The pilot project, to be built on Highway 11 north of North Bay, Ont., was announced Thursday and, when built, will be the first of its kind in North America. The project includes a proposed new three-lane highway that features a center passing lane that changes direction approximately every two to five kilometers.
The 2+1 motorway system is used “in other jurisdictions around the world and is more economical than twinning a motorway”, according to the ministry.
“Our government has undertaken extensive research and consultation to determine potential sites for the first 2+1 highway in Ontario,” Aruna Aundhia, communications officer for the Ministry of Transportation, told CTV News Toronto on Thursday.
“After the pilot is completed and evaluated, we will look at other potential locations,” Aundhia said.
Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced a proposed new model highway between North Bay and Temiskaming Shores on Thursday, and the ministry will consider future locations if the project is successful.
Additional sites could remain a distant possibility as the province is still accepting proposals for the pilot project’s design and environmental assessment. Those proposals will be accepted by qualified highway design consultants until December 2022 and the successful bidder will be announced in 2023, the ministry says.
The delivery date listed on the proposal portal is 16 May 2025.
“This first-of-its-kind pilot highway in North America will keep people and goods moving safely in Northern Ontario,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, in a statement issued Thursday.
“This is a key next step in getting shovels into the ground for vital infrastructure projects that will support a strong transport network and create jobs.”
In September, Ontario’s first diamond exchange opened in the Niagara region. The freeway is intended to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow by realigning traffic lanes to allow direct access to all four freeway directional ramps.
