TORONTO, Ont. – In an attempt to lessen highway congestion, the 407 ETR today officially opened another four kilometres of new lanes between Markham and McCowan Roads. The expansion is in addition to the $90 million project that added 50 kilometres of new lanes between Highways 427 and 404 which opened in October.

“More lanes mean faster trips for our customers,” said Antonio de Santiago, president and Chief CEO of 407 ETR. “We’re proud of our reputation as a fast, safe and reliable highway. We’re reinvesting toll dollars into more lanes to keep traffic moving.

“Not only will the additional lanes increase safety and traffic flow, but it benefits the region’s economy by improving productivity,” said de Santiago, noting that the Toronto Board of Trade estimates that over $2 billion is lost each year due to congestion.

The Markham to McCowan project was originally scheduled to commence in 2008. However, the benefits of improved traffic flow justified early lane widening in this section, officials said. By adding the additional lane in each direction, traffic capacity is estimated to increase more than 50%, increasing safety on the busy highway.

“We kept adding lanes while minimizing the disruption to our customers. Crews worked hard throughout the summer and into the fall to make all 54 kilometres of new lanes available to customers as soon as possible,” said de Santiago. “We appreciate our customers’ patience during this construction period, and hope we have exceeded their expectations with the new lanes.”

Over the next year, 407 ETR will continue to widen the highway further west – another 50 lane kilometres between Highways 427 and 401 in Milton. The project is underway and scheduled to be completed by October 2007.