New stretch of 407 opens
CLARINGTON — Highway 407 will be open to Enfield Road in Clarington early in the new year.
“The extended Highway 407 will provide a valuable connection for drivers travelling between Peterborough and the Greater Toronto Area,” Agriculture, Rural Affairs Minister and Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal stated.
“This project will help fight congestion and improve the quality of life for commuters and visitors alike.”
Leal joined Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, Durham MPP Granville Anderson and Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster in announcing the opening of the new section of Highway 407 Friday along a still-closed portion of the highway near Enfield Road in Courtice.
“It’s a pretty good Christmas present for the community,” Foster said.
The new stretch runs between Harmony Rd. and Taunton Rd.
“We’re very happy about this phase opening, also very happy to confirm that the entirety of the Highway 407 east all the way out to the 115/35 will be completed by 2020 as we promised. Great news for Durham, great news for Peterborough,” said Del Duca. “It’s great news for the economy of this entire region.”
The new addition of 9.6 kilometres to Highway 407, including two new interchanges, will open in early January. The new section will allow motorists to go from Harmony Road in Oshawa to Enfield Road in Clarington.
Tolling on the new section will begin immediately upon opening. Toll rates for the publicly owned sections of Highways 407 and 412 are generally lower than tolls on the privately owned Highway 407 ETR. The province’s rates are, on average, about 15 per cent lower during offpeak periods, and about 30 per cent lower during peak periods, as compared to Highway 407 ETR.
Commuters and businesses who plan to use the Hwy. 407 regularly can get a transponder and receive one bill for their travel.
Foster said not everyone would be interested in using the toll road but for some commuters and commercial transportation, it could greatly help traffic flow through the area.
“Traffic on the 401 has just been getting worse and worse. This was needed. This was needed years ago,” said Foster.
The first phase of the Highway 407 eastern extension, which opened last year and included a new a Highway 412 north-south connection to Highway 401, is already being used by approximately 40,000 vehicles per day.
“This is great news for families in Durham and families all around this region, because Highways 407 and 412 provide alternative options for commuters and will help people to get from home to work and back again that much faster,” Del Duca said.
The Ontario government has budgeted $1.2 billion on the eastern extension of Hwy. 407 — which includes the design, construction and 30 years of maintenance. At the peak of construction the highway expansion project employed 700 skilled trades people.
The final phase, scheduled to open by 2020, will connect Highway 407 to Highway 35/115 at Kirby and includes Hwy. 418, which will provide another north/south connection between Hwy. 407 to Hwy. 401.
“This is wonderful of our community — it’s a growing community and it’s needed,” Anderson said. “It’s going to allow families to spend quality time together by cutting down on commutes.”