New $37.3M Hwy 89/400 interchange will ‘improve traffic flow’

Hwy 89 Bridge work Major construction at Highway 89 impacts commuters on the 400. Sean Grech explains.

Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin announced this afternoon that a new bridge at the intersection of Highway 400 and Highway 89 in Innisfil would be constructed to keep up with commuter demand.

“The bridge behind me was built in 1950, and it’s over 70 years old, so I believe it’s about time to get working,” Khanjin said.

The new interchange is expected to improve traffic flow and help accommodate the future widening of the 400 highway.

“In Innisfil alone, over 70 percent of people commute to work. This is going to make a massive impact to their commute. It means they are going to have more options whether it’s taking the GO train or getting in their car,” she said.

Roughly 17,000 drivers use the Highway 89 bridge over Highway 400 with an estimated 90,000 drivers travelling the stretch of Highway 400 under the overpass.

While construction is underway, the goal will be to keep drivers moving the entire time.

“There’s already been some minor traffic shifts on the 400, but we do that all overnight to try and minimize the amount of influence we have on the traffic,” said Steven Clay, Fermar Paving Ltd.

The project is valued at $37.3 million and is expected to be completed by 2021.