 The routing of Highway 58 was eventually <unk> by two major changes within the Niagara Peninsula . The first was the construction of the Thorold Tunnel , which was built as part of the larger Welland Bypass project of the Welland Canal in order to minimize road and rail crossings that plagued the length of the canal prior to the 1970s . The Thorold Tunnel was designed to carry a divided four lane road beneath the canal , bypassing the swinging bridge between Allanburg Road and Ormond Street . It was built during the winter months between 1965 and 1967 , with the canal drained , and opened on September 18 , 1968 . Following its completion , Highway 58 was rerouted through the tunnel , west of which it forked . At the Pine Road interchange , one fork travelled north on Pine , east along Richmond Street and north along Ormond Street ( now Niagara Regional Road 52 ) . The other fork followed the present route . As part of the creation of the Regional Municipality of Niagara , Highway 8 was transferred to the newly formed region as well as the original alignment of Highway 58 . 
