Ontario Exploring Feasibility of New Highway 401 Tunnel Expressway

Press Release

September 25, 2024

TORONTO — Today, the Ontario government launched the technical evaluation for the construction of a new driver and transit tunnel expressway under Highway 401. This expressway is expected to provide a new, faster route for some of the most gridlocked roadways in the province north of the City of Toronto, extending from beyond Brampton and Mississauga in the west to beyond Markham and Scarborough in the east. This project is expected to significantly reduce traffic in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) while supporting economic growth during construction and in the long-term by helping to get goods and services to market sooner.

“Ontario’s gridlock problem is leaving the average Toronto-area commuter stuck in traffic for 98 hours every year, taking up precious time that would be better spent with family, friends and loved ones, and is costing our economy $11 billion every year in the GTHA alone,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Today’s announcement is the latest step in our nearly $100 billion plan to tackle this gridlock by building and expanding highways and transit, including Highway 401, the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, so we can get people and goods moving across Ontario once more.”

Engineering services will be secured through the Ministry of Transportation, with support from Infrastructure Ontario. The feasibility work will include the following:

Examining various options to increase Highway 401 capacity, including potential routes within the existing right-of-way, number of lanes, length, and the number and design of interchanges connecting to other highways;
Refining the province’s understanding of the proposed tunnel’s economic contributions, both in the short- and long-term, as well as the project’s impact on reducing gridlock;
Reviewing best practices from similar projects in other jurisdictions;
Conducting initial soil boring testing to improve the province’s understanding of the route’s geology and its impact on design and construction;
Preparing to start the environmental assessment processes for the project; and
Conducting an initial market sounding, with feedback informing any potential procurement and commercial structuring strategies.

Additionally, the province will begin meaningful consultations with First Nations communities about the potential project.

Consistent with the Get It Done Act, 2024, this new expressway would not be tolled.

As Ontario continues to grow, there is a clear need to continue building out the province’s roads and highways to keep drivers moving and improve economic productivity. Ministry of Transportation modelling confirms that by 2051, travel times on the main stretch of Highway 401 will double with travel time taking 90 minutes longer on the 401 through the GTHA. The ministry’s modelling also shows that all of the province’s 400-series highways in the GTHA, including Highway 407, will be at or exceed capacity within the next decade. The numbers of hours lost in congestion will more than triple by 2051 if capacity is not added beyond the committed highway and rapid transit projects, adding to the $11 billion in annual lost productivity the region is already experiencing due to existing congestion.

Quick Facts

Toronto commuters face the longest travel times in North America, spending an average of 98 hours each year in rush-hour traffic, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
Ontario is currently experiencing unprecedented population growth, with more than 500,000 new residents in 2022 and projections forecasting an additional two million by 2031.
As part of Ontario’s nearly $100 billion plan to tackle gridlock by building and improving highways, roads and transit, the province is building major new highway projects including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, while expanding existing highways, including Highway 401.
Construction on Highway 413 is set to begin in 2025 and will save drivers travelling the full length of the highway 30 minutes per trip compared to the existing highway options.
Early works are underway on the Bradford Bypass, which will connect Highway 400 and Highway 404 through York Region and save drivers up to 35 minutes each way.

Quotes

“Commuters in Ontario deserve to spend time with their families, not stuck in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. Our government will continue to invest in building Ontario to make life more convenient and affordable for drivers and grow our economy for everyone.”

– Prabmeet Sarkaria
Minister of Transportation

“Traffic in the GTHA is getting worse and worse, and drivers and businesses alike are counting on us to act. If we don’t expand and secure our trade corridors, Ontario’s economy will suffer while commuters and their families spend even more time stuck in traffic. This proposal is a strategic investment to help drivers get out of gridlock and get trade goods where they’re needed without costly delays.”

– Kinga Surma
Minister of Infrastructure

“Relieving congestion and moving people and goods across the GTHA is critical to our economic prosperity. We’re pleased to be working with MTO on this study and active major projects like the QEW Credit River Bridge and Garden City Skyway to improve commute times for those in the region.”

– Michael Lindsay
President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario

Media Contacts

Grace Lee
Premier’s Office
Grace.Lee5@ontario.ca

Dakota Brasier
Minister Sarkaria’s Office
Dakota.Brasier@ontario.ca

Ash Milton
Minister Surma’s Office
Ash.Milton@ontario.ca

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