Province says 401 expansion through Cambridge now complete

It’s an early Christmas present for drivers on Highway 401 in Cambridge as the expansion project from Highway 8 to Townline Road has wrapped up.

The province made the completion announcement on Dec. 22 and said the 401 is now fully open in the area.

The construction project involved expanding the eight kilometre stretch of highway from six lanes to 10 lanes, including one HOV lane in each direction, as well as the replacement and rehabilitation of the Hespeler Road and Townline Road bridges.

There’s even more good news for motorists as the Highway 7/8 ramps that have been closed at Trussler Road in Kitchener for several weeks are expected to reopen by the end of the day on Dec. 22.

However, they will have to close again for about two weeks in the new year to complete paving operations, but it’s not clear when exactly that will happen.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) said signage will be posted in the area a couple weeks before the ramp closures take effect to provide advance notice for drivers. Keep in mind, it will just be the Highway 7/8 eastbound off-ramp and both on-ramps from Trussler Road that will be affected, and the highway itself will not be impacted and will remain open to traffic at all times.

As for the construction on Highway 401 in Kitchener from Homer Watson Boulevard/Fountain Street to Highway 8, the MTO said it will be a couple years before that’s over.

An e-mail statement to CityNews Kitchener said, “The ministry is replacing the existing six-span Highway 401 Grand River Bridges with two new four-span structures. Construction is started and expected to be completed in late 2025. We are also making improvements at the Regional Road 8 interchange, including rehabilitating the King Street underpass structure.”