Widening Hwy 401 through Cambridge continues with Hespeler bridge demolition

Efforts to widen Highway 401 through Cambridge are ramping up again with the demolition of the northbound Hespeler Road bridge.

Work to tear down the aging bridge is scheduled to last just 13 hours, beginning the night of May 1, requiring the highway to be fully closed.

It’s part of a larger effort to widen the 401 through Cambridge from six to 10 lanes.

The stretch east of Highway 8 has already been completed following four years of construction that wrapped up in 2019.

“The work to widen Highway 401 will improve traffic flow and make travel safer for residents and businesses,” said Cambridge MP Bryan May when the construction was announced.

“The project will also make transportation of goods through our region more efficient. Ultimately, safer roads with less congestion will keep Cambridge moving.”

The entire construction project is expected to last until December 2023, but all lanes of the highway are should remain open during peak traffic times.

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Ahead of the demolition, staging work is scheduled to begin this weekend requiring ramp closures and lane reductions over the Hespeler bridge, starting Friday night and lasting until Monday morning.

The Ontario government said the stretch of the 401 is an essential part of its highway network that connects the GTA with southwestern Ontario and the United States.

“Highway 401 is a lifeline for travel and the movement of goods throughout our province and that’s why we are making historic investments to expand and modernize it,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney.

“Together with our federal partners, we are investing in these critical infrastructure projects to drive economic growth and create jobs during these extremely difficult times.”

The province didn’t say how much this latest construction costs, but the federal government is chipping in half of it, to a maximum of $96 million.