Could a new Highway 401 tunnel expressway be coming to Ontario?

A new tunnel expressway is being proposed under Highway 401 from Mississauga and Brampton to Markham in Ontario.

The province has started a technical evaluation for the construction of a new driver and transit tunnel expressway under Highway 401, Premier Doug Ford announced in Etobicoke Wednesday morning.

This expressway would 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, Ford said.

“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 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.”

While the expected cost of the tunnel wasn’t part of the announcement, Ford said the construction will support economic growth. It will also benefit the economy in the long-term by helping to get goods and services to market sooner, he said.

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Engineering services will be secured through the Ministry of Transportation, with support from Infrastructure Ontario.

The feasibility work will include:

• 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.

The full announcement can be viewed here.