The Ontario government is moving ahead to get shovels in the ground on Highway 413 after reaching an agreement with the federal government for the project to proceed with strong environmental protections in place.

Highway 413 is a proposed 52-km highway and transitway that will include extensions to Highways 410 and 427.

“We are delivering on our promise to build Highway 413 with a plan to fix gridlock and get drivers across Halton, Peel and York regions where they need to go faster,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Highway 413 will help meet the needs of our growing province as a prosperity corridor that will create thousands of good-paying union jobs during the construction phase and make life easier and more convenient for millions of drivers in the GTA and across Ontario. We’re getting it done.”

The province is currently undertaking fieldwork, including borehole drilling and engineering, to evaluate soil composition and bedrock depth. By mid-May, the province will be hosting a market sounding event with key private sector experts to discuss ways to move construction forward quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of new technologies and project acceleration strategies while maximizing opportunities for economic development.

Land acquisition

The province will be meeting with property owners to acquire land at fair market value and following the coming into force of the Get it Done Act, if passed, will begin expediting land acquisitions in the fall. In addition, the province is planning for the release of the first early works construction contracts to begin building Highway 413 in 2025, subject to all necessary approvals.

Stephen Laskowski, president of the Ontario Trucking Association expressed support for the highway.

“Today’s announcement on Highway 413 is a game changer. Highway 413 is a critical piece of infrastructure and a key part of promoting the growth and economic prosperity of our province by vastly improving access to national and international supply chains. Once again, the Ford government has shown its support for Ontario’s trucking industry and economic growth is unwavering,” he said.