I have heard from many of you about the ongoing QEW construction at the Ford Drive area. I know the traffic and the frustration this construction has caused. I am writing this article to provide a timeline of the construction and the primary plan detailing why the project is being undertaken.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) completed an important Preliminary Design and Class Environmental (EA) Study to address long-term capacity and operational needs on the QEW from Trafalgar Road to Winston Churchill Boulevard and on Highway 403 from the QEW northerly to Highway 407.
This study revealed and recommended that future long-term improvements, including widening Highway 403 from the QEW to Highway 407 and extending the High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes on the QEW from Trafalgar Road to Winston Churchill Boulevard, are needed. These recommendations are subject to further studies, available funding, approvals, and prioritization among other important needs across Ontario.
The Study also recommended short-term improvements to maintain safe and efficient freeway operations prior to the implementation of the long-term improvements. Since 2015, the MTO has been implementing short-term improvements to the QEW between Trafalgar Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard as recommended by the Study.
To ensure the safety of workers and to complete the project, lane closures are required, and the MTO works with its contractor to try and mitigate impacts to traffic. To reduce traffic congestion and mitigate impacts to the travelling public during construction through this area, lane closures are timed to occur during off-peak periods.
The lane closures are required until the short-term improvements have been completed later this year.
The section of eastbound QEW approaching existing Highway 403 and Ford Drive access is currently in a temporary configuration so that bridge rehabilitation over Ford Drive can be completed.
The QEW will return to its original configuration by October 2021. Overall, the current construction to rehabilitate the Ford Drive Bridge and ramps is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. Infrastructure repairs and upgrades are needed to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods and people. Oakville residents can look forward to more normalized traffic patterns this fall, after the infrastructure improvements are completed.