Ontario to consider more sites for new 2+1 highway system. Here's how it works

Ont. to get first 2+1 highway in North America The pilot project, to be constructed on Highway 11 north of North Bay, Ont. will be the first of its kind in North America.

The Ontario government will consider additional locations to implement a new 2+1 highway system following the conclusion of the current pilot project, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed Thursday.

The pilot project, to be constructed on Highway 11 north of North Bay, Ont., was announced Thursday and, when built, will be the first of its kind in North America. The project includes a proposed new three-lane highway featuring a centre passing lane that changes direction about every two to five kilometres.

The 2+1 highway system is used “in other jurisdictions around the world and is more cost-efficient than twinning a highway,” according to the ministry.

“Our government undertook extensive research and consultation to determine potential locations for the first 2+1 highway in Ontario,” Aruna Aundhia, communications manager for the Ministry of Transportation, told CTV News Toronto Thursday.

“Following the completion and evaluation of the pilot, we will consider other potential locations," Aundhia said.

Additional locations could remain a distant possibility, as the province is still accepting proposals for the design and environmental assessment of the pilot project. These proposals will be accepted from qualified highway design consultants until December 2022 and the successful bidder will be announced in 2023, the ministry says.

The delivery date listed on the proposal submission portal is May 16, 2025.

“This first-of-its-kind highway pilot in North America will keep people and goods moving safely across Northern Ontario,” Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, said in a statement issued Thursday.

“This is a key next step to get shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure projects that will support a strong transportation network and create jobs.”

In September, Ontario’s first ‘diverging-diamond’ interchange opened in the Niagara region. The highway is meant to reduce gridlock and improve traffic flow by reconfiguring traffic lanes to allow for direct access to all four directional highway ramps.