Provincial Budget announced by Finance Minister Phillips contained key future highway commitments for the Province of Ontario, including the Bradford Bypass and The Greater Toronto Area West Corridor.

“Investment in infrastructure is a key component of economic recovery. The Province continues to make smart investments in highways, roads and bridges which improve road safety and commutes, support job creation and grows the economy,” said OTA President Stephen Laskowski.

Bradford Bypass:

This government is building on a longstanding commitment to move forward with the construction of the Bradford Bypass after it was put on hold by the previous government. Planning and design work is underway for this 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.

The project will support both short-term and longer-term economic recovery, address capacity issues, reduce congestion on existing east-west local roads between Highway 400 and Highway 404 and promote the enhanced movement of goods and people along Ontario highways and strategic trade corridors.

The Province is advancing engineering and environmental assessment work, which will allow the Province to begin early works as early as fall 2021.

The Greater Toronto Area West Corridor:

The GTA West corridor will include a four-to-six lane 400-series highway, separate infrastructure dedicated for transit and passenger stations, as well as intelligent transportation features and truck parking. By 2031, the overall traffic on this route is expected to exceed 300,000 vehicle trips per day. Preliminary design work and consultations will continue over the next two years, with the Environmental Assessment (EA) expected to be complete in 2022. The preliminary design of the preferred route, which will include associated property requirements, is expected to be released by fall 2021.