Ontario to Increase Speed Limits on More Sections of Provincial Highways

Vehicles drive on Highway 401 westbound in Kingston, Ont., on Jan. 11, 2019. Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press

The Ontario government says it’s raising the speed limit on more sections of its provincial highways.

An additional 10 sections of highways will see the speed limit increased from 100 kilometres per hour to 110 kilometres per hour, the provincial government said in an April 24 release.

“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,” Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said in the release.

At a press conference on April 24, Mr. Sarkaria said the increases will cover over 36 percent, or 860 kilometres, of Ontario’s highway network.

The move comes after the government increased the speed of six other highway sections in 2022, a measure Mr. Sarkaria said had been “safe and successful.”

The latest portions of the highway that will see a speed limit increase include:

• Highway 401 at Tilbury to seven kilometres east
• Highway 401 from Highway 32/115 to Cobourg (35 kilometres)
• Highway 401 from Colborne to Belleville (44 kilometres)
• Highway 401 from Belleville to Kingston (66 kilometres)
• Highway 401 from Highway 16 to Quebec boundary (107 kilometres)
• Highway 403 from Woodstock to Brantford (26 kilometres)
• Highway 403 from Brantford to Hamiton (14.5 kilometres)
• Highway 406 from Thorold to Welland (13 kilometres)
• Highway 416 from Highway 401 to Ottawa (70 kilometres)
• Highway 69 from Sudbury to French River (60 kilometres)

These portions were selected as they were considered capable of safely handling higher speed limits, according to the release.

“What many people don’t realize is until 1975, highways 400, 401, 417, and QEW had speed limits over 110 kilometres until they were reduced in response to the energy crisis,” Mr. Sarkaria said during the conference.

He said the change will make “life more convenient” for drivers, as well as bring Ontario highway speed limits “in line” with other provinces.

The changes will come into effect on July 12 for most portions and the remainder will be increased by the end of the year, the government said.

The speed limit increases are a result of public feedback the government received from online surveys in 2019. At that time, 8,300 people responded and 82 percent said they supported increasing speed limits on sections of the 400-series highways.