Ford promises ‘faster’ drive with twinning of skyway Tory leader reiterates bridge construction as priority
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford reiterated his party’s promise to twin the Garden City Skyway during a campaign stop in Niagara-onthe-Lake Thursday.
“Twinning the skyway is a vital project that will better connect St. Catharines to the rest of the region. It will improve cross-border trade and help strengthen the local and provincial economies,” Ford said at the McNab Acres landscaping supplies store on Niagara Stone Road near the bridge.
“Most importantly, this new bridge will offer a faster and safer and more reliable drive so that moms and dads spend less time in traffic and more time at home with their kids.”
The skyway twinning was highlighted in the 2022 Ontario budget document presented by Ford’s government in April as part of $25.1 billion in road, bridge and highway projects over the next decade.
The existing span takes QEW traffic over the Welland Canal between St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The twinning project will see a bridge built to the north of the skyway that will carry Toronto-bound traffic. The existing bridge will be rehabilitated with a full deck replacement and will carry Niagara-bound traffic.
The province began looking at alternatives to the skyway in 2010 because of structural and traffic safety needs and eventually recommended the twinning.
Asked how a second bridge will make traffic move faster through the area and if the government plans to increase the highway lanes on either side, Ford said it will relieve traffic on the bridge.
“Living in St Catharines, you know on the rush-hour traffic being stuck on the bridge right now is an absolute nightmare. For decades, other governments said they were going to get it done. We’re finally getting it done,” he said.
“It’s the largest infrastructure project I could ever remember here in the Niagara region. It’s going to alleviate time for people to get home a lot quicker and it’s going to increase the speed that people will get the goods to market rather than being stuck on the existing bridge.
The Ministry of Transportation has told The Standard it hopes to get started on the project in early 2025.
The ministry said earlier this month project costs are not divulged to protect the integrity of an open and competitive procurement process. In 2016 the ministry said it was estimated to cost “hundreds of millions” of dollars.