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88-618: Downtown Markham is a planned urban hub and the largest planned mixed-use development in Canada. The development spans 243 acres and is situated in one of the fastest growing regions in the province. It will be the commercial and financial district at the center of the city of Markham, and will consist of a mix of residential, office and retail uses. Two million square feet of retail space will include international retailers, local shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Downtown Markham will also offer more than 3.4 million square feet of office space in

176-559: A 90° angle and not crossing each other. Now travelling parallel to and immediately west of the Halton– Peel regional boundary and Oakville–Mississauga city limits, the six-lane Highway 407 progresses northwest alongside a power transmission corridor, with residential areas to the east and farmland to the west. The route continues as such northwest to Highway 401, passing under Lower Base Line and Eglinton Avenue and interchanging at Britannia Road and Derry Road before crossing

264-808: A commercial district adjacent to Highway 407 . The vibrant urban centre is being designed and developed following sustainable guidelines, including energy efficient power sources and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residential and commercial projects. Aside from allowing greater density, the development also enjoys 72 acres of natural and landscaped green space, improved walkability and easy access to public transit, including Viva Rapid Transit and GO Transit . Downtown Markham refers to an area south of Uptown Markham / Highway 7 , west of Kennedy Road / Main Street Unionville , east of Warden Avenue , and north of Highway 407 ETR . On

352-430: A community node in the far eastern part of the amalgamated municipality, the city decided a larger, more centrally-located downtown was needed. The area south of Highway 7 and east of Warden Avenue was frozen for development by the province during the planning and construction of express toll road Highway 407. In 1992, a plan was approved to develop the area with higher commercial density. The Town of Markham has approved

440-909: A curb and gutter system. Unlike most Ontario highways, it features concrete pavement as opposed to top-coated asphalt. Because of this, the high-mast lighting along the urban portions of the route features fewer luminaires than asphalt-surfaced freeways. Highway 407 begins in Burlington within Halton Region at the Freeman Interchange between Highway 403 and the QEW, from which it branches off northward. The six-lane route passes under Brant Street, Upper Middle Road, and Guelph Line (Halton Regional Road 1) before it interchanges with Dundas Street (Halton Regional Road 5, formerly Highway 5 ). It briefly enters green space as it curves gently to

528-589: A decision by the Ontario Divisional Court on November 7, 2005, the Ontario Registrar of Motor Vehicles was ordered to begin denying the validation or issue of Ontario licence plates and vehicle permits for 407 ETR users who have failed to pay owed fees. On November 22, 2005, the MTO announced that it would appeal the decision but would begin to deny plates until the appeal was decided. On February 24, 2006,

616-488: A denser urban centre. The urban centre is planned to be a transit-oriented community, with everything close by and fully transit dependent. In addition, the community was also planned to be environmentally sustainable as well. The community was planned by the City of Markham, in cooperation with The Remington Group. The Remington Group is mainly in charge of constructing most of the structures across this new community. According to

704-446: A few VIP theatres, a new gaming corner and much higher capacity than the old Cineplex theatre at First Markham Place . The Marriott hotel and the York condo was constructed on the corner of Enterprise Drive and Birchmount Road. It was finished by the end of 2018. Downtown Markham is using a development strategy named smart growth . The community will try to limit urban sprawl by creating

792-640: A modified trumpet interchange. Both Phase 1 of the 407 East Extension, as far as Harmony Road in Oshawa and Highway 412 opened to traffic on June 20, 2016. Phase 2A of the 407 East Extension, as far as Taunton Road in Clarington opened to traffic on January 2, 2018. Both Phase 2B of the 407 East Extension, as far as Highway 35 and Highway 115 in Clarington and Highway 418 opened to traffic on December 9, 2019. Similar to most other toll highways, Highway 407 features no toll booths. Rather,

880-450: A month later on August 30. A provincially operated 65-kilometre (40 mi) long extension to the 407 ETR, known as Highway 407 East (or 407E) during planning, began construction in 2012, with the project undertaken in two separate phases. Phase 1 was opened on June 20, 2016, consisting of a 22-kilometre (14 mi) extension to Harmony Road in Oshawa, as well as the 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) Highway 412. The extension

968-430: A month to allow motorists to test-drive the freeway. Several other sections were well underway at this point. A 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) extension westwards to Highway 401 was opened just months later on December 13, 1997. That section was connected with Highway 403 to the south on September 4, 1998, with a temporary two lane ramp connecting to Trafalgar Road. In the east, an extension to Markham Road, at what

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1056-563: A number ranging from 1 to 99. All expenses for York Regional Roads (i.e: maintenance, traffic lights, and snow clearing) are funded by the York Region government. Several new roads were assumed by the region include King–Vaughan Town Line and Kirby Sideroad. Most north-south roads originating in Toronto retains the proper names from south of Steeles Avenue. Roads on Georgina Island are maintained by Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation despite

1144-419: A shield-shaped sign topped with a crown. The highway number is in the centre, with the name ONTARIO below. These signs are known as shields . Provincially maintained highways generally have greater construction standards than municipally or locally maintained roads. Although they are usually one lane in either direction, several short sections with two lanes in one direction as a passing lane exist along

