The Ontario government is taking further steps to start construction on the Bradford Bypass.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced on December 17 that the government had awarded a contract for tree clearing along the planned route for the highway’s west section.

The work across four hectares will be performed by Caledon’s Kodiak Tree Services.

Crews have already begun removing trees between Highway 400 and Simcoe County Road 4, with work expected to be completed in the new year.

“Gridlock is not only increasing the prices of items on store shelves – it’s dramatically impacting the quality of life for families, workers and millions of people across Ontario, which is why it’s so important to build critical new highway projects like this one,” the minister said. “Over the past year, we’ve made major progress in our plan to build the Bradford Bypass, including historic legislation that will help prioritize this project, along with key construction and design milestones. We’re going to get it done so we can get drivers out of traffic once and for all.”

A recent report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis finds gridlock in Ontario is significantly impacting commuters’ quality of life and costing the economy $56 billion a year, further emphasizing the need to move forward on the province’s $28 billion plan to build, repair and upgrade critical highway and road infrastructure projects like the Bradford Bypass.

“The Bradford Bypass is a much-needed addition to Ontario's transportation network,” said James Leduc, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury. “This new route will ease congestion, improve travel times, and provide a safer, more efficient way for drivers to navigate our growing region. By streamlining travel for residents of Simcoe County and cottage-goers alike, the bypass will improve access to key destinations, benefiting both local communities and visitors.”

This latest contract award builds on substantial progress made over the last year to advance work on the Bradford Bypass.

Earlier this year, the province awarded a contract for the detail design of the west section of Bradford Bypass, as well as a contract for a construction manager to join the existing design team to help ensure quality control, safety and delivery of the west section of the bypass. In July, crews began building a lane on Highway 400 that will connect to the future Bradford Bypass.

A new bridge was recently completed at Simcoe County Road 4 to keep traffic moving in West Gwillimbury while Bradford Bypass is under construction.

Once complete, the 16.3-kilometre Bradford Bypass will connect Highway 404 in the east to Highway 400 in the west and will help save commuters 35 minutes of driving each way.

During construction, the project is expected to support up to 2,200 jobs annually and contribute up to $286 million to Ontario’s GDP.