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Beginning July 12, the Ontario government will raise the speed limit on 10 sections of provincial highways in northern and southern Ontario.
The changes will see the speed limit permanently increased from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on five sections of Hwy. 401, two sections of Hwy. 403 as well as sections of Hwy. 406, Hwy. 416 and Hwy. 69.
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The changes arrive two years following the “safe and successful” increase to six sections of provincial highways in 2022.
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“Most of Ontario’s highways were originally designed to safely accommodate speed limits of 110 km/h and the data from our changes in 2022 shows they do just that,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, said in a statement. “These evidence-based increases are a common-sense change to make life more convenient for Ontario drivers while bringing our highway speed limits in line with other Canadian provinces.”
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The Ontario government said the selections were based on their ability to safely accommodate higher speed limits.
In 2019, the government began consultations and a pilot program to explore opportunities to increase speed limits on select Ontario highways. More than 8,300 people responded to an online survey and about 80 per cent were supportive of the pilots, while 82 per cent supported raising speed limits on more sections of 400-series highways.
In addition to the changes implemented in 2022, roughly 36 per cent and 860 kilometres of Ontario’s highway network will now see a speed increase to 110km/h.
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Penalties for stunt driving, including immediate license suspension, vehicle impoundment, fines and jail, will remain in effect at 150 km/h. On highway sections where speed limits have been raised, penalties for stunt driving will be enforced when speeds exceed the posted limit by 40 km/h.
The changes bring the province in line with others, including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, which have a maximum speed limit of 110 km/h. In B.C., the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h.
The speed limit will be raised on the following sections of provincial highways:
- Hwy 401, Tilbury, extending the existing 110 km/h zone further east by 7 km
- Hwy 401 from Hwy 35/115 to Cobourg (approximately 35 km)
- Hwy 401 from Colborne to Belleville (approximately 44 km)
- Hwy 401 from Belleville to Kingston (approximately 66 km)
- Hwy 401 from Hwy 16 to Quebec boundary (approximately 107 km)
- Hwy 403 from Woodstock to Brantford (approximately 26 km)
- Hwy 403 from Brantford to Hamilton (approximately 14.5 km)
- Hwy 406 from Thorold to Welland (approximately 13 km)
- Hwy 416 from Hwy 401 to Ottawa (approximately 70 km)
- Hwy 69 from Sudbury to French River (approximately 60 km)
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