Ford promises to build tunnel under 401

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park

Premier Doug Ford promised Wednesday to build a tunnel under the 401 and announced his government has begun studying the feasibility of the plan.

He cited the region’s increasing gridlock — saying government figures show that travel times across the 401 are expected to double by 2051, and the number of hours Ontarians lose to traffic will more than triple.

“We need to keep building,” said Ford. “That's why today I'm announcing that our government is exploring the feasibility of a tunnel under the Highway 401. This tunnel would serve as a new expressway for both cars and transit from Brampton and Mississauga in the west to Markham and Scarborough in the east, connecting with major roads and highways along the way." 

But the premier promised more than a feasibility study.

In his remarks to reporters, he cast the tunnel as a certainty, saying, “I'll tell you one thing: we're getting this tunnel built.”

The length of the tunnel — and the costs — would be determined by the feasibility study, he said.

Asked if he would be transparent with Ontarians about the cost of the tunnel, the premier replied, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

The Ford government, however, has not released the costs of other highway projects, including the controversial Highway 413.

Asked if he would now release the projected cost of that project, he promised to give an exact figure. However, after the press conference, his spokesperson declined to do so, citing the ongoing procurement process.

Ford did, however, predict that his political rivals — Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie — would oppose the project.

“I know this is an ambitious idea and that some people will say it can't be done or that we shouldn't even try — but these are the same people who oppose every project,” he said, citing the Highway 413 project, the Bradford Bypass and subway projects.

“It's 'no, no, no,'” he continued. “Every proposal to get people out of gridlock and get our province moving, they say 'no,' friends. That includes Bonnie Crombie. She's opposed to everything we've done to make life cheaper and easier for drivers.”

One of those naysayers is Professor Steven Farber, a transportation geographer at the University of Toronto, who said the cost will be “outrageous” and the environmental impact “astoundingly bad.”

“It’s probably the worst idea in transportation I’ve heard coming out of this government — and there’s been a lot of them,” he said.

Building additional highway lanes has been shown not to solve gridlock, he said, adding that he doubts that any transportation planner would endorse the project.

“That tunnel is going to be just as full as every other highway in the region,” he said.

Those cars, he added, will also end up stuck in traffic once they leave it, adding to congestion on city streets.

The environmental impact will be so high because of the amount of cement required to produce it, as well as the emissions of the vehicles that would use it, Farber said. 

“Going underground in a tunnel is just absolutely absurd,” he said. “All of that money should be going to building transit infrastructure and providing alternatives to folks who need to drive.”

Both Crombie and NDP Leader Marit Stiles are scheduled to speak with the press later in the day.

More to come