Congestion is a common theme throughout Simcoe County and beyond if traveling on Highway 400. The provincial government is taking steps it believes will help ease traffic congestion, particularly along one of the region’s busiest corridors. As part of their $31 billion plan, the province announced an 11 kilometre expansion along Highway 400 between the new Bradford Bypass and Highway 9. The expansion will see the highway grow from six lanes to ten. “The Expansion will add one new HOV lane and one new general purpose lane in each direction, connecting with the existing HOV network south of Highway 9,” said Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. The extension is one of many the province has announced throughout the region, including bridge work throughout Barrie, the Bradford Bypass and now this. “Now what happens is the design process is over, then next year we’ll work with the existing infrastructure that is in place to see how we can do some elements of early work to get this started,” said Sarkaria. The province believes it will transform how business is handled through the area, including Holland Marsh. “The fact that we are connecting infrastructure, the Bradford Bypass to the 400 expansion to a series of Go Station enhancements and new station expansions, and now new subways entering into York Region,” said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan. Newly elected MPP for York-Simcoe Susan Lahey also added how important the expansion would be for local businesses. “It means strengthening an important transportation link that helps move employees, customers and goods,” said Lahey. She added the expansion would strengthen the connections between other cities. “The expansion of Highway 400 from Highway 9 to the future Bradford Bypass will add significant capacity to this corridor and help improve the movement of people and goods for residents,” she said. “That means a more reliable highway and better connections between our communities and the rest of the region.” The announcement comes as the region continues to already see significant delays along Highway 400 with the construction of the Bradford Bypass and bridge work in Barrie.
