CALEDON — The Ontario government is moving ahead to get shovels in the ground on Highway 413 after having reached an agreement with the federal government for the project to proceed with strong environmental protections in place.
“We are delivering on our promise to build Highway 413 with a plan to fix gridlock and get drivers across Halton, Peel and York regions where they need to go faster,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Highway 413 will help meet the needs of our growing province as a prosperity corridor that will create thousands of good-paying union jobs during the construction phase and make life easier and more convenient for millions of drivers in the GTA and across Ontario. We’re getting it done.”
The province is currently undertaking fieldwork, including borehole drilling and engineering, to evaluate soil composition and bedrock depth. By mid-May, the province will be hosting a market sounding event with key private sector experts to discuss ways to move construction forward quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of new technologies and project acceleration strategies while maximizing opportunities for economic development.
The province will be meeting with property owners to acquire land at fair market value and following the coming into force of the Get it Done Act, if passed, will begin expediting land acquisitions in the fall. In addition, the province is planning for the release of the first early works construction contracts to begin building Highway 413 in 2025, subject to all necessary approvals.
“We have a responsibility to ensure Ontario drivers have more time to spend on the moments that really matter in life, not stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Highway 413 will bring much-needed relief to drivers across the GTA and our government is proud to be getting it done.”
As Ontario makes significant progress on Highway 413, the province is also working with union and industry partners to create high-paying jobs for Ontario workers. During construction, Highway 413 is expected to contribute $350 million to the province’s real GDP and support 3,500 jobs each year, such as heavy equipment operators, drilling and coring contractors, concrete and steel workers, utility contractors, environmental specialists, laboratory technologists and safety inspectors.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is reviving our construction sector with critical infrastructure projects like Highway 413, which will create thousands of well-paying careers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “The skilled trades is a major driver of Ontario’s economic prosperity. As our government makes record investments in job-creating critical infrastructure, we’re proud to work with union and industry partners through our over $1 billion Skills Development Fund to create the talent highway for workers to land a better job with a bigger paycheck in the skilled trades.”
Highway 413 is a central component of the government’s transportation plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, designed to improve travel options and drive economic growth throughout the region. In addition to reducing commute times and improving connections to housing and jobs, Highway 413 will help spur investment in the province’s auto manufacturing and other industries.
“With a significant increase in Brampton’s population, the need to examine the long-term transportation planning requirements and provide better linkages between urban growth centres is more important than ever. The movement of goods and services is very important to our city and for the region. Getting product to market is integral for creating an environment that is open for business and I welcome the progress made on this vital project.” – Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton