An update on the Highway 401 Planning Study in Quinte West was provided to Quinte West Council this afternoon.
Gregg Cooke, Consultant Project Manager, Stantec Consluting Ltd., and Lee Collins, Project Manager, Highway Engineering – Project Delivery East, Ministry of Transportation addressed Council.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has retained Stantec Consulting Ltd. to undertake a Planning, Preliminary Design, and Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) Study on Highway 401 for the replacement and rehabilitation of bridges and culverts, interchange modifications, and identifying the future Highway 401 footprint for an interim six lanes and ultimate eight lanes, from 0.4 km west of Christiani Road to 1 km west of Wallbridge Loyalist Road (approximately 20 km).
The potential impacts and proposed mitigation measures include archaeological and built heritage resources, potential impacts to private property, the potential changes in traffic noise, construction activities are expected to impact traffic operations, and trees and vegetation will need to be removed and impacts will be minimized to the extent possible.
A public information centre was held on Feb 22, 2024. Field investigations, evaluation of alternatives, and selection of a preferred plan have beem completed.
There will be a Public Information Centre #2 on the matter on Nov 5, 2025 from 4 to 7pm at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens – Duncan Auditorium (8 Couch Crescent, Trenton). Followng this, the recommended plan and mitigation measures will be completed, followed by a Transportation Environmental Study Report Public Comment in the Spring of 2026, and environmental clearance. The future stages will include detail design and construction. There is no word yet on exactly when the construction is expected to start.
The design speed for the project is 130 km/h, with Cooke saying they typically design for 20 km/h over posted, whereas the current speed posted is 110 km/h.
Members of Council were not fully on board with the update, providing their recommendations and concerns.
Councillor Stedall raised some of her thoughts regarding the project.
“The interchanges are so close together between 33 and Glen Miller. Now you’re going to get the speeds there up to 130 km/h to get them on and off. I think that’s not only dangerous, but I also think it deters people from trying to get off, to entice people to come to our community,” she said.
“If they’re trying to get on and off the exits there, with the speeds that are coming and the interchanges poses as diffuclt, I don’t know if that has been taken into consideration. Accidents happen, and when accidents happen on the 401, people can’t move. You end up being trapped. These are questions we raised when you came and spoke with us about a year ago, I believe they were brought up at the PIC, and I don’t see any of this kind of information being brought forward here.”
Councillor Stedall says it’s also important to look at the 20-year plan, and with construction most likely not starting for over three years, this is something that needs to be pre-planned, and planning for the growth that is expected to hit Quinte West in the coming years. She added that an additional exit should be added to the 401 in between the areas of Wallbridge Loyalist Rd and Glen Miller Rd, while Stantec Consulting is concerned about the risk of impacting private property in the area.
“We realize it is not on your design, but it should be,” said Mayor Harrison.
“That’s what we’re saying – is that somebody has to take a look outside of the box and figure out what’s ahead of us. What is causing the number of accidents that are occuring on that 401, especially with the trucks? You can blame the driver, but that’s not always the answer. We’re asking you and we did this before, look at what you can do to make the highway, yes, wider, but also safer.”
Cooke said they are looking at improving horizontal curves to improve safety on the highway and the interchange configurations are being improved to address the higher design speed.
Council meets again on Nov 19 at 4:30 pm.
(HAILEY MACDONALD)
