[ARG1]

MTO has the next two phases of the 400 extension starting in 2026/2027, a 12.2km extension of the 400 from the south and 20.4 km twinning of 69 from Hwy 529 southwards.

The QEW widening promised in the election campaign has an unspecified scope, I believe the language was "from Burlington to Niagara". The part of the QEW from Centennial Parkway in Stoney Creek to the 406 is fully built for 8 lanes and widening it to that would be very straightforward, I believe there is only a single structural modification required and a lot of that part of the highway is already paved for 8 lanes. Through St. Catharines would be tough with a lot of land requirements and it was just widened about 15 years ago anyway.. Not sure it's really going to happen. MTO does have long term plans to widen the Burlington Skyway, but I doubt those are coming any time soon. Personally I suspect that MTO will just extend the 8-lane part of the QEW to the 406 for now.

MTO is currently completing the EA for the 401 from Milton to Guelph - we will see if they follow through with funding. The delays to the Morriston Bypass make me think that MTO may do a massive design-build contract for the 401/Morriston Bypass from Cambridge to Milton, but there haven't been any official hints of that yet.

Officially MTO is supposed to start building the bridges over the Grand River for Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph this year.. I'm not sure they will follow through with that though.

A reminder of what MTO supposedly has the "green light" to proceed with construction:


Under Construction:
1. Highway 400 Widening Vaughan - Newmarket
2. St. Thomas Expressway upgrade
3. Highway 3 widening to Leamington
4. Highway 5/6 interchange in Waterdown
5. Highway 17 twinning Manitoba to Kenora
6. Highway 400 Widening

Construction of some sort identified in the 3-year highways program:

7. Bradford Bypass - west segment identified for start in 2026/2027
8. Highway 400 extension to Subury =- 32km of 68 remaining kms identified for start in 2026/2027
9. Highway 7 Kitchener - Guelph - Grand River Bridges identified for start in 2025
10. Highway 401 widening London to Tilbury - 20km from London westward identified for 2026
11. Garden City Skyway twinning - identified for start in 2026/2027

Projects "funded" without clear start dates:

11. 417 Extension to Renfrew
12. Morriston Bypass and 401 widening around the Bypass
13. 413 ("early works" have been identified as starting in 2025)
14. QEW widening "from Burlington to Niagara"
15. Highway 6 twinning to the Hamilton Airport
16. Highway 417 widening Ottawa

Whatever happened to the 404 extension to Highway 12?

 

[ShonTron]

Whatever happened to the 404 extension to Highway 12?

Maybe they finally realized there’s absolutely no justification for that one. I would be happy to see improvements to Highways 12 and 48 in the Sutton-Beaverton area and a better connection between Highway 404 and 48, there’s no need for a full 400-series highway there.

 

[nfitz]

Maybe they finally realized there’s absolutely no justification for that one. I would be happy to see improvements to Highways 12 and 48 in the Sutton-Beaverton area and a better connection between Highway 404 and 48, there’s no need for a full 400-series highway there.

The list was funded projects.

I don't recall ever hearing a funding announcement for extending 404 any further. Presumably sitting in the same abyss that the Morriston bypass and the Highway 8 from Guelph to Kitchener have sat in for a half-century or so.

(perhaps 8 is still in that abyss - the list refers to bridges, not the actual highway!)

 

[ARG1]

The list was funded projects.

I don't recall ever hearing a funding announcement for extending 404 any further. Presumably sitting in the same abyss that the Morriston bypass and the Highway 8 from Guelph to Kitchener have sat in for a half-century or so.

(perhaps 8 is still in that abyss - the list refers to bridges, not the actual highway!)

It was listed as a priority projects in the late liberal days, and iirc it was marketed in the first year of Ford - then it just quietly vanished.

 

[innsertnamehere]

It’s been dead for a while. The EA for the 404 extension from Green Lane to Keswick was done in the late 90’s and included the 404 all the way to highway 12 as well as the Bradford Bypass. The bypass has been revived out of that plan, but not the remaining part of the 404.

I think the 404 could be extended to Highway 48 in Sutton, but isn’t necessary past that. Probably better off improving 48 to a 4-lane road for much less cost over to 12, then 12 up to 169.

Even that level of upgrade isn’t really a priority for MTO right now though other than maybe some upgrades to 12 between 169 and 48, which is the only part that really experiences regular congestion, and even then only from summer cottage traffic.

