Ontario intends to move forward with a plan to add an extra lane on a section of Highway 11 near North Bay in an effort to promote road safety and traffic flow.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced the proposed project on December 14 alongside Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

“Our government is moving forward with the first-ever 2+1 highway pilot in North America to help make our roads safer,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “We have heard resounding calls from local stakeholders to move this project forward, and we are delivering as part of our plan to build Ontario. Identifying potential pilot locations for further consideration is a big step forward, as our government continues to improve Ontario’s transportation network, helping people and goods get to where they need to go quickly and safely.”

The project calls for a section of the highway to be expanded to three lanes. The centre passing lane would change direction approximately every two to five kilometres.

The province has identified the top two locations for the proposed 2+1 highway pilot. The first is a 14-kilometre stretch between Sand Dam Road and Ellesmere Road that is about 20 kilometres north of North Bay. The other is a 16-kilometre stretch from Highway 64 to Jumping Caribou Lake Road, which is about 60 kilometres north of North Bay.

“The 2+1 highway project is important for people and businesses across Northern Ontario who rely on our roads and highways every day to get where they need to go,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and MPP for Nipissing. “This pilot project along Highway 11 will help address some of the unique transportation challenges experienced by remote communities, including First Nation communities, and will play an important part in strengthening economic growth and job creation in the North.”

The province will hear public consultation on the proposed pilot locations until January 11.

The 2+1 project will be funded under the province’s plan to invest more than $640 million to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges in Northern Ontario.