Highway 400 widening through King Township

January 7, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
One of Ontario’s major transportation routes is undergoing a face lift through King Township.
Preliminary design work is set to begin on Highway 400, along the stretch from King Road to South Canal Bridge.
URS Canada Inc. has been retained by the Minister of Transportation (MTO) for detail design and a class Environmental Assessment (EA) on the widening.
The project includes widening of Highway 400 of an interim 8 lanes and grading for an ultimate 10-lane cross-section, including an HOV lane in each direction. It will also include reconstruction of the Highways 9 and 400 interchange, including replacement of the bridge on Highway 9. The commuter parking lot will be expanded. The South Canal Bridge will also be replaced.
According to Astrid Poei, communications coordinator with MTO, Highway 400 is an important route between the GTA and northern Ontario, as well as York and Simcoe regions.
This project was identified and detailed in the Highway 400 from North of Major Mackenzie Drive to South Canal Bridge (W.P. 222-97-00) Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR June 2002).
An analysis showed that existing traffic volumes along Highway 400 within the study area are reaching the capacity of the existing six lanes (three in each direction). Future traffic volumes are expected to increase and exceed capacity, creating significant delays along this section of Highway 400.
The highway widening is needed for traffic staging purposes and is consistent with the future expansion of Highway 400 to eight lanes. As part of this project, eight lanes will be paved (including a median HOV lane in each direction) but only six lanes (3 per direction) will be opened to traffic to maintain consistency with the Highway 400 cross-section north and south of the project limits. Once the future HOV widening is completed south of the project limits, the HOV lanes within this section will be opened to traffic.
“These improvements will increase safety and help goods and people move more quickly through this area,” Poei said.
The proposed construction staging for this project is expected to require four construction seasons to complete. MTO anticipates construction to begin in 2015 but Poei said they still need to secure the necessary environmental approval permits.
The province will be funding this project, but cost estimates can’t be revealed until the procurement process is complete.
MTO will work with King Township and York Region on the proposed detail design, she said.
This detail design project is one of a series of projects that will provide improvements to the section of Highway 400 from King Road northerly to the South Canal Bridges.
This project will replace the aging bridges at Highway 9 and South Canal. The structural needs at Lloydtown-Aurora Road and 16th Sideroad will be addressed under the follow-up projects.