Ontario expanding 110-km/h speed limits across most 400-series highways
Ontario announced today it is raising speed limits to 110 km/h on an additional 938 km of provincial highways.
The increase will bring the total length of 110-km/h highways to more than 1,800 km. Once fully implemented, nearly 89% of Ontario’s controlled-access highway network will carry the higher speed limit, up from 43% today. Heavy trucks are limited to 105 km/h and must have their speed limiters set at that speed or less.
The changes begin June 26 on sections of Highways 401 and 416 in eastern Ontario and will be rolled out incrementally through Sept. 30. Additional sections of the QEW and Highways 400, 401, 402, 403, 416 and 417 will also see speed limits rise from 100 km/h to 110 km/h.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is helping get drivers where they’re going faster and safely,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in announcing the changes.
Ontario first introduced 110 km/h limits on selected highway sections as pilot projects in 2022 before making them permanent and expanding the program in 2024.
The province said speed limit increases are only being applied to highways that have undergone technical reviews and are designed to safely accommodate higher speeds. Most of Ontario’s freeway network was originally engineered for 110 km/h operation, it added.
New freeways currently under development, including Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass (Highway 425), the Highway 7 expansion between Kitchener and Guelph, and Highway 69 improvements, will be designed with a posted speed limit of 110 km/h. A full list of the changes can be found here.
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“At a time when road safety is a major topic of concern, and accident rates and fatalities have increased on highways in the last 2 year, raising speed limits should not be a priority of a government serious about improving road safety. All research clearly shows an increase in speed directly contributes to more serious consequences when accidents occur. An increase in speed also reduces fuel mileage and increases GHG’s, at a time when we should be concerned about reducing fuel consumption and our environmental footprint. Our focus should be on enforcing rules and regulations, not playing populist politics”