Highway 6 Morriston Bypass a welcome announcement for OTA

by Truck News

TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario government’s decision to fund the Highway 6 Morriston Bypass between Freelton and Guelph, Ont. was met with applause from the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), as the association says it will help alleviate congestion from Highway 401, which is currently forced to bottleneck onto a two-land road through the community of Morriston.

“The creation of the Morriston Bypass will bring an end to the traffic congestion that has gripped transportation providers travelling through this area,” said David Bradley, president of the OTA. “We believe that once it is built, the bypass will be a huge economic benefit to businesses and transporters in the region, while also improving safety and quality of life for both drivers and the residents of Morriston. Minister (Steven) Del Duca should be applauded for championing this important infrastructure investment.”

The OTA said construction could start as early as 2020 and will include a new 5-km route that bypasses the community of Morriston and improves connectivity with Highway 401, which is being widened from six lanes to 10 with a future HOV land, and the Hanlon Expressway in Guelph. There will also be three new interchanges with improvements made to Highway 401 and existing Highway 6 interchanges, as well as 11 new structures and the development of a local connection road.

The OTA said Highway 6 is a key economic corridor that connects Highway 401 to the Hamilton/Niagara region, with around 25,000 vehicles (nearly 2,800 being commercial trucks) passing through Morriston each day.

The association added that the Morriston Bypass Coalition estimated that the annual value of commuter and commercial time saved during peak periods could be valued at more than $30 million with the creation of the bypass.

The OTA, as a member of the Morriston Bypass and Economic Development Coalition, has advocated for the bypass for years, and said it looks forward to working closely with the government through the design and construction process.


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  • It amazes me that the Golden Horseshoe gets more focus for improvement than a 4-lane highway connecting Ontario to western Canada. I know that TO thinks Canada ends with the 400!