Citizens can now track which improvement projects are taking place on provincial highways across Ontario, the schedule of those projects, and an estimation of what they will cost.
The Ontario government has released the 2021 Ontario Highways Program, an online resource that provides information on highway investments and projects.
The website only lists road work taking place on provincial highways. In Prescott and Russell counties, and in North Glengarry, that means any project on Highway 417 or on Highway 34 between Highway 417 and Hawkesbury.
There are a number or projects planned in the region over the next few years.
Replacement of the bridge at the Highway 34 and County Road 17 interchange at the south end of Hawkesbury will begin in 2022. The adjacent bridge on County Road 17 which crosses the CN railroad tracks and Hawkesbury Creek will also be replaced. The Ministry of Transportation has retained responsibility for the bridges and interchange since the surrounding section of Highway 17 was transferred to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) in 1998.
Other projects in progress or planned for the next three years are on Highway 417. In 2023-2024, the bridge which carries county roads 12 and 24 over the highway north of Dalkeith will be rehabilitated. In 2023-2024, two other bridge or culvert replacement projects on Highway 417 are planned along the section of highway between highways 34 and 138.
This year, significant highway reconstruction and bridge or culvert rehabilitation work is taking place along Highway 417 between Highway 138 and the County Road 5/Limoges Road interchange.
Bridge rehabilitation work is planned for the Highway 417 interchange with Rockdale Road in 2023-2024.
The Ontario government has allocated approximately $2.6 billion in funding for 2021-22 to expand and repair provincial highways and bridges. The government estimates every $100 million invested in Ontario’s highway infrastructure will create $70 million of real provincial GDP in addition to direct and indirect economic benefits to highway users in 2021.
The Ontario Highways Program includes data on over 580 expansion and rehabilitation projects that have committed construction funding and are either underway or currently planned. All expansion projects with construction funding are identified, while rehabilitation projects are focused on a four-year period (2021-2024).
The 2021 program is viewable to everyone on the Ontario Highways Program website. Beginning this year, the published program will include more detailed project information, such as the engineering status, value range, and where known, delivery model. The program will also be updated twice per year.
