Ontario’s Hwy. 11 pilot project 'major step' to northern road safety

Ontario's Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney, was in North Bay Tuesday afternoon to announce the province is starting a new pilot project on Highway 11 between North Bay and Temiskaming Shores. It will see centre passing lanes added in an attempt to curb the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road.

It’s called the '2+1' highway model and the project will cost anywhere between $1-$3 million per kilometre to build.

The design is a three-lane highway with a centre passing lane that changes direction every two to five kilometres separated by a barrier.

"With the 2+1 design, regardless of the reason for vehicles crossing the centre line -- an icy road or distracted driver -- lives are saved," Mark Wilson, a member of the ‘Going The Extra Mile for Safety’ group (GEMS). said. GEMS is the group advocating for the project.

Two 15-kilometre locations on Highway 11 north of North bay have been identified for the proposed 2+1 highway project:

• Sand Dam Road to Ellesmere Road
• Highway 64 to Jumping Caribou Lake Road

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is looking for feedback from drivers and will finalize the locations and move them to the preliminary design phase in January.

"We’ve been looking at all different approaches," Mulroney said. "Today’s announcement is a major step forward in addressing road safety in northern Ontario. It’s an innovative solution."

The pilot project’s locations were selected based on a site selection criteria report from the MTO, which included representation from the Going the Extra Mile for Safety group.

Wilson said it’s an idea that came from Sweden, which now has about 3,000 kilometres of 2+1 roads and continues to build more. He said these roads have reduced fatality rates from 55-80 per cent and improved travel times.

"It prevents inappropriate passing, it prevents other types of driver error and makes drivers do the right thing," Wilson said.

Once the design phase is complete, it will take between three to four years to build, Mulroney said.

"We’re moving as quickly as we can. As Mark said, this is about road safety," she concluded.

Once built, Highway 11 will be the first 2+1 highway pilot in North America.