By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
Although the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rapid Transit (LRT) has been delayed by four years, severely impacting businesses in “Little Jamaica” in west-end Toronto, the provincial government is planning other major infrastructural projects.
One such project, according to Ontario’s transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, is the possibility of digging a 60-kilometre-long tunnel under Highway 401.
“We’re going to continue building and never put the shovels down,” Sarkaria said in response to a question from Share.
Sarkaria was meeting with reporters to specifically address the idea of the tunnel for cars and transit that Premier Doug Ford says “will cut gridlock”.
According to Ford, who did not provide an estimate for how much such a tunnel might cost, his government will begin studying the technical feasibility of building the tunnel, which would stretch from Brampton and Mississauga to Scarborough and Markham.
“Through this feasibility work, we’ll figure out the best way to get this project done, including initial soil testing along the route, reviewing best practices from other jurisdictions, and getting a clear understanding of how this tunnel can fight gridlock and support the economy,” Ford said.
The proposed tunnel has been criticized by opposition politicians, including Ontario Liberal Party leader, Bonnie Crombie, who described it as “a half-baked, back-of-the-napkin scheme to funnel tens of billions of your tax dollars to Doug Ford’s cronies”.
Sarkaria, at the news conference with Share and other media, said the idea of the tunnel is part of a “large, ambitious plan on transportation” that involves building highways, subways and bridges to tackle traffic gridlock, a problem for which he blamed former Ontario governments.
“What we’ve seen in Canada, particularly Ontario, is huge population growth. Previous governments didn’t build highways, they didn’t build transit, and now we have gridlock everywhere,” he said.
“Tunneling under the 401 is one of those key measures that we think can really help save some of that time that people are stuck in gridlock.”
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT – one of several subway construction projects across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – has resulted in business closures, downturn in sales and traffic congestion in the area from Marlee Avenue along Eglinton Avenue West to Keele Street.
Dr. Jill Andrew, New Democratic Party MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s, has demanded compensation for small businesses in Little Jamaica, saying they’re “hanging on by a thread”.
Sarkaria, quizzed about completing projects like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT before embarking on digging a tunnel for an expressway under the 401, suggested that work on all is required to meet the province’s transportation needs.
“If we stop building, we will lose out on huge opportunities and the population is growing so quickly,” he said. “We need to make sure we build more infrastructure. We’ll continue to examine even more options when it comes to easing gridlock.”
Sarkaria dismissed opposition criticism of the tunnel idea, claiming that they “say no to everything”.
The ruling Conservatives, said Sarkaria, are building for the “next generation”.
“It’s about thinking 20 years ahead, 50 years ahead, 100 years ahead,” he said. “In the next 10 years, all of our highways are going to be at capacity. we need to continue building.”
Embarking on a feasibility study aimed at constructing a tunnel under the 401 “is the latest step in our nearly $100 billion plan to tackle this gridlock by building and expanding highways and transit” to get “people and goods moving across Ontario once more”, said Ford.
“Ontario’s gridlock problem is leaving the average Toronto-area commuter stuck in traffic for 98 hours every year, taking up precious time that would be better spent with family, friends and loved ones, and is costing our economy $11 billion every year in the GTHA alone.”
