Frequently Asked Questions

A: The Project is approximately 18 km and is located within the western Greater Toronto Area (GTA), from east of the Credit River in Mississauga to west of Regional Road 25 in Milton. The Project includes widening the existing six-lane configuration to the following:

• • 12 lane core-collector system from the Credit River to Winston Churchill Boulevard;
  • 10 lanes from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Highway 407 ETR/ Highway 401 interchange;
  • 12 lane core-collector system from Highway 407 ETR/ Highway 401 interchange to east of the James Snow Parkway;
  • 10 lanes from the James Snow Parkway to west of Regional Road 25;
  • Median High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes; and
  • Support facilities and features including drainage, lighting, signage, Advanced Traffic Management System, carpool lots.

A: West Corridor Constructors (WCC) is a consortium comprised of Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc. (Aecon), Parsons Inc. (Parsons), and Amico Design Build Inc. (Amico) integrated in a Joint Venture. WCC was selected by The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) to design, build and finance the Highway 401 Expansion Project.

A: WCC signed a $639.8 million fixed-price contract to design, build, and finance the Highway 401 Expansion Project.

A: Benefits of the Highway 401 Expansion Project (the Project) include:

• • reduced traffic congestion
  • reduced travel times
  • more effective movement of people and goods, both locally and regionally, within the Highway 401 corridor
  • economic benefits, including generating employment opportunities for those involved in the design and construction of the project. WCC estimates the majority of the labour will come from the Greater Toronto Area. There will be approximately 400 unionized workers on site at the peak of construction.

A: This project will include one HOV Lane in both directions on Highway 401.

A: The 12-lane core-collector will narrow to 10 lanes from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Highway 407 due to space limitations in the region of the 401/407 interchange. The design of the project from the MTO is a 10-lane widening from James Snow Parkway to Regional Road 25 where the expanded highway will connect with the existing highway width.  The MTO has conducted traffic studies and has concluded that the 10-lane sections will have a negligible impact on traffic.

A: If you have further questions or comments, contact the Project Team at info@401expansion-mississauga-milton.ca or call the 24-hour bilingual telephone line, 1-888-619-1665. Des renseignements sont disponibles en français en composant 1-888-619-1665.

A: Construction began in October 2019.

A: Travelers can expect to have full use of the expanded facility by late 2022.

A: WCC will consider how our activities affect local traffic and communities, provide advance notice of all temporary closures and lane reductions, and always strive to be mindful of reducing the impacts of construction. Updates about all temporary and permanent road closures and lane reductions will be posted on the website.

During peak traffic hours six lanes will be maintained on mainline Highway 401, as per existing conditions.

A: Unfortunately, construction has impacts, especially for those living or commuting in the immediate area. WCC does appreciate your cooperation and support while intense construction activities occur.
Please drive in accordance to the conditions, stay alert and keep a safe distance from the vehicles in front.

In addition to the Traffic Impacts page on the project website, please visit 511on.ca for the latest traffic information before travelling.

A: A Noise Assessment was completed during the Preliminary Design stage of the Project (2013) and was updated in 2018 to identify potential noise effects of the improvements based on traffic volumes anticipated in 2041.  The assessment was completed in accordance with the MTO Environmental Guide for Noise (October 2006) to identify areas where noise levels from the highway would exceed MTO’s criteria, i.e. a change in noise levels greater than 5 dBA or levels greater than 65dBA overall.  The assessment determined that the operational noise levels due to the to the proposed improvements will have a minor to negligible perceived noise increase in most noise sensitive areas within the Project limits and that no permanent noise mitigation was required.

During construction, measures will be implemented to minimize construction noise. Design and Construction Report No. 1 is available on the Design and Construction Reports page and includes additional information related to construction noise mitigation for the Project early works.

A: The Highway 401 Expansion Project is following the approved planning process for a Group ‘B’ project under the MTO Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000).

The Preliminary Design was previously completed and is documented in two Transportation Environmental Study Reports (TESRs) for the “Highway 401 Improvements from East of the Credit River to Trafalgar Road W.O. 07-20021, Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment Study (May, 2013)” and the “Highway 401 Improvements from Trafalgar Road to Regional Road 25 Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment Study, W.O. 07-20024 (March, 2013)”. The recommendations from the TESRs will be built upon as part of the Detail Design.

In 2015, the Detail Design and Class EA was advanced for three of the structures from the Highway 401 Improvements from Trafalgar Road to Regional Road 25 (March 2013) TESR. This was documented in the Design and Construction Report (DCR) for the “Replacement and Widening of Highway 401 Regional Road 25 Underpass, 5th Line Overpass and Oakville Creek West Branch Structures, DB-2014-2009 (August 2015)”. Construction for the works in this DCR has been completed.

To view the previous TESRs and DCR visit the Previous EA Reports page.
The Detail Design for the Highway 401 Expansion Project were documented in three DCRs which were made available for a 30-day public and agency review period and available for download on the website. Notices for DCRs were published in local newspapers, on the Project website and distributed to those on the Project contact list. To be added to the Project contact list, visit the Contact Us page.

A: An Environmental Management System (EMS) has been developed to establish processes to comply with the environmental requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 Standard. The purpose of the EMS is to provide WCC with a framework and systematic approach to protect the environment, improve environmental performance, and illustrate continuing environmental compliance in balance with the socio-economic needs during the course of the Project.

A: A Public Information Centre (PIC) was held on Thursday, October 17, 2019 through the project website. Materials from the PIC can be reviewed on the Public Information Centre page.

A: A Design and Construction Report (DCR) is the Environmental Assessment (EA) document prepared for a Group ‘B’ project under the MTO Class EA for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000).

DCRs document the EA process, design/implementation details, environmental impacts and mitigation measures, and a summary of consultation undertaken. The DCR is a public document that is made available for public review for 30-days so that stakeholders can review the proposed works and provide comments for consideration.

Following the DCR review period, and subject to obtaining required permits, approvals, and authorizations, Environmental Clearance will be issued to allow for construction of the works covered in the DCR.