Toronto, ON — The Ontario government is facing growing criticism for refusing to release a completed internal report on the feasibility of a Highway 401 tunnel, even as it spends an additional $9.1 million on a new study examining the same proposal.
As part of its 2025 Fall Economic Statement, the province announced a contract awarded to WSP Canada Inc. to conduct a new assessment on the viability of constructing an underground expressway beneath Highway 401, the province’s busiest transportation corridor.
The renewed study comes four years after an internal analysis of the same plan was quietly shelved. According to documents obtained by Global News, that earlier review had already identified significant financial, engineering, and safety risks, including potential roadway collapse, labour shortages, and challenges securing construction financing.
Despite repeated freedom of information (FOI) requests, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has now formally refused to release any part of the completed report, citing confidentiality under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Officials claim that releasing the study would reveal cabinet records, government advice, and third-party data, and could pose a risk to Ontario’s economy.
Calls for Transparency Intensify
Opposition leaders are demanding the government release the findings before spending more public money on what critics call a “vanity project.”
“The lack of transparency here is staggering,” said Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles. “They’ve committed nearly $10 million to re-study a multi-billion-dollar fantasy tunnel, so why can’t they release the existing study? What are they hiding?”
Ontario Liberal MPP John Fraser echoed those concerns, arguing that taxpayers deserve accountability:
“The government is spending $9.1 million just to humour the Premier, and it isn’t worth it. The completed work should be released before another dollar is spent.”
Premier Dismisses Prior Study
Premier Doug Ford, who first described the tunnel concept as a “nation-building project”, brushed aside the earlier internal analysis, calling it outdated and irrelevant.
“That’s old — let’s get some proper people in there to do a full-fledged study,” Ford said on August 6. “It can be built, we know it can be built, and we’ll get that done too.”
The premier’s comments contradict the Ministry’s refusal to release the prior study, which his government insists remains confidential despite Ford’s public dismissal of its relevance.
Freedom of Information Controversy
While MTO maintains that decisions about FOI requests are handled by non-partisan public servants, experts point out that the government has full discretion to release materials in the public interest, even when privacy officials advise otherwise.
In 2024, for example, Ford’s office overruled civil service advice to withhold a ServiceOntario business case and released a redacted version to the public. Critics say the government’s current stance contradicts that precedent.
“There are no laws preventing them from sharing this information — only political choices,” said one transparency advocate.
Background: The 401 Tunnel Vision
The Highway 401 tunnel proposal first surfaced several years ago when private firms approached the government with plans to build a subterranean expressway to ease traffic congestion. The concept reportedly intrigued Premier Ford, prompting initial feasibility work.
That internal review, completed by civil servants, reportedly highlighted multiple red flags, including:
- Potential structural instability and “risks of roadway collapse.”
- Labour shortages and limited market capacity for mega-tunnel projects.
- Financing obstacles and uncertainty around private-sector participation.
Despite those warnings, the Ford government has revived the concept, insisting that new technology and engineering expertise could make the tunnel viable.
Critics Warn of “Expensive Distraction”
Urban planners and fiscal watchdogs have called the move a costly political distraction, arguing that the focus should remain on improving above-ground transportation infrastructure such as GO Transit expansion, rapid bus routes, and housing-linked transit corridors.
“Instead of spending millions re-studying an unrealistic tunnel, Ontario should be investing in solutions that actually move people efficiently and sustainably,” said one transportation analyst.
Next Steps
The new WSP Canada study is expected to take up to 18 months, examining potential routes, construction methods, and cost projections. The government has not committed to releasing the results publicly once completed.
As pressure mounts, transparency advocates and opposition leaders continue to call for the release of the earlier feasibility report — arguing that Ontarians have a right to see what their tax dollars have already funded.