Ontario is raising speed limits on highways across cottage country

The Ontario government is raising speed limits on sections of highways across the province from 100 km/h to 110 km/h.

Starting July 12, speed limits will be permanently increased on most of the following highway sections, with the rest being implemented before the end of the year:

• Hwy 401, Tilbury, extending the existing 110 km/h zone further east by 7 km
• Hwy 401 from Hwy 35/115 to Cobourg (approximately 35 km)
• Hwy 401 from Colborne to Belleville (approximately 44 km)
• Hwy 401 from Belleville to Kingston (approximately 66 km)
• Hwy 401 from Hwy 16 to Quebec boundary (approximately 107 km)
• Hwy 403 from Woodstock to Brantford (approximately 26 km)
• Hwy 403 from Brantford to Hamilton (approximately 14.5 km)
• Hwy 406 from Thorold to Welland (approximately 13 km)
• Hwy 416 from Hwy 401 to Ottawa (approximately 70 km)
• Hwy 69 from Sudbury to French River (approximately 60 km)

The province previously increased speed limits on six sections of provincial highways in 2022.

“Most of Ontario’s highways were originally designed to safely accommodate speed limits of 110 km/h, and the data from our changes in 2022 shows they do just that,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, the Minister of Transportation, in a press release.

“These evidence-based increases are a common-sense change to make life more convenient for Ontario drivers while bringing our highway speed limits in line with other Canadian provinces.”

Photo courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation

This expansion will cover 36 per cent and 860 km of Ontario’s highway network.

The increase “aligns” with speed limits across Canada, said Sarkaria.

“What many people don’t realize is that, until 1975, highways 400, 401, 417, and the QEW had speed limits over 110 kilometres until they were reduced in response to the energy crisis,” said Sarkaria, in a press conference in Hamilton, Ont., on April 24.

The specific sections of highway the government chose for this increase were picked based on their ability to “safely accommodate higher speed limits,” according to the press release.

Several other provinces are home to sections of highway with speed limits that exceed 110 km/h, including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.