Maintained by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
Length
16.2 km[1] (10.1 mi)
History
Proposed June 1978[note 1]
Cancelled April 1986[note 2]
Revised 1989[note 3] (as Bradford Bypass)
Approved August 2002[6]
Shelved October 2003[note 4]
Revived May18, 2017[10]
Major junctions
West end
Highway 400 near Bradford
Major intersections
County Road 4 (Yonge Street)
East end
Highway 404 near Keswick
Location
Country
Canada
Province
Ontario
Divisions
Simcoe County York Region
Towns
Bradford West Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways
Current
Former
400-series
The Bradford Bypass, also known as the Highway 400–404 Link is a proposed east–west 400-series highway in the northern Greater Toronto Area of the Canadian province of Ontario. The approximately 16.2-kilometre (10.1 mi) route is currently undergoing planning and analysis under an environmental impact assessment (EA) by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) and the Government of Ontario. If approved, a new four-lane controlled-access highway would be built between Highway 400 near Bradford in Simcoe County, and Highway 404 near Queensville in York Region. It would serve as a bypass to the north side of Bradford.
The corridor originated in 1978 as an eastern extension of Highway 89 along Ravenshoe Road. This proposal was cancelled in 1986 and collaborative studies were undertaken between the province and affected municipalities over the next several years. A refined proposal for a freeway along a more southerly route, referred to as the Bradford Bypass, was released in 1989, after which an EA began in 1993. The assessment was completed in 1997 and approved in 2002, after which it was announced that construction would begin by 2006 and be completed by 2010. However, following the 2003 Ontario general election, the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty shelved several highway proposals — including the Bradford Bypass — to the "beyond 2031" timeframe. After the 2018 Ontario general election, the new Progressive Conservative (PC) government of Doug Ford announced that the EA would be reviewed and updated. Funding was committed to the project in the 2021 budget, with early works construction beginning in early 2022. The highway is currently estimated to cost C$800 million.
The Bradford Bypass has been criticized for its potential environmental impacts, particularly to the Holland Marsh and surrounding wetlands draining into Lake Simcoe. While the route is endorsed by the municipalities surrounding it and through which it passes, critics note that the EA is outdated and that the highway would result in induced demand and encourage further reliance on personal vehicle usage.
^Ministry of the Environment (April 13, 2011). "Highway 400 – Highway 404 Extension Link (Bradford Bypass)". Government of Ontario. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
^"Bradford Bypass Gaining New Life?". Innisfil Journal. December 1, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2021 – via Simcoe.com.
^Public and Safety Information Branch (June 30, 1978). "Route Selected to Link Highways 400 and 12 South of Lake Simcoe" (Press release). Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
^Brehl, Robert (May 13, 1986). "Highway Decision Challenged". North. The Toronto Star. p. N2. ProQuest 435438889. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
^McCormick Rankin (December 1997). Highway 400 – Highway 404 Extension Link (Bradford Bypass) – Route Planning and Environmental Assessment Study (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. p. 35. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^"Notice of Approval to Proceed with the Undertaking" (PDF). Ministry of Environment and Energy. August 28, 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
^Winfield, Mark (March 9, 2021). "Ontario Back in the Business of Building Roads to Sprawl". Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^Scott, Jonathan (August 6, 2020). "One Year After Announcement, Work On Bradford Bypass Commences". Newmarket Today. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^Planning and Economic Development Committee Regional Council (March 27, 2008). Need for Bradford Bypass – Report No. 3 of the Meeting (PDF) (Report). Regional Municipality of York. p. 4. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
^Riedner, Heidi (May 23, 2017). "East–West Transportation Artery Through Bradford Back on Province's Books". Bradford West Gwillimbury Topic. Retrieved April 4, 2021 – via Simcoe.com.
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The BradfordBypass, also known as the Highway 400–404 Link is a proposed east–west 400-series highway in the northern Greater Toronto Area of the Canadian...
have proceeded. Recent construction has included the controversial BradfordBypass and Highway 413. In Ontario, all public roads are legally considered...
north of the Simcoe Road 88 exit, Highway 400 will meet the future BradfordBypass. The section near Barrie is subject to snowsqualls as it lies near...
the Ring of Fire, building infrastructure including Highway 413, the BradfordBypass and expanding GO service, supporting workers by funding more skilled...
The northern terminus is located at the BradfordBypass, carrying U.S. Route 219 (US 219) and PA 346, in Bradford, roughly two miles south of the New York-Pennsylvania...
Queensville, where just a bit north Highway 404 will meet the future BradfordBypass, as it eventually curves northeast and terminates at an at-grade intersection...
extension on April 21, 1986. The proposal has since been reborn as the BradfordBypass. The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 89, as...
individual highways were numbered "Highway 401": the partially completed Toronto Bypass between Weston Road and Highway 11 (Yonge Street); Highway 2A between West...
Assessment Study examined further extensions; connections with the BradfordBypass freeway, as well as Highway 400 and Highway 11 north of Barrie were...
being part of the original QEW upon its inauguration in 1940 until being bypassed by QEW's extension to Fort Erie in 1941. The markers identifying the QEW...
exit portals. Highway 407 was planned in the late 1950s as a freeway bypassing the Toronto segment of Highway 401, the busiest highway in North America...
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Bypass was itself bypassed in 1997 when the final section of Highway 403 was completed and is known as Garden Avenue. However, the Brantford Bypass would...
Bradford (/ˈbrædfərd/ ), also known as the City of Bradford, is a metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It is named after its largest settlement...
17 with the western end of the Kenora Bypass (Ontario Highway 17A). The highway passes under the Kenora Bypass and the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental...
Kenora, which created a severe bottleneck for cross-national traffic. The bypass opened in stages as it was constructed from west to east. The first 8.4...
truck bypass that was desired by Brampton city council. In 1969, then Brampton Mayor William H. Brydon would encourage the DHO to construct this bypass utilizing...
to the south, was constructed in the early 1970s as part of the Welland Bypass of the Welland Canal. It was built using a cut and cover technique, whereby...
extend Highway 402 from Sarnia to Highway 401 near London thus creating a bypass to Highway 7; construction took over a decade. The final section of the...
were improved to modern highway standards, while others were subsequently bypassed or abandoned. The roads that were not incorporated as highways either became...
Global Information
Highway 400 near Bradford
County Road 4 (Yonge Street)
Highway 404 near Keswick