The Ford government has taken a major step toward constructing its long-promised, signature Highway 413 project, beginning design work for a nearby extension and initial section of the route.
On Tuesday, the province issued a request for proposals to design an extension for Highway 410 in Brampton, connecting northwards 9.1 kilometres into Caledon and then west along the route sketched for Highway 413 to Hurontario Street.
“Our government is making historic investments in highway infrastructure to get drivers in the GTA and Ontario out of gridlock,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, said in a statement.
The 52-kilometre proposed artery will run from Highway 401 in Milton through Peel Region and into the 400 in Vaughan. The government has touted its potential to reduce travel times, while critics are concerned about its impacts on sprawl and the environment.
The extension marks a major step towards constructing a route that the Ford government revived in 2019 and ran an election on in 2022. In the spring of 2024, the federal government stood down its opposition to the route, which had essentially frozen construction.
Get daily National news
The latest announcement moves a key section of the route forward. The request for proposals will be followed by the government selecting a group to complete the detailed design of the 9.1-kilometre section, then paving the way for construction.
The province has said the highway will save drivers on the route 30 minutes per trip and support 6,000 jobs per year while it is being built.
- Ford distances himself from ICE vehicle order placed with Ontario-based company
- Alberta judges urge respect, independence after Danielle Smith said she wants to ‘direct’ them
- Canada and India vow to boost energy trade. What’s at stake?
- ‘I meant what I said’: Carney says he did not walk back Davos speech to Trump
The province has previously said it plans to build the highway in sections to allow for faster construction, working on pieces of the route instead of its entirety. The section announced Tuesday runs broadly through undeveloped land, making it easier to build.
“Over the next couple of years, you will see the contract has been broken up into many different pieces. That enables more workers to get to work quicker,” Sarkaria said in August.
How much the route will cost taxpayers and when it will be finished remain tightly guarded secrets.
The government has said it planned to get early works shovels in the ground in 2025 and that the cost is included in its $30-billion, 10-year infrastructure capital plan.
Comments