The final 22-kilometre stretch of the Highway 407 extension from Harmony Road in Oshawa to Highway 35/115 in Clarington is nearing completion, the construction company behind the project says.
Crews are working on some of the paving as well as the interchange at Highway 35/115.
“We can confirm that the Highway 407 East Phase 2 project is on schedule and will open by 2020 as planned,” said Brian Fox, a spokesperson for Blackbird Infrastructure Group, in an email to Global Peterborough.
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In addition to extending Highway 407 to Highway 35/115, Phase 2 of the project will also connect highways 401 and 407 with a 10-kilometre Highway 418 in Clarington and provide eight new interchanges along Highway 407.
While the highway is still not open, the effects of the expansion are being felt in nearby Cavan Monaghan Township, about 20 kilometres northeast of the exit joining highways 407 and 35/115.
“From a residential standpoint, we’re seeing an influx of people moving to the area from Durham Region and further west from that,” said Matthew Graham, deputy mayor of Cavan Monaghan Township. “We’re excited to welcome those residents, but it is putting pressure on the housing market.”
Millbrook, a village in Cavan Monaghan Township, is seeing an increase in residents as construction of a large subdivision is underway.
“I believe Pase 1 is near complete sale,” Graham said. “I know the initial period was huge, and we’re seeing residents over the last 12 months moving in. We’re excited to have them.”
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With another link between Peterborough County and the Greater Toronto Area nearly completed, Peterborough County officials say there has been a lot of interest from prospective residents and businesses who may want to relocate here.
“We have seen an increase in activity and inquiries. Our pre-consultation meetings have been on the rise, and there has been a lot of interest in the west side of Peterborough County,” said Bryan Weir, director of planning for Peterborough County. “We are seeing an increase in density. We’re meeting provincial growth targets.”
Under the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the province has set a target for Peterborough County to have 35 residents and jobs per hectare by 2031.
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“Most of the area is meeting that. You would think that 35 residents and jobs per hectare would be pretty dense, but it’s not that bad,” Weir said. “It doesn’t constitute highrise development so it’s consistent with what we’re seeing already in the area.”
In the past, new portions of Highway 407 have opened without tolls for the first few months. There is no word yet on when tolls will begin on the final phase of Highway 407 once it is open to traffic.
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