Ontario gets moving on Highway 401 tunnel feasibility study

Ontario is taking a factual measurement toward an thought Premier Doug Ford has championed to physique a passageway nether Highway 401.

Ford has spoken often of the request to code gridlock and railed against mislaid productivity arsenic a effect of it. He archetypal raised the thought of gathering a passageway nether Highway 401 last fall.

In effect to concerns astir a task of that size perchance costing tens of billions of dollars, helium has said the state would bash a feasibility study, nevertheless helium has pledged to get the passageway built regardless.

"The crushed we're having a feasibility survey is it's going to find the length. If they're telling me, 30 kilometres is X, 40 kilometres is Y, and 70 kilometres oregon 60 kilometres is different cost, let's instrumentality a look astatine it," helium said erstwhile helium announced his program successful September.

"But we're going to get the occupation done, people my words."

The state has present issued a petition for proposals for a survey to find the feasibility of a passageway and respective different options including an elevated highway, adding much lanes and truck-only lanes.

It does contemplate the anticipation of a passageway oregon elevated road not being possible.

"If nary capableness enlargement enactment is determined to beryllium feasible, past congestion mitigation options are to beryllium identified arsenic alternate to expansion," the petition tells prospective proponents.

Study to beryllium implicit by wintertime of 2027

It besides says the survey should look to spot however different jurisdictions person mitigated congestion, including an valuation of high-occupancy conveyance lanes, bus-only lanes and truck-only lanes.

The petition says the survey should measure the larger options — including the passageway — connected a semipermanent horizon, specifying the twelvemonth 2051.

The survey itself is expected to beryllium completed successful February 2027.

WATCH | Examining the passageway terms tag: 

Opposition leaders person suggested the passageway volition ne'er really get built and is simply a "silly" idea.

"His large precedence is to get the feasibility survey done connected this silly passageway nether the 401, this imaginary tunnel," NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Tuesday.

"I deliberation that speaks to the information that this premier inactive doesn't really, I think, person Ontarians' priorities wide successful his mind."

Province seeking reappraisal of champion practices

As portion of the feasibility study, the state is besides seeking a reappraisal of champion practices from akin projects, including a projected four-lane postulation passageway successful downtown Ottawa that ne'er moved forward.

That feasibility survey outgo $750,000 and recovered that a 3.4-kilometre passageway crossed downtown Ottawa would outgo upwards of $2 cardinal successful 2016 dollars. That passageway has not been built.

The premier has said helium wants to see a passageway from Brampton and Mississauga successful the westbound to Scarborough and Markham successful the east. The petition for proposals says the survey should besides see shorter passageway lengths, specified stop/start locations considering Highway 410 and 427, and Highway 404.

"Tunnel/elevated road options should, arsenic a minimum, see connections (depending connected tunnel/elevated road length) to Highways 410, 427, 409, 400 and 404," the petition for proposals says.

The state is besides looking to larn from the experiences of gathering the Channel Tunnel, a 50-kilometre undersea obstruction passageway connecting England and France, arsenic good arsenic 2 tunnels built successful Australia and 1 successful Japan, positive elevated highways successful Texas and India.