Southbound and northbound HOV lanes are now open between Major Mackenzie Drive and Highway 9

April 22, 2026 · 0 Comments

Stephen Lecce, MPP for King—Vaughan, announced the successful completion of the Highway 400 widening project between Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan and Highway 9 in King, with new northbound and southbound HOV lanes now open. As King and Vaughan continue to grow, widening Highway 400 is essential to tackle gridlock, drive economic growth and help commuters in King and Vaughan get where they need to go, faster.
“Families in King and Vaughan have told me time and time again: end the gridlock by expanding highways, subways and GO stations. The 400-series highway network is nearing capacity — setting families back as they waste time idling in congestion,” said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King—Vaughan. “As MPP, I am proud to deliver investment and a fully completed highway 400 expansion. We officially opened the 400-highway HOV lane expansion between Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan to Highway 9 in King. This completion will relieve a key bottleneck, coupled with Ontario’s gas tax cut, will save families time and money.”
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is widening more than 26 kilometres of Highway 400 between Langstaff Road and Highway 9 in York Region to 10 lanes. The widening includes eight general purpose lanes and two Highway Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for approximately 22 kilometres. The widening of Highway 400 from Langstaff Road to Major Mackenzie Drive started in May 2024 and is well underway.
“Not only is gridlock costing our economy billions of dollars every year, it’s robbing Ontario drivers of valuable time and quality of life,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “That’s why our government is making record investments to widen our highways and build the infrastructure Ontario needs to keep people and goods moving. This work is another important step in our plan to fight gridlock, support economic growth and help drivers get where they need to go faster.”
The Ontario government is investing nearly $28 billion over the next decade to repair, build and expand highways, roads, and bridges here at home and across the province.
This includes building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, twinning the Garden City Skyway and widening major highways such as Highway 400, 401, 404 and the QEW. The Maple Plaza is also being renovated as a brand-new ON Route, located off Highway 400 southbound between King Road and Teston Road.
“This is great news for Vaughan and York Region residents who rely on Highway 400 every day. Fighting traffic gridlock and getting people to and from work faster is one of my top priorities, and as our communities grow, our infrastructure must keep pace. We’re doing our part by building new roads, expanding existing ones and investing in the critical infrastructure that keeps our city moving,” said Mayor Steven Del Duca. “I thank the Government of Ontario for supporting these efforts and helping make commuting easier across our city and the region, and Stephen Lecce, MPP for King—Vaughan, along with the Ministry of Transportation, for their partnership in bringing this important work to completion.”
This significant milestone adds to the extensive list of results delivered by MPP Stephen Lecce for King and Vaughan. Just last month, MPP Stephen Lecce announced the transfer of Ministry of Transportation land to the City of Vaughan to build the future Kleinburg-Nashville Community Centre. Vaughan will also soon be home to Canada’s first medical school dedicated to training family physicians, the York University School of Medicine, and a new long-term care home beside the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, with shovels in the ground expected later this year.
“The widening of Highway 400 through King Township is a major milestone for one of Ontario’s most important transportation corridors,” said Mayor of King Township, Steve Pellegrini. “These improvements will help manage congestion and traffic pressures while allowing people to move more efficiently across King and our neighbouring municipalities, and aligns with the Township’s new Transportation Master Plan, which identifies priority goods‑movement corridors that protect local roads, improve safety and support economic activity across the region. I want to thank MPP for King—Vaughan, Stephen Lecce, for his leadership and advocacy in helping bring this important project to completion.”
Widening Highway 400 supports the province’s more than $236 billion plan to build, which is the largest infrastructure plan in Canadian history, keeping Ontario workers on the job as the province faces down the impact of tariffs and economic uncertainty. Gridlock costs Ontario $56 billion each year, according to a report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis. If left unchecked, those costs could grow to $108 billion by 2044.
Highway 400 was widened to five lanes in each direction between Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan and Highway 9 in King, with additional work underway to widen the highway until Langstaff Road in Vaughan.
Ontario currently has 237 kilometres of HOV lanes, with plans underway to add another 146 kilometres to the network.
Single-occupant vehicles remain the dominant mode of transportation on Ontario’s highways, representing 72 per cent of vehicles on provincial highways in 2022.