Ontario moving forward with Hwy 427 expansion: Plan includes HOT lanes

Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca speaks at a news conference in Vaughan on Thursday, March 3, 2016

The provincial government says it expects construction to begin on an extension of Highway 427 in 2017.

At a news conference on Thursday, Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced that the province is “moving forward with the next phase to expand and extend Highway 427” with the release of a request for proposals to three shortlisted bidders to extend the expressway from Highway 7 by 6.6 kilometres  to Major Mackenzie Drive.

“This project will also include the first new dedicated high-occupancy toll lanes with electronic tolling on Ontario’s highways,” Del Duca said.

The 427 will also be  widened about four kilometres south of Albion Road to Highway 7.

High Occupancy Toll lanes are to open in 2021 on a 15.5-kilometre stretch of the highway from south of Highway 409 to north of Rutherford Road.

The lanes will be free for carpoolers, and will allow single-occupant vehicles to use the lanes for a charge.

Del Duca said HOT lanes reduce traffic congestion.

“And of course, this in turn helps us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” the minister said.

Del Duca has said the province has plans for a network of electronic HOT lanes with pricing that is based on time of day and traffic flows.

The road is expected to be open to traffic in 2020.

-With files from CTV Toronto & The Canadian Press