Things could be getting a little bit faster on our 400 series highways.
Premier Doug Ford says he is leaving no stone unturned in his goal to help fight gridlock and reduce travel times.
He said that he is already aware that the posted 100 km/h in most of these zones are not being followed, and if they are, it’s actually causing more hassle.
But Ford reiterated that if portions of the highway are not safe for the speed increase, it won’t happen.
In the same press conference, Ford also said that Ontario is considering buying back Highway 407.
The Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government sold Highway 407 to a consortium in 1999 for 3.1-billion-dollars, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 50.01 per cent of 407 E-T-R, which runs the tolled highway.
The province owns a 22-kilometre stretch on the highway’s eastern flank and tolls drivers at a significantly cheaper rate than the private portion of the highway.
Ford is also standing by his idea to build an expressway tunnel underneath Highway 401 across the G-T-A in an effort to reduce gridlock.
Written by Matt LeBlanc with files from The Canadian Press