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Alysson Storey says she was surprised by the province’s decision to increase the speed limit on Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent all the way east to Highway 427 in Toronto.
The Chatham-Kent councillor is also the founder of the advocacy group Build the Barrier. For years, it’s pushed for the installation of consistent concrete medians to split east and westbound traffic along the London to Tilbury stretch often referred to as “Carnage Alley” — a nickname that comes from high traffic volumes and the number of accidents.
Speed limits on several stretches of Ontario highways will be increasing to 110 km/h, according to Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, who made the announcement Wednesday.
“This work is critical to improve travel times for families, commuters and workers and will benefit millions of drivers,” he said at a news conference.
A total of 938 kilometres across the province will have the increase implemented, he said.
In southwestern Ontario, that includes another stretch of Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent beginning at Merlin Road, heading all the way east into Toronto. That’s set to be in place August 31, according to the ministry of transportation.
And at the end of next month, Highway 402 from Highway 401 to White Oak Drive, and Highway 402 from Waterworks Road east of Colborne Drive will jump up to 110 km/h on July 31.
The Sarnia increases could save drivers 20 minutes per trip while travelling from border city to Toronto, according to Sarkaria.
Work to install barriers along a stretch of Highway 401 is shown back in 2018. (Chris Ensing/CBC)
For the latest increases on Highway 401 in and around Chatham-Kent, Storey says she wishes her group was consulted.
“I’m also disappointed and concerned because higher speed limits are proven to reduce reaction time,” she told CBC News.
“Whenever you reduce reaction time at a high rate of speed, mistakes can happen, driver error can happen, there’s less time to react to it. And since the concrete medium barrier is still ongoing, that could mean more danger to all drivers on the road.”
High tension cable barriers installed along sections of Highway 401 known as “Carnage Alley,” a few years ago. (Chris Ensing/CBC)
Storey believes her group has a valid reason to see the increase paused until the concrete barrier construction is complete.
Another nearby stretch of the 401 between Tilbury and Windsor has been at 110 km/h for a few years now. It was extended by seven kilometres in 2024.
Concrete barriers were promised by the Ford government in 2018. The section between Tilbury and Merlin Road was converted to concrete in 2023 but work hasn’t been done yet on the section heading east to London.
“The last information we have been given by the ministry was that it’s ongoing,” Storey said.
“We have mild unease, I would say about the status of that. But for everyone who’s been involved in this life-saving work, we will not be giving up and we will not be relenting until that project is finished.”
Premier Doug Ford said on social media that by October nearly 89 per cent of Ontario’s highways will be at a higher speed limit. He said that change reflects the speed the highways were designed for.
A map from the province shows where the 110 km/h speed limit is already in place and where it will be implemented. The yellow lines depict highways already at the higher limit, the blue lines show where the limit will be changed and the green are expansion projects where the increase will be included once completed. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)