The Ford authorities is formally shifting ahead with a proper feasibility examine for a tunnelled expressway under Highway 401, issuing a name for firms to research the viability of the plan.
On Monday afternoon, the federal government posted a request for proposals for firms to undertake a two-year feasibility examine for a tunnelled freeway route from Mississauga to simply east of Scarborough.
The plan was first floated by Premier Doug Ford in September 2024, when he promised the uncosted mega undertaking would assist alleviate ever-worsening congestion on Freeway 401.
On the time, Ford mentioned the feasibility examine would decide selections like the ultimate dimension and scope of the undertaking, however that he deliberate to construct it — regardless of the analysis work concluded.
It has taken six months since that announcement to publish the request for proposals for the feasibility examine. Public paperwork recommend that the profitable bidder might be anticipated to complete the examine by the tip of February 2027.
It’s not clear how lengthy the federal government would then take to digest the outcomes of that examine or work on planning the route itself. A timeline for development or the general price range has additionally not been determined.
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Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria mentioned posting the tunnelling feasibility contract was a significant milestone.
“The discharge of the RFP for the 401 tunnel is a big step ahead in our authorities’s plan to combat gridlock and maintain our roads shifting,” he mentioned in an announcement.
An inner doc, previously seen by Global News, outlined among the necessities and plans for the feasibility examine.
In January, the Ford authorities was in search of:
- Evaluation of a tunnelling choice so as to add car and transit capability
- Consideration of different infrastructure choices, together with elevated highways and adjoining routing
- Excessive-level value estimates and financial evaluation
- Design, environmental and development issues
The interior authorities presentation states that whereas there are “few alternatives to broaden freeway capability with out endeavor main tunnel or fly-over infrastructure choices,” the feasibility examine will even take a look at different routes and different modes of journey.
Corporations are being requested to conduct a complete evaluation of “different car and transit capability choices,” and to additionally establish different “complementary congestion aid choices.”
International Information understands some adjustments have been made to the plan for the feasibility plan between January and the RFP being posted on Monday.
Whereas work will quickly be underway on the feasibility examine, the concept of a tunnel underneath Freeway 401 was not new when it was unveiled final 12 months.
For years, Canadian development agency Aecon has been procuring the suggestion of a tunnel expressway to political leaders, Global News previously revealed.
First, in 2015, a tunnel from Freeway 427 to the Don Valley Parkway was pitched to the town of Toronto, then the identical concept was floated to the Ontario Liberal authorities. Later, in 2019, Aecon made an identical proposal to the Ford authorities as an unsolicited proposal with a price ticket of round $50 to $60 billion.
The concept lay dormant for a while till it was formally unveiled and backed on the finish of final summer time.
The promise was a part of the Progressive Conservatives’ pitch through the February snap election, by which they received a majority.
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