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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is forging ahead with the Highway 401 tunnel plan, dismissing a 2021 safety report as outdated.
The unreleased study, commissioned by his own government, warned of “risks to public safety” and the “potential for roadway collapse.” Despite those concerns, Ford insists the tunnel can and will be built.
“That’s old,” Ford said, brushing off the 2021 analysis. “We’ll bring in proper experts and do a full-fledged study.”
Internal documents obtained show that work on the tunnel idea began in 2019, well before Ford publicly supported it in 2024.
The Premier now promises a 19.5-metre-wide, three-level tunnel—two levels for vehicles and one for transit. He claims new equipment and a thorough study will solve any issues.
“We’ll do a proper study from end to end,” he said. “We’ll figure it out. There’s a solution.”
Ford has even discussed the design with tunneling machine suppliers in Scarborough. “I just wanted to bounce it off them. It can be done,” he said.
Critics, including Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, demand that the government release the original safety studies. “Instead of wasting money on dangerous vanity projects, we need affordable transit and better communities,” Schreiner stated.
While experts admit the Highway 401 tunnel plan is technically possible, many question its cost, safety, and necessity.
Ford remains firm. “If they can tunnel under the English Channel, we can tunnel under the 401,” he said confidently.
The new feasibility study won’t be complete for two years, but Ford already claims to know what the final tunnel will look like.