 

[lenaitch]

Even that level of upgrade isn’t really a priority for MTO right now though other than maybe some upgrades to 12 between 169 and 48, which is the only part that really experiences regular congestion, and even then only from summer cottage traffic.

Particularly in conflict with the gravel trucks hauling out of the pits in the Brechin and Sunderland areas. Even with weekend cottage traffic, I'm not sure I ever saw 12 congested. Busy, yes. I would think the big hole in their long-range planning would be, once they improve it to 12/169, then what? They can't reasonably expand it along 12 into Orillia, and improving it up 169 would come at major cost once you hit the Washago area and all the bridges plus an interchange with 11.

 

[lenaitch]

They should build the new one further north, it doesn't make sense to have an Onroute in Vaughan

It does makes some sense but not for commuters. People might need a break to steel themselves for what is to come, or want a break before they head east or west. It is also a place for trucks to pause waiting for their customer to open or their JIT window.

 

[ShonTron]

It does makes some sense but not for commuters. People might need a break to steel themselves for what is to come, or want a break before they head east or west. It is also a place for trucks to pause waiting for their customer to open or their JIT window.

Yeah. That JIT explanation makes a lot of sense actually. There's nothing as close-in on the 401 (at least since the Mississauga Service Centre closed), so it's still an anomaly especially with Innisfil filling a similar role.

Edit: Come to think of it, there aren't really any easy in/easy out stops off the highway on the 400 south of Highway 89. These are more common on the 401 (Milton Highway 25, for example, has a few fast food and fuel options really close to the exit; Whitby has a few too), so that might be another reason.

 

[afransen]

I don't see any particular reason rest stops like On Route should not exist in urban centres. They are obviously more important in more rural areas, but if they attract enough business to sustain themselves in an urban area, what would we shut them down? Seems arbitrary if there is demand for it, and keeps unnecessary traffic off of local streets.

 

[Morriston1986]

New bridge over Highway 401 ready to open in western GTA | INhalton

Drivers will soon have a new, efficient route that will take them over Highway 401. The long-anticipated bridge, which has been under construction for several years, will open next week in Milton at a realigned Tremaine Road. It is expected that the new bridge will help with traffic between...

halton.insauga.com

Full closure of the 401 July12th in Milton for bridge work. Seeing the on/off ramps recently I am surprised they anticipate December 2026 before they are in use, they look ready for final paving as they so
It

 

[drum118]

New bridge over Highway 401 ready to open in western GTA | INhalton

Drivers will soon have a new, efficient route that will take them over Highway 401. The long-anticipated bridge, which has been under construction for several years, will open next week in Milton at a realigned Tremaine Road. It is expected that the new bridge will help with traffic between...

halton.insauga.com

Full closure of the 401 July12th in Milton for bridge work. Seeing the on/off ramps recently I am surprised they anticipate December 2026 before they are in use, they look ready for final paving as they so
It

Not really outside the norm of 12-18 months for a 10 lane bridge span. Hurontario southbound 4 lane bridge spanning a 10 lane Hwy 407 has taken just over 12 months to build with an on ramp lane for it. The northbound is still under construction with another 2 months to go for a total of 15+ months. Its a big different between the 401 and 407 for traffic flow and how the 401 bridge will be built.

I noticed the sign last week heading eastbound in slow moving traffic with a lot of stop and go.

 

[Morriston1986]

Its not just starting construction though, the new bridge overpass is built and fully paved as of this morning and open to public just today.

The on and off ramps connecting this new Tremaine rd bridge look fully formed and graded, ready for base and pavement, Im confused why from this point it will be 18 months

 

[Transportfan]

It's the piece from the GTA to Peterborough that's all messed up road and alignment-wise.

I wonder why the GTA section was downloaded outright rather than turned into a connecting link for continuity.

 

[nfitz]

I wonder why the GTA section was downloaded outright rather than turned into a connecting link for continuity.

Because most of it is a city streets with driveways everywhere and lots of development. Why create extra redtape? That and the province saving money with lots of expansions clearly necessary in the then future.

 

[ShonTron]

Ontario was unique though in completely downloading highways without maintaining a consistent numbering system. Even before the 1997-1998 downloads, large sections of these highways were already maintained by the local municipalities, under a “connecting link” agreement. (There are still connecting link agreements.)

It was a haphazard, quickly done cost-cutting measure by a terrible Conservative government. Sure, Highway 7 in York Region didn’t really serve a provincial role anymore, but why was Highway 9 split into two? That one made no sense.