Construction begins on 401 expansion in Milton

Published November 29, 2019 at 3:33 pm

While many cities are working hard to encourage residents to drive less by investing in public transit and walkable neighbourhoods, the fact remains that the car is still king in the suburbs and wi

While many cities are working hard to encourage residents to drive less by investing in public transit and walkable neighbourhoods, the fact remains that the car is still king in the suburbs and will probably remain so for some time. 

For that reason, commuters might be pleased to hear that construction has begun on the 401 expansion project in Mississauga. The project was announced back in 2017, and earlier this year, the current provincial government said it would kick off in the fall. 

The $640 million project includes the widening of 18 kilometres of Highway 401 from Mississauga to Milton.

The project will widen the highway from the Credit River in Mississauga to Regional Road 25 in Milton. It also includes reconstruction of bridges as well as upgrades to support facilities and features. 

The expansion is expected to be completed by 2022. 

Once completed, the province says the expanded highway will include:

  • 12 lane core-collector system from the Credit River to Winston Churchill Boulevard.
  • 10 lanes from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Highway 407 ETR/ Highway 401 interchange.
  • 12 lane core-collector system from Highway 407 ETR/ Highway 401 interchange to James Snow Parkway.
  • 10 lanes from James Snow Parkway to RR 25.
  • Median High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
  • New or improved support facilities and features, such as drainage, lighting, signage and carpool lots.

The project is being delivered through Infrastructure Ontario’s design, build and finance Public-Private Partnership model, which transfers risks associated with design, construction and financing of the project to the private sector.

West Corridor Constructors was awarded the contract to design, build and finance the Highway 401 Expansion project.

Approximately 250,000 vehicles travel on Highway 401 in the Peel and Halton regions on a daily basis.

“Hundreds of thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles travel on Highway 401 in this region every day,” Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga-Streetsville, said in a statement. 

“This project will be beneficial to all the people and businesses who rely on these roads.”

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