Navigation

• Home
• Study Overview
• Environmental Assessment (EA) Process
• Study Schedule
• FAQ
• Consultation
•     Notices
•     Public Information Centres
•     Meetings
• Reports
• Links
• Contact Us
• Project Team

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the study area?

The study area includes Highway 401 and the adjacent land uses between Warden Avenue and Brock Road, a distance of approximately 21 kilometres. The project limits are located in the Cities of Toronto and Pickering (click here for map).

2. What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this study is to determine the long-term strategy to address the rehabilitation needs of the section of Highway 401 between Warden Avenue and Brock Road. This project will also include contract sequencing for the recommended highway improvements, safety and operational improvements, and consideration of transit friendly initiatives. Alternatives will be generated and evaluated based on technical and environmental factors and in consultation with the public, stakeholders, municipalities and government agencies. At the end of the study a Transportation Environmental Study Report will be prepared, which will document the recommended rehabilitation strategy for this section of Highway 401 along with the process leading to the selection of the recommended plan.

3. Why is the Ministry examining improvements to Highway 401 between Warden Avenue and Brock Road?

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and efficient provincial transportation system. Highway 401 is an important link in Ontario’s freeway network, connecting the Detroit/Windsor area to the Quebec border. Improvements along this section of Highway 401 are needed to bring the corridor up to current standards and to maintain adequate operational and safety conditions in the future.

4. What alternatives are being considered as part of this study?

A wide range of reasonable alternatives will be developed and evaluated to determine the most appropriate solution. Once the need for Highway 401 improvements has been defined and existing environmental conditions have been identified, an assessment of Alternatives to the Undertaking will be carried out. This assessment will examine fundamentally different ways of addressing the identified problems and will include an analysis of the "Do Nothing" option. Alternatives to the Undertaking that may be considered include, but may not be limited to:

• Do nothing
• Improvements to other modes of transportation (e.g. rail, air, marine, transit, etc.)
• Transportation Demand Management (TDM) (i.e. the use of policies, programs, services and products to influence people's travel choices - where, how, when, why and whether people travel)
• Transportation Systems Management (TSM) (i.e. the use of relatively low-cost measures to increase capacity and/or provide safety improvements on an existing transportation system)
• Improvements to existing Highway 401
• Improvements to municipal transportation infrastructure

Some of these alternatives may be implemented in combination with one another and/or introduced in a staged-manner in order to address the existing and future deficiencies along this section of the Highway 401 corridor. Alternatives which address the identified deficiencies will be carried forward for further consideration.

5. When will the preferred plan be constructed?

Should the recommendations of this study receive environmental clearance, detail design would be initiated to develop engineering and construction details. Construction cannot occur until the engineering details have been finalized and environmental approvals have been obtained through the detail design study.

6. What is the construction cost?

Preliminary construction costs will be developed as part of this study to support the evaluation and selection of the preferred preliminary design alternative.

7. Will municipal staff be involved in the project?

The Project Team will be consulting with staff from the City of Toronto and the City of Pickering throughout the study - particularly before key milestones in the project such as the generation, assessment, and evaluation of alternatives.

8. How does the environmental assessment process work?

This study will follow the approved planning process for a Group 'B' project under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.

The opportunity for public input will be provided throughout this study. A Notice of Study Commencement was published in the Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser on Wednesday January 13, 2010 in the Toronto Star on Friday January 15, 2010 in the Scarborough Mirror on Wednesday January 13, 2010 and in the L'Express on Tuesday January 12, 2010.(Avis de commencement d'étude)

Two Public Information Centres will be held during this study. Notices of the Public Information Centres will be published in local newspapers and sent to those on the Project Team's contact list.

At the end of the study a Transportation Environmental Study Report will be prepared, which will be made available for public review and will document:

• The transportation problems and opportunities
• The generation, assessment and evaluation of alternatives
• The recommended rehabilitation strategy for this section of Highway 401
• A summary of potential environmental issues and mitigation measures
• A summary of consultation undertaken throughout the study

A notice announcing the placement of the Transportation Environmental Study Report on the public record for public review will also be published in local newspapers and a notice will be distributed to those who requested to be placed on the project contact list.