The Ontario government is introducing legislation that would, if passed, allow the province to build highways faster, getting drivers out of gridlock and where they need to go. The Building Highways Faster Act would designate priority highway projects to speed up construction, with Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway bridge all set to receive this designation.
“Every minute wasted in traffic is a minute that could be spent with friends, family, and the people who matter most,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Our government understands how frustrating it is to be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and the need to build highways and roads to help get people moving. That is why we’re moving forward with the common-sense changes, like 24/7 construction, proposed in this legislation.”
The Building Highways Faster Act would streamline utility relocations, accelerate access to property and property acquisitions and introduce new penalties for obstructing access for field investigations or damaging equipment. The legislation would also allow regulation making authority to facilitate around-the-clock, 24/7 construction on priority highway projects.
“Ontario is experiencing unprecedented population growth, with an additional two million residents expected by 2031,” added Minister Sarkaria. “If we don’t accelerate an increase in capacity beyond our existing highway and rapid transit projects, all 400-series highways in the GTHA, including Highway 407, will be at or exceed capacity within the next decade.”
To further streamline the building process, the government is also proposing legislation that would create an accelerated environmental assessment process for Highway 413, allowing the province to proceed with early works while maintaining Ontario’s stringent oversight of environmental protections.
The government’s proposed changes are part of upcoming legislation that will kick off the fall sitting of the Ontario legislature on October 21, 2024, with a focus on tackling gridlock and getting drivers and commuters across Ontario out of traffic.
Quick Facts
- Toronto commuters face the longest travel times in North America, spending an average of 98 hours each year in rush-hour traffic, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
- Gridlock on Ontario highways and roads costs the economy $11 billion annually in lost productivity.
- Earlier this year, the government introduced the Get It Done Act, 2024, to cut red tape and streamline approvals for key infrastructure projects. The Building Highways Faster Act will compliment this existing legislation, working to get shovels in the ground sooner and save more taxpayer dollars.
- Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass are part of Ontario’s $28 billion plan to build, repair and upgrade roads, highways and bridges across the province.
- The Garden City Skyway bridge expansion includes the construction of a new four-lane, 2.2-kilometre bridge across the Welland Canal and the rehabilitation of the current bridge deck.
- The Ontario government is providing up to $73 million to the City of Toronto to help accelerate construction on the Gardiner Expressway by at least one year.
- In February 2020, the government introduced the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020, which is enabling the accelerated completion of the government’s priority transit projects.