Province Fighting Gridlock in North Toronto
Study will explore options for redesigning the Highway 401/Yonge Street interchange
TORONTO — The Ontario government is standing up for drivers in the City of Toronto by exploring ways to reduce congestion at the Highway 401/Yonge Street interchange. The province is funding a study on reducing gridlock and improving the flow of traffic and goods through one of Toronto’s busiest interchanges.
“Drivers in north Toronto have had enough of sitting in traffic and deserve to spend more time with their families,” said Stan Cho, MPP for Willowdale. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is taking decisive action to help drivers in North York get where they’re going quickly and safely.”
The city will be issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to undertake a municipal class environmental assessment to determine improvements to the interchange. The study will consider traffic operations and safety on Yonge Street and Highway 401. The province will cover half of the cost of the study and serve as a technical advisor on the project.
“Our government is investing more than $28 billion in new roads and highways so drivers in the Greater Toronto Area spend less time in gridlock and more time doing the things they love,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “To do this, we’re relying on the leadership of local advocates like MPP Cho, as part of our historic plan, which also includes building Highway 413 while finding ways to reduce congestion on existing highways.”
A recent study from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis found that congestion is costing Ontario an estimated $56.4 billion annually. If the province doesn’t take action to expand highway infrastructure, the cost of congestion could rise to $108 billion a year by 2044.
Ontario is investing almost $28 billion over the next 10 years to build, repair and expand highways, roads and bridges across the province to combat gridlock and keep drivers moving.
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.
- Ontario is helping the City of Toronto accelerate construction on the Gardiner Expressway by providing up to $73 million in provincial funding. Construction is four months ahead of schedule.
- The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act received Royal Assent in November 2024. The province can now move forward to accelerate construction of Highway 413 and the Garden City Skyway bridge twinning project.
