The Ontario government is raising the speed limit permanently from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on six sections of provincial highways in southern Ontario.
Provincial officials say the change follows several speed limit pilots and consultations and will align posted speeds with other jurisdictions across Canada.
“Our government continues to find new ways to make life easier and more convenient for families and businesses that depend on highways to get where they need to go,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, in a media release.
“With road safety top of mind, these sections have been carefully selected based on their ability to accommodate higher speed limits.”
Watch Minister Mulroney’s announcement, which was made at the Tilbury ONroute on Tuesday, below:
LIVE: Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, and Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor, make an announcement 🚨 https://t.co/Im6mptBfhC
— Caroline Mulroney (@C_Mulroney) March 29, 2022
Provincial officials say beginning April 22, 2022, the speed limit will be raised permanently to 110 km/h on the following sections of provincial highways in southern Ontario:
– Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) from Hamilton to St. Catharines (32 km)
– Highway 402 from London to Sarnia (90 km)
– Highway 417 from Ottawa to the Ontario/Quebec Border (102 km)
– Highway 401 from Windsor to Tilbury (approximately 40 km)
– Highway 404 from Newmarket to Woodbine (approximately 16 km)
– Highway 417 from Kanata to Arnprior (approximately 37 km)
In addition to raising the speed limit permanently on sections of highways in southern Ontario, at the same time, the province is also raising the speed limit to 110 km/h on a trial basis on the following sections of provincial highways in Northern Ontario:
– Highway 400 from MacTier to Nobel (approximately 55 km)
– Highway 11 from Emsdale to South River (approximately 45 km)
There are currently six other provinces in Canada that have set their speed limits in excess of 100 km/h on select segments of certain highways, Provincial officials added.
“The 400 Series Highways are the lifeblood of Ontario’s economy,” said Darrin Canniff, Mayor of Chatham-Kent, in a media release.
“The efficient movement of goods along these roadways helps ensure a stronger, more prosperous Ontario and I welcome the continued management of, and investment in, this vital area.”
Drew Dilkens, the Mayor of Windsor, added: “The Province of Ontario recognizes the importance of our economic trade corridors, especially here in southwestern Ontario. Adjusting the speed limits recognizes that vehicle safety and fuel efficiency has evolved since these limits were previously set. Today’s announcement is a common sense approach which preserves safety while locally recognizing conditions across Ontario.”
Provincial officials say in September 2019, the government launched an online survey to gather public feedback when the higher speed limit pilots were introduced on certain sections of highways in southern Ontario.
Of the 8,300 people that responded to the survey, approximately 80 per cent were supportive of the pilots and 82 per cent stated they support raising speed limits on more sections of 400-series highways.
The Ministry of Transportation has been monitoring all raised speed limit sections for safety and operations, and observations indicate that the sections with a raised speed limit have been operating as expected, Provincial officials say.
Both the operating speeds and collision trends within these sections have remained comparable to other similar highway sections where speed limits remained unchanged at 100 km/h.
Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have posted speed limits of 110 km/h, Provincial officials added.
