Ontario law would accelerate Highway 69 work

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario plans to introduce the Building Highway 69 Faster Act to accelerate the final 68 kilometres of four-laning between Parry Sound and Sudbury by up to five years.
• The legislation will streamline environmental assessment processes and facilitate preliminary construction starting as early as next year, with four sections slated to be under build by late 2027.
• The province is investing in CN rail line relocations along the corridor and urging Ottawa to expedite federal regulatory and watercourse approvals.

The Whole Story:

The Ontario government intends to table legislation aimed at accelerating the four-laning of Highway 69 between Parry Sound and Sudbury by up to five years.

Announced by Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and Northern Economic Development Minister George Pirie, the proposed Building Highway 69 Faster Act would establish a project-specific environmental assessment framework to streamline approvals and allow eligible construction to begin sooner. The framework mirrors measures previously introduced by the province to expedite construction on Highway 413.

The province has completed 84 kilometres of widening on Highway 69 to date. The proposed law targets the final 68-kilometre stretch, which will be delivered across six sections. Provincial officials expect four of these sections to be under construction by the end of 2027, with preliminary work potentially starting as early as next year.

As part of the project rollout, Ontario is funding the relocation of a Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) rail line along the corridor. The province is also calling on the federal government to assist by expediting outstanding environmental reviews, clearing watercourse crossings, and advancing the CN rail relocation.

“People in northern Ontario have waited long enough for a safer, more reliable Highway 69, and our government is taking action to get it built faster,” Sarkaria said in a statement. “By cutting unnecessary red tape, we are accelerating construction by up to five years, improving road safety for drivers and strengthening a vital economic corridor.”

The expansion forms part of Ontario’s 10-year, $31-billion capital allocation for highway, road, and bridge infrastructure. Industry groups and municipal organizations—including the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA), the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA), and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM)—welcomed the proposed legislation, citing reduced transit delays and enhanced motorist safety along the critical Trans-Canada trade route.

“The construction industry has long emphasized the importance of improving approval processes to get critical infrastructure built faster, while maintaining appropriate environmental oversight,” said Nadia Todorova, Executive Director, Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario. “Accelerating this long-awaited expansion by up to five years would be a significant step toward improving road safety, strengthening northern Ontario’s economy and ensuring the efficient movement of people and goods.”