Update 4:30 p.m.
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. The change follows several speed limit pilots and consultations and will align posted speeds with other jurisdictions across Canada.
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)
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An announcement is expected this morning that would see the speed limit on Highway 11 between Emsdale to South River raised on a trial basis. It presently sits at 100 km/h but would be raised to 110.
Also expecting a boost to a 110-kilometre-an-hour speed limit on a trial basis is Highway 400 from MacTier to Nobel, the stretch around Parry Sound which used to be Highway 69 when it was only two lanes.
It's all part of a plan to see speed limits of 110 kilometres per hour on six sections of provincial highways, that were included in a previous trial, here to stay.
The province launched the pilot project in 2019.
See: Ontario's Increased Speed Limit Pilot Finds Wide Public Support
Those speed limits will now be made permanent as of April 22.
Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, who is set to make the announcement at 4:15 this afternoon, says in a statement that those sections of highway were carefully selected based on their ability to accommodate higher speeds.
It applies to the Queen Elizabeth Way from Hamilton to St. Catharines, Highway 402 from London to Sarnia, Highway 417 from Ottawa to the Quebec border, as well as from the Kanata area to Arnprior, Highway 401 from Windsor to Tilbury, and Highway 404 from Newmarket to Woodbine.
The government said two years ago that 80 per cent of people who responded to a survey about the pilot project supported it.
More than 8,300 people responded to the survey that was launched at the same time as the pilot project in September 2019. The survey results show wide support for the government's speed limit pilot and an additional 82 per cent support for an increase to speed limits on more sections of 400-series highways.
Six other provinces have speed limits of over 100 kilometres an hour on segments of certain highways.
The government says the six sections of highway that have seen 110-kilometre-per-hour speed limits since 2019 have comparable speeds and collision trends to similar highway sections with limits of 100 kilometres an hour.
Six other provinces have speed limits of over 100 kilometres an hour on segments of certain highways.
With files from The Canadian Press
