The Government of Ontario laid out a vision today that would allow Ontario’s supply chain to thrive for decades to come rather than being hampered by crippling traffic congestion, says the Ontario Trucking Association. Today’s announcement the Government of Ontario has launched a technical evaluation for the construction of a new driver and transit tunnel expressway under Highway 401 is the type of bold act Ontarians need to remain an economic force and productivity hub and in North America. “Ontario’s economy moves by truck,” said OTA President & CEO, Stephen Laskowski. “Trucks sitting idle in traffic are lowering the productivity of our supply chain and deterring future investment to our province. With a large segment of the Ontario supply chain relying on just-in-time delivery, Ontario must ensure the trucking industry can fulfill these time-sensitive demands. Addressing current and future congestion issues will continue to attract investment and resources into the manufacturing plants and countless other businesses that rely on our members’ truck transport services.” Highway 401 is one of the busiest highways in North America, with approximately 40,000 trucks travelling the most travelled sections of the highway each day. Whenever the highway is not operating at peak efficiency, congestion costs a typical dry van trucking company around $75 per truck, per hour. “Mitigating such costs for businesses and consumers is critical to ensuring a viable economic future for Ontario,” said Laskowski. The tunnel expressway is expected to provide a new, faster route for some of the most gridlocked roadways in the province north of the City of Toronto, extending from beyond Brampton and Mississauga in the west to beyond Markham and Scarborough in the east. This project is expected to significantly reduce traffic in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) while supporting economic growth during construction by helping to get goods and services to market sooner. “When it comes to investments in highways and infrastructure, this government has proven time and again that it is able to see the big picture. Without ambitious visions, where would we be as a country and province? We are pleased to see Ontario returning to what previous generations have already proved – that investing in and building key infrastructure will secure the province’s economic future and increase the quality of life for all Ontarians.” According to the Ministry of Transportation, by 2051, travel times on the main stretch of Highway 401 will double, taking 90 minutes longer on Hwy 401 through the GTHA. The ministry’s modelling also shows that all the province’s 400-series highways in the GTHA, including Highway 407, will be at or exceed capacity within the next decade. OTA looks forward to working with the Province of Ontario on the technical evaluation process and its application to the Ontario trucking industry.
