(AGENPARL) – mar 05 aprile 2022 [Ontario Logo]
NEWS RELEASE
Ontario Awards Contract to Build Bridge for Bradford Bypass
New four-lane freeway will relieve gridlock, create jobs and spur economic growth
April 05, 2022
BRADFORD — The Ontario government has awarded a contract to design and build a bridge crossing for the Bradford Bypass. The new four-lane freeway, connecting Highway 400 and Highway 404 in Simcoe County and York Region, will relieve gridlock, create jobs and spur economic growth in the rapidly-growing Greater Golden Horseshoe region.
“A province that is growing as fast as ours needs a modern transportation system to support it and that is why our government is saying ‘yes’ to finally building badly needed highways like the Bradford Bypass,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “Awarding the contract to build the bridge for the Bradford Bypass brings us another step closer to getting shovels into the ground on this critical project – one that local communities have been asking to get built for decades.”
Brennan Paving & Construction Ltd. is the successful bidder to design and construct the new bridge which will allow County of Simcoe Road 4 (Yonge Street) between 8th Line and 9th Line to cross over the future Bradford Bypass. The project will also include widening County Road 4 from two to four lanes.
To continue advancing progress between the Bradford Bypass project and the County of Simcoe’s planned expansion work on County Road 4, an agreement has been signed to better coordinate the construction approach, which will save taxpayer dollars, avoid throw-away costs, optimize the work required to improve local gridlock and reduce the risk of construction delays.
Construction on the new bridge is expected to begin in late 2022 with an expected completion date by late fall 2024.
Quick Facts
– During the construction period, the Bradford Bypass is estimated to contribute $274 million in annual real GDP and support 2,640 jobs per year on average in the transportation, engineering, construction and supply-chain industries.
– Motorists and trucks are anticipated to see significant savings in travel time when using the Bradford Bypass compared to existing routes along local roads, saving commuters up to 35 minutes per trip.
– A project specific assessment of environmental impacts in accordance with Ontario Regulation 697/21 for the project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by December 2022.
– The government has invested approximately $2.6 billion in funding for the 2021–22 Ontario Highways Program, which features more than 580 expansion and rehabilitation projects, including the Bradford Bypass.
Quotes
“The Bradford Bypass will unlock employment lands and lock in Bradford’s urban boundary, ensuring that we grow in a smart, sustainable, compound way. Our business community, our manufacturers, as well as for our workers that are commuting back and forth to work will be able to spend more time at home with their children.”
– Rob Keffer
Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury
“It is so important for us to build communities that are safe and where traffic is not congested. Connecting the 400-404 is an investment that will connect communities, reduce gridlock, and grow our economy.”
– Virginia Hackson
Mayor of East Gwillimbury
“The Bradford Bypass is integral to managing the growth that has already occurred in our region, and will allow us to dramatically improve downtown Bradford into a pedestrianized shopping and dining district.”
– Councillor Jonathan Scott
Chair of the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Committee
Additional Resources
Media Contacts
Dakota Brasier
Minister’s Office
Michael Fenn
Communications Branch