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Ontario’s Proposed Tunnel Project Faces Slow Progress

Over two months after Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled an ambitious plan to construct a 50-kilometre tunnel beneath Highway 401, developments on the project have been minimal. Despite his announcement in September, the groundwork necessary to initiate this large-scale infrastructure endeavor has not yet begun.

In his original announcement, Ford emphasized the urgent need for a feasibility study to evaluate various aspects of the proposed tunnel, including the number of lanes it would feature, potential transit accommodations, and the overall length, with options extending from Brampton in the west to Scarborough in the east. “We want to move this as quickly as possible, get this done and start moving,” Ford stated at the time, highlighting the planned soil testing along the proposed route.

However, internal sources have indicated that progress has been limited in the weeks since Ford’s promise. Few meetings have occurred concerning the feasibility study vital for advancing the project, and there has been a noticeable lack of movement towards issuing requests for proposals or qualifications—the crucial first step in determining who will carry out the feasibility study.

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Minister of Transportation reassured that once the study begins, it will follow a competitive procurement process. “The feasibility study will be procured through an open tender process following the upcoming market sounding, which will provide feedback directly from industry on how best to proceed with this project,” they stated.

Concerns Over Costs and Timeline

Currently, the cost of the feasibility study has not been disclosed, nor is there clarity on when it will commence or conclude. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles expressed skepticism about the project, predicting it could amount to “tens of billions of dollars” and span decades to complete. She underscored the necessity for transparency in the process, especially considering that the original proposal for the tunnel came from a significant Canadian construction firm.

“If they even want to head down the road of a feasibility study on this, then we are going to demand absolute transparency and accountability,” Stiles added, emphasizing the importance of public trust in such a major infrastructure project.

Initially, Ford had suggested that the feasibility study would be conducted in-house. However, it was later indicated that this work would be outsourced to external experts, although some preliminary efforts would be supported internally by provincial ministries. Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria stated that work was underway to gather internal insights while looking to market expertise for the project’s feasibility.

Notably, Sarkaria projected that the study might extend “over the next months, years” to thoroughly assess the tunnel’s feasibility. “We know the urgency, given the gridlock people are facing, so we got to work right away to see what we can possibly do to look at this project,” he acknowledged.

Engineering Challenges Ahead

Experts have highlighted that this tunnel initiative, proposed in various forms over the last decade, presents significant engineering challenges and would likely be a monumental financial undertaking. Shoshanna Saxe, a professor in the civil and mineral engineering department at the University of Toronto, pointed out the complexity of such a project. She explained that regular shafts would be necessary for ventilation in the case of emergencies, along with cross-connections between tunnels for safety.

“You have to build shafts regularly so you can have a ventilation system that clears out the smoke if there’s a crash. And those you build every 250, 350 metres. You need to have huge fans; it’s a massive, massive undertaking; it would take a generation to build,” Saxe noted.

As the project continues to unfold, the communities affected by Highway 401 will be keenly watching the developments, assessing both the feasibility and the transparency of the process moving forward.

Source
globalnews.ca