The Ontario government is pushing ahead with a project to widen a stretch of Highway 7 between Markham and Pickering.

The province announced it would invest $12 million in the work to expand the road from two lanes to four between Reesor Road in Markham to Brock Road in Pickering. The expansion, it says, will support the area’s growing manufacturing, life sciences and agricultural sectors.

“As Durham and York Region continue to grow, our government is standing up for drivers to keep them moving and out of gridlock,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. “Widening Highway 7 is a milestone investment from Ontario’s 2024 Budget and another step in our government’s plan to build a better Ontario.”

The government’s investment will be used to support the preliminary design and environmental assessment work to widen 10.4 kilometres of Highway 7. The expansion project will also include improvements to local intersections and the expansion of the Little Rouge Creek bridge in Markham.

Approximately 8,500 vehicles travel Highway 7 from Reesor Road to Brock Road every day.

By 2051, the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s population is expected to grow from 10 million to almost 15 million people. The government is investing nearly $100 billion over the next decade in highways, roads, and public transit to help ensure infrastructure is available to support such growth.