The summer brings more than just outdoor fun such as camping, fishing and boating to Northern Ontario. It also brings the annual construction season to provincial highways.
In April, the provincial government released its 2022-23 budget, which included new funding for highway projects. Across Ontario, the government will spend an estimated $3 billion to repair and expand highways and bridges. This includes approximately $624 million on projects in Northern Ontario.
The province expects that highway projects will create about 15,700 direct and indirect jobs across Ontario this summer.
New construction projects either planned or underway in the Timmins area include:
• A stretch of Hwy. 101 at Shillington, rehab and culvert replacement at Shillington Creek, Anthony Creek and an unnamed creek;
• Hwy. 101 west of Matheson easterly to Hwy. 572, bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing;
• Hwy. 655, south of Driftwood at Lennox Creek, culvert replacement; and
• Hwy. 11 at the Driftwood River east of Smooth Rock Falls, bridge replacement.
For motorists travelling this summer, they should be aware of new construction projects on some commonly used highways including:
• Hwy. 144 from Hwy. 17 northerly to Chelmsford, resurfacing;
• Hwy. 144 at Windy Creek, north of Onaping Falls and at Pumphouse Creek, west of Cartier, culvert removal and replacement;
• Hwy. 144 north of Hwy. 560 to Hwy. 661 at Gogama, resurfacing;
• Hwy. 11 at the bypass in North Bay, bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing;
• Hwy. 11 at the Hwy. 518 interchange northernly from Emsdale to Burk’s Falls, resurfacing and hazard rock removal; and
• Hwy. 560, west of the junction of Hwy. 65, west of Elk Lake, culvert replacement.
Drivers can expect delays when travelling through construction zones. They are reminded to slow down to the speed limits in posted construction zones.
For more information about highway projects in Ontario this summer, including an interactive map, click here https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-highway-programs .
