Possible expansion of Hwy. 400 through Barrie would be a SuperBuild

It’s possible both cottagers and truckers who regularly travel back-and-forth on Highway 400, between Toronto and Barrie, may be getting some traffic congestion relief in the next few years.

Through its $1 billion SuperBuild program, the province of Ontario is launching a review of transportation needs in the northern GTA-including an eight-month Simcoe Highway Network Assessment. Options that will be studied include a Barrie by-pass, widening of Hwy. 400 from Hwy. 89 north through Barrie, infrastructure improvements to Hwy. 11 and better access to Collingwood and southern Georgian Bay.

The government also announced it would conduct another study, which will determine long-term widening options from Major Mackenzie Drive to south of Hwy. 89. Both studies are expected to be complete by the fall of 2001.

“Traffic volumes in this part of the province continue to increase as residents, tourists, commercial vehicles and cottagers contribute to the area’s growth,” Ontario Transportation Minister David Turnbull said in a statement. “Long-range planning is a critical step in making sound decisions on future highway construction.”