The Ford government studied tunneling under Highway 401 to alleviate congestion but halted the project in late 2021. Documents show this work was not publicized, and no further progress was made. Currently, the government is seeking a firm to conduct a new feasibility study expected to be completed by 2027. The previously conducted analysis by the Ministry of Transportation and an outside consultant compared assumptions, findings, costing, and design considerations. The proposed tunnel could reach a cost of $100 billion, raising concerns over its financial implications.
The project was paused in late 2021 based on government direction," civil servants wrote in the briefing note. "The planning study was not advertised, and no additional work has occurred on the project.
Ford's plan would see the tunnel built from Mississauga in the west to Scarborough in the east. The government began the process of finding a firm to complete a new feasibility study into tunneling or building an elevated expressway.
The planning study has not been released and it's not clear why the work was stopped. The civil servants say in the documents that the study examined options to compare "assumptions, findings, costing, and technical design considerations."
Experts say proposed tunnel could cost $100B. One expert states it could be the single-most expensive Ontario election promise in the last ten years.
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