Inside Caledon, Ontario

One of the most popular posts here on this site has been the “Highway 427 Expansion / Extension” article I posted back in 2009. Several people have emailed me recently to ask what the current status of the project is so I thought now would be a good time give an update as best as I can. I qualify that because there isn’t a ton of information available to the current status but let’s look at what we have.

The Environmental Assessment (EA Report) and road design for the Highway 427 extension project was submitted and approved back in 2010. The decision to build the new expansion north into the Caledon area then laid with the Ministry of Transportation and the Ontario Government. Not too long after that the Ontario government announced the Southern Highways Program (SHP) which outlined a five-year investment plan in highway construction for Southern Ontario, unfortunately and a disappointment to many the Highway 427 extension was not on the list of projects. Instead the project was listed under “Projects Beyond 2014”.

In response to the project being left off the SHP I found a letter from Barbara Karrandjas, Legislative Administrator of the Town of Caledon urging then Minister Kathleen Wynne to reconsider the 427 Extension and add it to the list to be built sooner and even going further asking for the extension project to further to Highway 9 instead of the initial design. The argument for going to Highway 9 instead of just Major Mackenzie Drive is that the 400 series highway should end at a regional road instead of a local road.

So when will this expansion/extension of Highway 427, a 6.6 kilometre extension from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive be built? Nobody really knows for sure, budgeting was supposed to take place for this project already but with a massive provincial deficit and the Ontario Liberals currently in turmoil proroguing the minority government until early 2013 it looks unlikely there will be any movement or direction with the project. Also adding to the bad news is the recent news that the Highway 404 extension is late and behind schedule making it even less likely they would start a new project before that one is finished.

Richard Whitehead, Regional Councillor for Caledon’s Ward 3 & 4 comments:

“It’s definitely stalled. That’s why we have accelerated the widening of 50 to six lanes right from hwy 7 to Mayfield Rd. It’s really disappointing to hear a Province talk about the need for growing the economy when they don’t, at least, improve the provincial highway system leaving to the municipalities to bridge the gap. Every business, every job, and every litre of fuel pours money into the Provincial coffers. It’s not as if the economy hasn’t already paid for the road several times over while we’ve been waiting.”

For now residents in the Caledon, Vaughan, and Brampton areas will have to suffer with increased traffic congestion that all the new development has caused in the area. The Highway 427 extension is a badly needed infrastructure project for the area but we will have to wait and see for now.

*** UPDATE – August 2014, click here to see an update on this Highway 427 project. ***