Ontario Expands Highway 401 in Cambridge

New lanes will keep people and goods moving on North America’s busiest highway

December 22, 2023

CAMBRIDGE — The Ontario government has completed expansion of Highway 401 in Cambridge with eight kilometres of new lanes from Highway 8 to Townline Road now open. The additional lanes are part of the government’s plan to reduce gridlock and keep goods and people moving across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

“Highway 401 is the busiest and most congested highway in North America with up to 150,000 vehicles travelling between Highway 8 and Townline Road every day,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “The Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area is among the fastest growing of any large municipality in Canada and expanding Highway 401 in Cambridge will reduce gridlock, enhance safety, boost our economy, and get drivers home to their loved ones faster.”

The expansion from six lanes to 10 includes one HOV lane in each direction (4.5 kilometres in the eastbound direction and seven kilometres in the westbound direction).

The project also includes:

replacing the Hespeler Road Bridges
a new multi-use trail crossing for pedestrians and cyclists along Hespeler Road over Highway 401
reconstruction of the Hespeler Road interchange
rehabilitation of the Townline Road Bridge
expanding the capacity of the Townline Road commuter parking lot from 195 to 297 vehicles
new lighting and noise barriers
a traffic management system which includes traffic cameras and traffic counting stations

Expanding Highway 401 and adding HOV lanes in the Cambridge area are among the more than 100 actions identified in the government’s Connecting the GGH: A Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This plan will address gridlock, create more prosperous communities, and support the rapid population growth expected for the region.

Quick Facts

From April 2023 to March 2024, the Ontario government is investing approximately $3.2 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges.
The Greater Golden Horseshoe is a nationally significant hub for business travel and the movement of goods, with $1.16 trillion in goods transported annually on its highways.
By 2051, population and employment figures in the Greater Golden Horseshoe are forecast to grow from 10 million to 14.9 million people, and 4.9 million to seven million jobs, respectively.

Quotes

“The expansion of Highway 401 in Cambridge marks a transformative moment for our region. As our population grows, I am proud to be part of a government that understands the critical need to invest in new and expanded infrastructure to support our communities. The additional lanes and HOV options will not only fight gridlock but foster economic growth for Cambridge and the Greater Golden Horseshoe.”

– Brian Riddell
MPP for Cambridge

“Today, we celebrate the successful completion of the Highway 401 expansion in Cambridge—a crucial step in continuing to deliver on our plan to build Ontario. This is great news for the growing communities across the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area and will keep goods and people moving efficiently across Southwestern Ontario for generations to come.”

– Jess Dixon
MPP for Kitchener South – Hespler

“The completion of the Cambridge 401 expansion is great news for people across the Region of Waterloo and throughout Southwestern Ontario. Our region is one of the fastest growing communities in the country and Highway 401 is our busiest highway. It is great to see investments to help relieve congestion completed, and we will continue to make investments to improve transportation.”

– Mike Harris
MPP Kitchener- Conestoga

“This is an exciting day for residents of Cambridge, Kitchener, and beyond as they welcome the expansion and new amenities on this critical piece of highway and transportation infrastructure in our region. Thank you to the Government of Ontario for these valued investments that will support the growth of our local economy and provide the needed linkages as our community builds more homes and grows our communities.”

– Berry Vrbanovic
Mayor of the City of Kitchener

Additional Resources

Cambridge Highway 401 Expansion: Project Website

Ontario Builds Project Map

Media Assets

map showing the area where Highway 401 was widened for eight kilometres from Highway 8 to Townline Road in Cambridge

Media Contacts

Dakota Brasier
Minister’s Office
dakota.brasier@ontario.ca

Tanya Blazina
Communications Branch
MTO.media@ontario.ca

Ontario Expands Highway 401 in Cambridge

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