The Ontario government announced on Wednesday (July 23) that it is proceeding with a project to replace the Choate Road overpass and Ganaraska River bridge on Highway 401 in Port Hope.
The project is part of the province’s future plan to widen Highway 401 near Port Hope to eight lanes by 2051 and to 10 lanes by 2081.
In addition to replacing the overpass and bridge, the government says work will also be carried out on to resurface Highway 401 west of County Road 2/Toronto Road to east of Cranberry Road.
“As Ontario continues to grow, our government is investing historic amounts to protect Ontario by building the new roads, highways, and bridges we need to keep drivers moving and our economy growing,” says Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria in a media release. “Replacing these bridges near Port Hope is vital for eastern Ontario as it paves the way for widening Highway 401 and will save time for the over 50,000 drivers who rely on this stretch every day.”
The Ministry of Transportation initiated a preliminary design study in June 2020 for the project, which was followed by a detailed design, public consultation, and an environmental assessment.
“This project represents a significant investment in the future of Port Hope’s transportation infrastructure,” says Port Hope mayor Olena Hankivsky. “The planned improvements to Highway 401 are a vital step toward building a safer, more efficient and more resilient community. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Ontario government to bring this vision to life.”
In eastern Ontario, the province has already replaced 20 bridges to accommodate future widening of Highway 401. Several planning studies are also underway for additional bridge replacements and interchange improvements to accommodate the future widening of the highway.
“Families in Port Hope and surrounding areas deserve to spend more time at home and less time in traffic,” says Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini. “By pushing forward with our plan to build roads, highways and bridges, out government is protecting jobs, reducing gridlock, and keeping Port Hope and the rest of Ontario competitive.”
Although the province provided no details about the cost or timeline for the project, earlier documents related to the project indicated a cost of over $80 million and a timeline of six years.
