begins to descend into a trench, passing beneath Highway 27, two CN railway spurs, and Iron Street before returning to level grade. Around the interchange with Martin Grove Road, the freeway twists slightly to the north and south between factories and warehouses. At its eastern terminus, the eastbound Highway 409 crosses Kipling Avenue and two of its lanes merge onto each of the Highway 401 express and collector lanes. From Highway 401 westbound, two westbound collector lanes diverge and become the westbound lanes of Highway 409, while the remaining three westbound collector lanes join up with the westbound Highway 401 express lanes to form six lanes west of there. Highway 409 is also accessible from Highway 401 westbound express lanes. History Plans for Highway 409, originally known as the Belfield Expressway, were first presented in 1965 to the Peel County (now Peel Region) council. In September 1968, three possible routes were submitted to the council. At the time, the town of Malton, within Peel County, occupied the area of the planned expressway, having not yet been amalgamated with municipalities within Peel County to the south to create the City of Mississauga. The strip of land would require the expropriation and demolition of 50 houses, as well as several businesses, a school, and two community parks. Citizens of the village formed a group to protest the freeway and to demand another route be taken. An above-grade alternative, similar to the Gardiner Expressway was proposed, as well as a tunnel under the airport. However, at the same time, Toronto was embroiled in heated debate over the fate of its planned urban expressway system. When the Spadina Expressway was cancelled in 1971, the planned Belfield Expressway was completely revised. Instead of continuing northwest from Highway 427 and through Malton's four-corners at Derry Road and Airport Road towards Brampton, it would curve southwest and provide access to the developing Toronto International Airport. Before plans for the new route were finalized, a flyover was built to provide access from Belfield Road to eastbound Highway 401, opening on October 7, 1968. Because the lands on which the freeway was to be built were occupied, the province elected to apply to expropriate the right-of-way in April 1972. Construction was underway by the end of the year, with the first contracts constructing the trench section near Highway 27. Structures, drainage and grading were completed west of Iron Street