Highway 407 (Ontario)

Highway 407 (Ontario) is a major east-west controlled-access toll highway in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. It stretches approximately 151 kilometres from its western terminus at the junction of Highway 403 and Highway 410 in Mississauga to its eastern terminus at Highway 35 and Highway 115 in Clarington. Operated as the 407 Express Toll Route (ETR) by the private 407 ETR Concession Company Limited, it is one of the first all-electronic, open-access toll highways in the world, utilizing a transponder and license plate recognition system. The highway serves as a crucial bypass north of the heavily congested Highway 401 and Highway 404, connecting key municipalities like Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, and Oshawa.

Route description

Highway 407 begins at a complex interchange with Highway 403 and Highway 410 in western Mississauga, near the border with Oakville. From there, it travels eastward across the Regional Municipality of Peel, passing north of Brampton and through the Regional Municipality of York, where it serves the rapidly growing communities of Vaughan and Markham. The route continues into the Regional Municipality of Durham, skirting the northern boundaries of Pickering, Ajax, and Whitby before curving northeast to bypass Oshawa. Its eastern terminus is a trumpet interchange with Highway 35 and Highway 115, providing a direct connection to the Kawartha Lakes region and Peterborough. Major intersecting highways along its length include Highway 427, Highway 400, Highway 404, and Highway 412.

History

The initial segment of Highway 407, from Highway 403 in Mississauga to Highway 404 in Markham, was opened to traffic in 1997 by the provincial government of Mike Harris. This section was constructed to alleviate traffic on the parallel Highway 401 and to support development in the Greater Toronto Area. In 1999, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario government leased the highway for 99 years to a private consortium, the 407 International Inc., in a controversial move to reduce public debt. The eastern extension from Highway 404 to Highway 35/Highway 115 was opened in phases between 2016 and 2020, completed under the government of Kathleen Wynne. The western extension from Highway 410 to the Fraser Memorial Highway in Burlington remains a separate, provincially maintained toll-free highway known as Highway 407E.

Tolls and operations

Highway 407 is operated by the 407 ETR Concession Company Limited, which holds the long-term lease from the Government of Ontario. Tolls are charged using a fully electronic system where vehicles are identified either by a mounted transponder or via license plate cameras. The toll rate is variable, incorporating a time-of-use and congestion-based pricing model set by the operator, and consists of a distance-based charge, a camera charge for vehicles without a transponder, and a monthly account fee. Toll collection and enforcement are managed by the company, with oversight from the provincial Ministry of Transportation of Ontario as stipulated in the original lease agreement. The highway's toll structure has been the subject of public debate and scrutiny by the Auditor General of Ontario.

Future extensions

The primary planned extension is the westward continuation of the tolled highway from its current western terminus at Highway 410 in Mississauga to connect with the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and Highway 403 in Burlington. This project, often referred to as the "407 West Extension," has been discussed for decades and is intended to complete the bypass corridor around the western Greater Toronto Area. Environmental assessments and planning have been undertaken by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, but as of 2023, no firm construction timeline has been announced. The existing provincially maintained Highway 407E segment would be integrated into this new tolled extension upon its completion.

Exit list

The following is a summary of key interchanges along Highway 407, from west to east. The entire route is in the Regional Municipality of Peel, Regional Municipality of York, and Regional Municipality of Durham. Major junctions include: Highway 403/Highway 410 (western terminus), Highway 427, Highway 400, Regional Road 50 (Hurontario Street), Highway 404, Highway 412, Highway 418, and Highway 35/Highway 115 (eastern terminus). Full exit lists are published by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario and the 407 ETR Concession Company Limited.

Category:Transportation in Ontario Category:Expressways in Ontario Category:Toll roads in Canada