Ontario announces opening of newly expanded Highway 69

Ontario announced it opened a 14-kilometre expansion of Highway 69 in the French River area on Dec. 23. 

The province says the newly widened highway from two to four lanes will help improve traffic flow and safety and will support economic growth in Northern Ontario.

“As we build Ontario, it’s critical that we continue to expand and improve highways across the province,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation in a statement. “In Northern Ontario, Highway 69 plays a vital role in helping people and goods move more quickly. By expanding the highway, our government is following through on its promise to support the economy and improve road safety.”

The new lanes on Highway 69 extend from north of Highway 522 to north of Highway 607. The expansion also includes two new interchanges.

The province says the new highway widening is part of a project to widen a total of 152 kilometers of Highway 69 from Parry Sound to Sudbury.

Ontario says the final 68-kilometre section of widening between French River and Parry Sound is in the engineering and property acquisition phase. 

“Our government is building Ontario with investments in critical infrastructure that improve our health, safety and quality of life,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure in a statement. “Over the next 10 years, we are spending more than $148 billion on highways and public transit, as well as schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other public infrastructure that families and businesses depend on.”