Highway 407 East: driving economic development

NRU
Dec. 2, 2015
By George Liu

Economic opportunities abound as phase 1 of the Highway 407 East extension nears completion. Due to open to traffic by the end of this year, the publicly-owned toll highway will connect with the 407 Express Toll Route (ETR) to provide residents of Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa with improved access to employment and services in the GTA.

The new network elements include the 22-km. eastern extension of Highway 407 from Brock Road in Pickering to Harmony Road in Oshawa and Highway 412, the 10-km. north-south link between highways 401 and 407 in Whitby.

“Construction of this network will help relieve congestion and support the efficient movement of people and goods through the eastern Greater Toronto Area and beyond. It will create opportunities for business, accommodate population and employment growth and provide emergency detour routes for Durham Region,” Ontario Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Diane Naluzny told NRU.

The Durham Region official plan designates employment lands along the 407 East corridor. Local municipalities are in the process of updating their official plans with the intention of creating new live/work communities in proximity to the highway.

“407 East is a big driver for development from both the residential and commercial perspectives,” Oshawa development services commissioner Paul Ralph told NRU. “Simcoe Street North will be reconstructed to accommodate the additional traffic near the future 407 East interchange, and the city is taking this opportunity to construct a new median and to upgrade streetscape elements with banner arms through the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College area.”

Ralph says the 407 East has contributed to a record year in building permit and development activity around the UOIT and Durham College campus. There are plans for the construction of 1,200 units in this area, and Riocan is building a 1.5-million sq.ft . mixed use development just south of 407 East on Simcoe Road North.

The initial tolls rates have been set lower than those on the existing 407 ETR. Pricing will vary based on time of day and type of vehicle that is being driven.

MTO anticipates a 20 per cent travel time savings for commuters using Highway 407 westbound towards York University. GO Transit customers can expect a 10-minute reduction in travel time between Oshawa and York University for buses that operate along Highway 407.

“GO Transit expects to have some of its eastern route take advantage of the Highway 407 East extension, in the same manner that it currently runs service along [the existing] Highway 407. Part of this service will use new carpool/park-and-ride facilities built at key intersections,” Metrolinx spokesperson Vanessa Barrasa told NRU.

Contractor 407 East Development Group, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Ontario are finalizing the details as to when Phase 1 will open to traffic.

Pre-construction activity for Phase 2 is underway with contractor Blackbird Infrastructure Group, a partnership between Holcim Inc. and Cintra Infraestructuras. When fully built, Highway 407 East will connect with the existing 407 ETR to form a continuous toll highway across the GTA from the QEW in Burlington to Highway 115 in Clarington. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2020.