Ford considering Hwy. 407 buyback, will raise speed limits on 400-series highways

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his authorities is considering buying backmost Highway 407, and will raise speeds limits erstwhile again connected 400-series highways.

The Mike Harris Progressive Conservative authorities sold Highway 407 successful 1999 for $3.1 cardinal dollars to a consortium that included SNC Lavalin, Quebec’s provincial pension money and Spanish institution Ferrovial.

“Let’s spot what they person to say. Let’s look astatine nan 407 arsenic well. All options are connected nan table,” he said.

“Let’s look astatine some options arsenic good because we cognize nan 407 is going to beryllium wholly jammed successful nan adjacent 20 years. Let’s look astatine each options.”

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 50.01 per cent of 407 ETR, which runs nan tolled highway.

The state owns a 22-kilometre agelong connected nan highway’s eastbound flank and tolls drivers astatine a importantly cheaper complaint than nan backstage information of nan highway.

Ford is besides doubling down connected his thought to build an expressway passageway underneath Highway 401 crossed nan GTA, aft announcing nan motorboat of a feasibility study connected it past week successful an effort to trim gridlock.

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Furthermore, Ford says his authorities is readying to summation velocity limits connected 400-series highways crossed nan province.

The authorities accrued velocity limits from 100 kilometres per hr to 110 kilometres per hr connected six sections of provincial highways successful 2022, aft respective successful aviator programs that first began successful 2019. Earlier this year, nan state raised nan velocity limit connected 10 much sections of highways crossed nan province.

Ford said Wednesday that he has directed Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to raise nan velocity limit to 110 kilometres connected each 400-series highways “where it is safe to do so.” He didn’t connection specifications connected which stretches of road would spot velocity limit changes.

Ford says he is leaving nary chromatic unturned successful his extremity to thief conflict gridlock and trim recreation times.