407 ETR has announced the official opening of 33 new lane kilometres on Highway 407 ETR between Highway 401 and Highway 410. There is now an additional lane in each direction in this area to maintain the flow of traffic for drivers.
This marks the third year in a row that 407 ETR has added new lanes on the Highway and signifies its ongoing investments to enhance and expand the roadway and driving experience. Since privatization, 407 ETR has effectively doubled the Highway 407 ETR’s capacity, adding over 600 lane kilometres since 2001. This work has been completed in an efficient manner to keep traffic moving – and at no cost to taxpayers. All of the work completed was done under COVID-19 requirements for construction and the new lanes were inspected and approved for opening by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
The decision to proceed with investment into additional lanes took place despite the various socio-economic unknowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as the company believes being prepared for the recovery and managing traffic is of the utmost importance.
The Highway has now been built to approximately 90% of its maximum number of lanes. Careful planning continues on how to best manage traffic to ensure that drivers continue to save time and enjoy a safe trip with reliable trip times.
As construction proceeded, the Company immediately responded to the impact of the pandemic on local communities and hospitals across the GTA.
“407 ETR responded quickly to the pandemic and assisted the communities we serve by donating free travel to hospital staff across the corridor and by giving $5.2 million to hospitals and United Way agencies across the GTA for emergency response and to fund the recovery into 2021 and 2022. This has been a vital time for our drivers and I am very proud of what we have been able to do on behalf of our customers, staff and the company.”
QUICK FACTS
- Total annual trips have increased 74%, from 71.9 million in 1999 to over 125 million in 2019.
- Since 2001, 407 ETR has added more than 600 km of lanes to the highway at no cost to tax payers.
- Since assuming operation and maintenance of the highway, 407 ETR has invested more than $1.6B in extensions and expansions to accommodate the growing volume of drivers. This is above and beyond its $3.1B investment for the lease agreement.
- 407 ETR pays all costs of operating the highway, including the full cost of policing, snow removal, enforcement by the Ministry of Transportation and repairs and maintenance to the roadway.
ABOUT 407 ETR
Highway 407 ETR is a 108 km toll road located across the top of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Pre-pandemic we served almost 500,000 drivers and passengers from Burlington to Pickering each day, and save drivers more than 30 million hours every year so they have more time for the things that matter most. Since 1999, Highway 407 ETR has supported economic benefits totaling $15.9 billion within Ontario. Making life better for customers and surrounding communities is an important focus for the company. We support 20 local hospitals each year and sponsor more than 170 children and youth sports teams across the Highway. Learn more at 407etr.com/community.
The Company is owned by indirectly owned subsidiaries of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (total 50.01%), Cintra Global S.E., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovial S. A. (43.23%) and by SNC-Lavalin (6.76%).
