Highway 401 Improvements
From 1 km East of Highway 16 to 2.5 km East of Shanly Road Preliminary Design Study and Class Environmental Assessment

Class Environmental Assessment Process

The study will follow the Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities process for a Group ‘B’ project.

Engagement with external agencies, Indigenous communities, the public and interest groups will take place throughout the study, including two Public Information Centres (PICs). The 1st Public Information Centre (PIC) has been arranged on Wednesday April 8, 2026 to provide an opportunity to review the study process, the study need and justification, screening of an initial long list of alternatives, the short list of alternatives, the proposed evaluation criteria to assess the short list of alternatives, and the next steps in the study.   A second PIC will be held later in the study to present the evaluation of the improvement alternatives, the selection of the preferred plan, and the potential environmental impacts and proposed mitigation measures.

Upon completion of the study, the preferred plan will be documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) and made available for public review.  The TESR will also describe how the requirements of the Class EA were met; how the project achieves the overall transportation benefit while minimizing environmental impacts; engagement with individuals, external agencies, and Indigenous communities; and commitments for further engagement and environmental protection.  A Notice of Completion will be issued, at which point there will be a 30-day comment period allowing for an opportunity to provide comments on the TESR. 

A summary of the key activities and consultation process is shown below.