April 15, 2014 – Since 2004, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce supported by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called for completion of Hwy 407 to Highway 35/115 stressing that the negative economic, safety, and capital investment impact to Ontario of not proceeding to complete the Eastward Extension is real. The Chamber calls for the government to commit to firm timelines and commitments for the eastern extension of the 407 past Oshawa to 35/115. and prior to opening the Harmony Road and or Simcoe Street interchange have in place contracts and commence work on the completion of Hwy 407 to 35/115.
On Tuesday, April 15th, Minister of Transport, Glen Murray announced the province is making progress on the final phase of construction for Highway 407 East and that it has released a request for proposals for the second phase of the Highway 407 East project, which will extend the highway about 22 kilometres eastward…
from Harmony Road in Oshawa to Highway 35/115 in Clarington. Three companies have been short-listed to deliver the project – Blackbird Infrastructure Group, East End Transportation Group and 407E Infrastructure Group. The extension will have eight interchanges and a 10-kilometre north-south highway, the East Durham Link, to connect it to Highway 401.
The first phase of Highway 407 East extending from Brock Road in Pickering to Harmony Road in Oshawa is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by late 2015. The section from Harmony Road to the East Durham Link is expected to be open to traffic in late 2017, with the remaining portions to be completed by late 2020, the announcement stated.
Highway 407 East will be a publicly-owned tolled highway with the province being responsible for setting and regulating tolls, which would not be higher than tolls on Highway 407 ETR. The province will retain the toll revenue.
