Future Ontario Highway 17

1 future

1.1 renfrew county
1.2 north bay
1.3 sudbury
1.4 sault ste. marie
1.5 thunder bay , kenora

future

with route planning studies completed on highways 11 , 69/400, in latter half of 2000s ministry of transportation s planning branch began undertaking more active preparations eventual conversion of highway 17 freeway. although no comprehensive conversion plan in place, planning , construction projects underway @ number of locations along highway.

sault ste. marie mpp david orazietti has spearheaded petition have entire highway four-laned arnprior sault ste. marie, similar campaign undertaken caucus colleague rick bartolucci regarding extension of highway 400. cheryl gallant, federal member of parliament renfrew—nipissing—pembroke, has advocated four-laning of highway through ottawa valley toward north bay, , entire length of highway throughout northern ontario.

a 2009 study commissioned forestry trade magazine working forest, titled vision ontario’s trans canada highway, north bay manitoba border , determined cost ontario government $600 million per year on 25 years convert entire length of both highway 17 , highway 11 freeway, suggesting comprehensive plan affordable , achievable if provincial , federal governments reach cost-sharing agreement.

renfrew county

a new route east of cobden has been selected mto

studies underway on extension of highway 417 through ottawa valley region current terminus @ arnprior petawawa. arnprior haley station , meath petawawa, proposed freeway route largely follows existing alignment — in these areas, current highway route largely avoids existing communities, , second set of lanes can added alongside existing route. within township of whitewater region, however, new alignment planned several kilometres east of existing road in order bypass communities such cobden.

north bay

planning studies have been completed conversion of highway 17 s alignment through north bay, four-lane expressway partial not full control of access, full freeway. plan include interchange new alignment of highway 11, replace existing algonquin avenue segment. in city, four-laned route follow existing highway route western city limits meighen avenue, , new alignment there eastbound highway 11/17 interchange. bypassed portion of current route realigned connect lansdowne avenue. alignment, nicknamed route 6 , has been planned since 1970s; although minor adjustments plan have been made since, of 2017 ministry has not announced official construction schedule.

studies commenced on extension of four-lane route easterly bonfield in 2011, , eau claire station nipissing district-renfrew county boundary in 2012; further studies on routes bonfield eau claire station , north bay cache bay expected begin @ later date.

sudbury

as extension of highway 400 approaches sudbury, planned completion in 2021, mto began route planning , environmental assessment study on highway 17 easterly highway 69 markstay in 2010; studies segment highway 69 westerly existing freeway in walden completed in 2007. current route plan involves twinning existing southeast bypass terminus, along construction of new four-laned route north of coniston , wahnapitae.

original plans called new multi-level interchange highway 69 in lake laurentian conservation area. however, public consultation has since removed proposal route planning process; of plans under consideration involve converting existing alignment of highway 69 full freeway meet highway 17 @ existing interchange.

preliminary route planning studies have been completed on freeway s westerly extension mckerrow, near espanola, no construction schedule has been announced date. however, first phase of route, extending existing freeway municipal road 55 in sudbury 6 kilometers farther west through den-lou neighbourhood, in detail design phase.

sault ste. marie

at sault ste. marie, expressway segment ends 6 kilometres short of eventual terminus @ black road , second line, agreement has yet reached batchawana first nation regarding land use through rankin. completion date segment not known. in interim, highway traffic travels between expressway , current highway alignment through sault ste. marie means of planned northerly extension of trunk road.

the former segment of highway 17 through garden river redesignated part of highway 638, although garden river first nation disputed designation , insisted highway renamed highway 17b. of february 2009, former route designated highway 17b. in february 2010, garden river s band council publicly warned consider imposing tolls on routes of both highway 17 , highway 17b through territory if provincial government did not assist council funding shortfall of approximately $1 million.

in february 2011, ministry of transportation announced expressway s current level intersection @ highway 638 in echo bay upgraded full interchange.

thunder bay , kenora

construction started in 2004 on westerly extension of thunder bay s harbour expressway, thunder bay expressway vibert road, intended serve new alignment highways 11 , 17.

in july 2008 federal , provincial governments announced $6.2 billion infrastructure program makes four-laning of hwys. 11 , 17 near kenora , thunder bay priority. engineering work on twinning 11/17 between nipigon , thunder bay begin in 2008. on may 1, 2009 federal , provincial government announced twinning of highway 11/17 begin in 2010.

on may 15, 2009 federal , provincial government announced twinning of highway 17 @ manitoba/ontario boundary easterly toward kenora begin in 2010.