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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

A lot of cottagers spend summers at the cottage and winters in Florida at their affordably purchased condo or home in Orlando or somewhere, which they purchased after selling their old primary dwelling in Canada. And they drive between the two each year on the Ontario Freeway network ;)

That only works for so many years though. Eventually, usually by your late 70's or early 80's, it becomes too much.
 
Sigh.

From the Budget:

The Bradford Bypass, a new 16.2-kilometre four-lane controlled access freeway that will connect two busy Ontario highways — Highway 400 and Highway 404 — in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and the Town of East Gwillimbury. Ontario is advancing engineering and environmental assessment work, which will allow early works to begin as early as fall 2021
 

York Region unanimously supports Bradford Bypass construction​

From link.

bradford-bypass.jpg


While Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition and Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, is asking the federal government for a new environmental assessment for the Bradford Bypass, York Regional Council is sending a letter to the federal government in support of constructing the 16 km link between Highways 404 and 400.

Opponents argue that policies have changed dramatically in the 20-years since the project was started and approval for such a large infrastructure project on environmentally sensitive land :-“when the context has changed dramatically is concerning.”

“It is so dated that you have to start over.”

The proposed Bradford Bypass is a 16.2-kilometre freeway connecting Highway 400 and Highway 404 in York and the County of Simcoe. The Environmental Assessment for the project is currently being updated, with approval expected by the end of December 2022.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained AECOM Canada Ltd. to complete a Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the proposed Highway 400 – Highway 404 Link (Bradford Bypass). MTO previously completed a route planning study for the Bradford Bypass in 1997 and a subsequent EA and Recommended Plan were approved in 2002.

The bypass will run between Lines 8 and 9 in Bradford West Gwillimbury, crossing a small portion of King Township and will connect to Highway 404 between Queensville Sideroad and Holborn Road in East Gwillimbury. There are proposed full and partial interchanges, as well as grade separated crossings at intersecting municipal roads and watercourses, including the Holland River and Holland River East Branch. This project will also include the Preliminary Design for the replacement of the 9th Line structure on Highway 400.York Regional Council unanimously supports the highway construction.

“This has been studied and discussed since the late 1980s. We need the infrastructure for the growth that has already occurred,” said Rob Grossi, Georgina regional councilor.

A staff report also supported the project and the process.

“Staff has not been able to identify any instance of the minister exercising their discretion in this manner over a project that would otherwise only be regulated by a provincial environmental assessment process,” the report concluded.

“The Region anticipates the current provincial environmental assessment process for the Bradford Bypass will continue to address environmental, social, economic and health issues as well as necessary public consultation to balance the needs for all community stakeholders.”

The report said the Bypass project fits into York Region’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan.

“The Bradford Bypass, also known as the Highway 400-404 Link, supports the Region’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan (2016) and is an important component of servicing planned growth in the Region. The Region has long supported the Bradford Bypass Project and has been consulted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation since the original Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) approved in 2002.”

York Regional Council’s letter to the federal government will support the provincial EA process.
Click to expand...
 
Looks like the 400 is getting more widening, from Langstaff to Major Mack and from King Road to Highway 9. King to 9 is fully expected as all but 2km of that stretch is already being done as a part of interchange replacements, but the Langstaff part is a surprise. That’s a major bottleneck, but I figured the province expected the 427 extension to take a lot of pressure off that stretch.

I’m sure bringing that widening north to the Bradford Bypass is in short order as well.

The budget also announced that the province will be widening highway 6 in Hamilton from the airport to the 403, which is a surprise. I figured that was coming but not quite this soon. I wonder if it will be a full freeway with new interchanges at the airport and Book Road or just a second carriageway. With the amount of growth Caledonia is experiencing right now too I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s extended to the Caledonia Bypass at some point as well.
 
I'm hoping the new EA doesn't cut any corners. This would be a welcome infrastructure project to the area, but it needs to be done with care. If things are glossed over or rushed, then environmental groups have every right to demand we go back to square one.
 
