Questions & Answers

• Study #1 (GWP 4022-21-00) includes Highway 401 from 4.3 km east of Highway 37 to 5 km west of County Road 41/Centre Street for a total length of approximately 26 km.
• Study #2 (GWP 4016-21-00) includes Highway 401 from 5 km west of County Road 41/Centre Street to 8 km west of Kingston Road 38 for a total length of approximately 29 km.

NOTE - As the Palace Road Interchange Technically Preferred Plan advances to Detail Design, advancement of the Napanee River Bridge (Site 17X-0062/B0) from the current Study #2 project is required due to its proximity to Palace Road and thus, has been added to the scope of work as a separate Class EA and Preliminary Design study (GWP 4040-20-00).

These Studies have been initiated to address current and future transportation needs by developing a plan for the rehabilitation and/or replacement of various bridges and culverts, determining the long-term interchange configuration at seven locations, and establishing the footprint for the interim six and ultimate eight lanes of Highway 401, between the City of Belleville and the City of Kingston.

This study will follow the approved planning process for a Group ‘B’ project under the Ministry of Transportation’s Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities and Municipal Expressways (2024). Alternatives will be generated and evaluated based on technical and environmental factors and in consultation with Indigenous communities, municipalities, regulatory and review agencies, members of the public and other stakeholders.

• Study #1 is located within the City of Belleville, the Township of Tyendinaga and County of Hastings as well as the Town of Greater Napanee and the County of Lennox and Addington.
• Study # 2 is located within the Town of Greater Napanee, the Township of Loyalist, and the County of Lennox and Addington.

Project notification will be issued at key milestones to area municipalities throughout the duration of the project. In addition, a Municipal Advisory Committee consisting of area municipalities, emergency service providers, and school boards was established early in the project. Three rounds of Municipal Advisory Committee meetings will be held. The first meeting concentrated on existing conditions, alternatives, and details crucial to the early development of the preliminary design. The second meeting shifted focus to the short-list of alternatives and the third meeting will focus on the Recommended Plan, integration with municipal plans, transit services and capital works as well as preliminary construction staging considerations.

Yes. The Project Team will be seeking permission to enter affected properties to complete field investigations necessary to support Preliminary Design.

Once Environmental Assessment approval and land acquisition approval are obtained, Ministry staff will reach out to affected property owners to arrange a meeting and begin amicable negotiations for purchasing the required property. Compensation will be based on the fair market value of your property at the time of acquisition, reflecting what similar land would sell for on the open market between a willing buyer and seller. If an agreement cannot be reached, the property may be acquired through expropriation, in accordance with the Expropriations Act. Currently, the Environmental Assessment process is ongoing, and property acquisition timelines have not yet been determined.

As part of the Class EA process an inventory of existing conditions will be completed and the potential for the alternative designs to impact the natural, socio-economic, and cultural environment will be evaluated. Various studies are being completed to document existing conditions and to identify any sensitive environmental areas and/or areas of constraint which will assist in properly assessing impacts and in making recommendations for appropriate and effective mitigation to minimize the potential for adverse effects resulting from the project.

As part of this study noise and air quality assessments will be completed and the Project Team will identify the need for mitigation associated with the Recommended Plan.

Two Public Information Centres are planned for each study at key milestones to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to view project materials and provide comments.  Advance notification will be provided.

This project is currently in the Preliminary Design and Class EA phase and there is no commitment for a construction timeline. The timing and duration of highway construction depends on numerous factors, including size and complexity of the project, funding availability, and timing of environmental clearances and permits.

Once the Preliminary Design and Class EA process is complete, the project(s) will enter the Detail Design stage in advance of construction, for which the timing is not yet known.

Once a Technically Preferred Alternative has been identified, the Ministry of Transportation may designate lands as highway and acquire property prior to EA process completion. A designation enables the Ministry to provide route/corridor protection through the application of development control measures along the corridor and in the vicinity of the designated lands. For more information about highway corridor management, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/highway-corridor-management.