Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s ambitious idea to build a massive tunnel under Highway 401 is moving forward — at least on paper — with taxpayers set to fund a $9.1-million feasibility study to determine whether the project can actually be built.
The province confirmed that WSP Canada Inc. has been awarded the contract following a request for proposals issued in the spring. Dakota Brasier, spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, said the study marks “significant progress on a transformational project” meant to improve traffic flow and goods movement across Ontario.
Premier Ford has been one of the project’s most vocal advocates, repeatedly outlining his vision for a three-level, 19.5-metre-wide tunnel — two levels for eastbound and westbound traffic, and one dedicated to public transit. “If they can tunnel under the English Channel and through mountains, we sure the heck can tunnel along the 401,” Ford declared earlier this year. “We’ll do it safely and properly.”
Ford has urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to classify the initiative as a “nation-building project,” arguing that it would ease gridlock and stimulate the economy. However, critics have dismissed the tunnel as unrealistic and excessively costly. NDP Leader Marit Stiles called it “a fantasy,” saying, “I don’t know how they sleep at night — very few people believe this is a real thing.”
The feasibility study will explore not just the tunnel concept but also other potential solutions, such as an elevated highway, added lanes, or truck-only routes. If none of these prove viable, the study will recommend alternative congestion-reduction measures.
For now, the $9.1-million report will determine whether Ford’s underground vision can move beyond the drawing board — or remain just another big political promise buried under Ontario’s busiest highway.