Yes the Highway 6 widening in Hamilton is uprising. Guess they don't really care about Guelph's stretch of the 6 until the new Highway 7 freeway is well underway.

Hamilton's airport is going to be busier post-covid with budget airlines like Swoop potentially becoming more popular. It's also becoming a larger cargo destination with Pearson reaching capacity. I'd like to see interchanges on it to the airport for the best long-term benefit. Anything past the airport isn't needed for some time but best to plan it.

Not much news outside of the Golden Horseshoe regarding highway projects in the budget. I'm curous about a few projects including 7/8 twinning to Shakespeare, 401 widening updates from Tilbury to London. 400 progress towards Sudbury, and Highway 417 extension & 17 twinning efforts.

...But I guess with Covid and massive deficits we won't see a big expansion on the road network- best to simply maintain what we have for now. I'm supportive of sinking as much cash as possible to get other critical infrastructure done like the Ontario Line, Darlington refurbishment and the Garden City Skyway replacement.
 
Haljackey said:
Yes the Highway 6 widening in Hamilton is uprising. Guess they don't really care about Guelph's stretch of the 6 until the new Highway 7 freeway is well underway.

Hamilton's airport is going to be busier post-covid with budget airlines like Swoop potentially becoming more popular. It's also becoming a larger cargo destination with Pearson reaching capacity. I'd like to see interchanges on it to the airport for the best long-term benefit. Anything past the airport isn't needed for some time but best to plan it.

Not much news outside of the Golden Horseshoe regarding highway projects in the budget. I'm curous about a few projects including 7/8 twinning to Shakespeare, 401 widening updates from Tilbury to London. 400 progress towards Sudbury, and Highway 417 extension & 17 twinning efforts.

...But I guess with Covid and massive deficits we won't see a big expansion on the road network- best to simply maintain what we have for now. I'm supportive of sinking as much cash as possible to get other critical infrastructure done like the Ontario Line, Darlington refurbishment and the Garden City Skyway replacement.
Click to expand...
Hamilton's Airport Growth Employment Area is really set to take off over the next few years as well, which will likely drive traffic on the stretch. There will essentially be a huge boom in industrial traffic in the area. I'm just surprised to see it now as that highway generally operates fine today (I actually drive it semi-regularly). I figured it would be in the 5-10 year timeframe, not now.

They only announce so many projects a year. Those are all on the roster I'm sure, but there is only so much money to go around.

The next highest priorities for money I see are likely more interchanges in Guelph for 6, as I believe they initiated the EAs a few years ago for those. I also expect to see money for widening the 403 in Oakville/Mississauga soonish, and more widening of the 400. All the bridge work is going to be done to bring the widening to Bradford in a year or two, so that will likely be soon, and I bet we will see widenings announced through Barrie soon as well. The bridge replacements to allow for a widening from Bayfield to Mapleview are going to happen very soon.

Most of those projects you mentioned are already happening and officially funded, other than the 7/8 widening. Stratford is still growing fairly slowly so I would be surprised to see that soon. Maybe the 4 laning part through New Hamburg as an interim measure.

My guess as to what MTO's next projects (minus political additions) are as follows:

1. 400 widening Newmarket to Bradford
2. 403 Widening Oakville
3. new interchanges on the Hanlon Expressway to bring a full expressway from the 401 to Wellington St.
4. Barrie 400 widening Mapleview to Bayfield
5. 401 widening Trenton to Belleville

A few more projects that I think are near term, but not quite as imminent, in no particular order:

6. QEW/403 Widening Burlington (Extend HOVs to Burlington Skyway, widen Highway 403 to 8 lanes to Waterdown Road)
7. 401 widening Whitby / Oshawa - likely extend C/E to 412, 8 lanes through to Bloor St if I had to guess
8. 410 widening north of Queen St
9. 404 widening Stouffville Rd to Davis Dr
10. Highway 89 widening Alliston to the 400, including the Cookestown bypass
 
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