beach Road	MR 67	MR 55	Adamsdale
MR 80	Long Lake Rd / Paris St / Côté Blvd	Dew Drop Rd / Tilton Lake Rd	MR 85	Four Corners, Downtown, Hanmer
MR 84	Capreol Rd / Sellwood Ave / Milnet Rd	MR 80	Sudbury District Border	Hanmer, Capreol, Sellwood
MR 85	Radar Road	MR 86	MR 80	Hanmer
MR 86	Falconbridge Hwy / Skead Rd	MR 55 / MR 72	Skead	New Sudbury, Garson, Skead
MR 88	Elmview Drive	MR 80	Dominion Drive	Hanmer
MR 89	Longyear Drive	MR 86	Edison Road	Falconbridge
MR 90	Garson-Coniston Road	Highway 17	MR 86	Garson, Coniston
MR 93	Second Avenue	MR 67	Highway 17	Coniston
MR 96	Desmarais Road	MR 80	Nelson Lake Rd / Frenchman Lake Rd	Val Thérèse
MR 97	Capreol Lake Road	MR 84	Fire Roads (Capreol/Wahnapitae)	Capreol
MR 537	Greater Sudbury Road 537	Hwy 537 (Finni Rd)	Highway 17	Wahnapitae

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the municipal roads in Greater Sudbury numbered?

The city generally uses a grid-based numbering system where odd numbers are assigned to routes running east-west and even numbers are assigned to routes running north-south.

What is the difference between regional and municipal roads in Sudbury?

Prior to the 2001 amalgamation, the roads were managed by the Regional Municipality of Sudbury and called regional roads. After amalgamation, they became municipal roads under the city's jurisdiction.

Which municipal roads were formerly provincial highways?

Several roads were previously provincial highways, including MR 4 (Highway 658), MR 8 (Highway 544/544A), MR 10 (Highway 549), MR 15 (Highway 634), MR 24 (Highway 536), MR 55 (Highway 17), and MR 86 (Highway 541).

Are there any unique road features in the Greater Sudbury system?

Yes, the system includes a mix of urban streets, divided freeways (such as parts of MR 73), and roads that pass through ghost towns like Victoria Mines (MR 4) and Creighton Mine (MR 24).

Where is the Sudbury Airport located in relation to the municipal roads?

The Sudbury Airport is located on Municipal Road 86 (Falconbridge Highway/Skead Road).