Many commuters will benefit from this, which is good. But there's likely a significant extra cost on the City to getting this work accelerated, and perhaps better planning could have avoided it. Most importantly, we rarely, if ever, see this urgent action on transit.
I have some very good news to share about the 417. Unless the weather interferes, all lanes of the 417 near Pinecrest will reopen in just over a week, on Monday, June 22. That’s more than five weeks ahead of the original timetable.
I know how frustrating it’s been for drivers in the west end due to lane closures and construction. I asked for the project to be significantly accelerated so we could reduce disruption and get relief for commuters as quickly as possible. I’m pleased to see staff have followed through on my request.
To accelerate the work, there will be some overnight lane reductions next weekend. These are the final steps necessary to get the work done. If the weather is a factor, the work may be delayed to the following weekend but so far it’s looking good.
Thanks for your patience. We’re almost there!