1232-453: A system of cameras and transponders allows for automatic toll collection . It was one of the first highways to exclusively use open road tolling . Highway 407 is otherwise designed as a normal freeway; interchanges connect directly to crossroads. A radio antenna detects when a vehicle with a transponder enters and exits the highway, calculating the toll rate. For vehicles without a transponder, an automatic license plate recognition system

1320-494: A toll highway , bus rapid transit , and GO Trains . The downtown area is bounded with three arterial streets , which are numbered York Regional Roads : Kennedy Road (York Road 3), Highway 7 (York Road 7, which was formerly Provincial Highway 7 ), and Warden Avenue (York Road 65). Highway 407 serves the area with exits on Warden Avenue and Kennedy Road. The community is served by the Warden , Enterprise and Unionville stops on

1408-642: Is a 151.4-kilometre (94.1 mi) controlled-access highway that encircles the GTA, passing through Burlington , Oakville , Mississauga , Brampton , Vaughan , Markham , Pickering , Whitby , Oshawa , and Clarington , as well as travelling immediately north of Toronto . Although the general public felt that tolling made the highway a luxury rather than fulfilling its original purpose of relieving traffic on Highway 401, Highway 407 ETR had average daily trip counts of over 350,000 vehicles in June 2014. The 407 ETR

1496-459: Is a series of different named roads: Georgina Island , Fox Island and Snake Island are within York Region, but are also part of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation . Follows or formerly known as 17th Sideroad. From Highway 27 to 8th Concession it follows the 19th sideroad. At the 8th, to avoid Pottageville swamp, it curves diagonally southwards until it reaches 7th Concession road. From

1584-498: Is an electronically operated toll highway; there are no toll booths along the route. Distances are calculated automatically using transponders or automatic number-plate recognition , which are scanned at entrance and exit portals. Highway 407 was planned in the late 1950s as a freeway bypassing the Toronto segment of Highway 401, the busiest highway in North America. However, construction did not begin until 1987. During

1672-529: Is anticipated to be highly dependent on these transit routes, as part of the planned smart growth. Viva Purple connects the locale to Cornell and York University ; Viva Green connects the locale to Don Mills Station and Cornell ; Viva Pink connects the locale to North York City Centre . Other bus routes that serve the area include: GO Transit operates Unionville GO Station on the Stouffville line during peak commuter traffic. The GO train line connects

1760-492: Is contractually responsible for maintaining high traffic levels as justification for increasing tolls, but conducts its own traffic studies. Despite increased usage, parallel roads that Highway 407 was intended to supplement continue to grow congested, forcing the MTO to revisit costly widening projects of Highway 401 and the QEW. Highway 407 was designed with aesthetics and environmental concerns in mind, featuring landscaped embankments, 79 storm drainage ponds, and

1848-442: Is largely tied down by the lease contract. On February 2, 2004, the government notified 407 ETR that it was considered to be in default of the contract because of 407 ETR's decision to raise toll rates without first obtaining provincial clearance. The court's initial decision sided with 407 ETR: on July 10, 2004, an independent arbitrator affirmed that 407 ETR has the power to raise toll rates without first consulting

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1936-458: Is named Markham Road south of the freeway. Both Markham and McCowan were widened to four lanes between Highway 407 and Steeles Avenue at this time. This did not alleviate concerns, but on June 24, 1999, the extension opened to continued protest regardless. In 2000, the 407 consortium had planned to extend the four lane highway by 16 kilometres eastward from Markham to Brock Road in Pickering by

2024-598: Is now privately operated. The segment is operated privately under a 99-year lease agreement signed with the Conservative provincial government, which was sold in 1999 for about C$ 3.1 billion to a consortium of Canadian and Spanish investors operating under the name 407 International Inc. The privatization of the Highway ;407 ETR section has been the source of significant criticism, especially regarding increases in tolls, plate denial, and false charges. In addition,

2112-568: Is the fourth-longest expressway in Ontario's 400-series network, after Highways 417 , 400 , and 401 . The segment between Burlington and Brougham in Pickering is leased to and operated by the 407 ETR Concession Company Limited and is officially known as the 407 Express Toll Route ( 407 ETR ). It begins at the junction of the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and Highway 403 in Burlington and travels 108.0 km (67.1 mi) across

2200-514: Is used. In both cases, monthly statements are mailed to users. The automatic plate recognition system is linked to several provincial and U.S. state motor vehicle registries. Toll rates are set by the 407 ETR and the Province of Ontario for their respectively owned sections. However, the province set out limitations in the 407 ETR lease contract for maintaining traffic volumes to justify toll rates. Despite this, rates have increased annually against

2288-734: The Canadian Pacific Railway 's (CP) Galt Subdivision . At Highway 401, the route makes a sharp curve to the northeast, while interconnecting ramps weave across both freeways over several kilometres. It enters Peel Region at the Winston Churchill Boulevard (Peel Regional Road 19) overpass and follows another power transmission corridor just north of the Brampton–Mississauga boundary. Highway 407 swerves east and encounters an interchange with Mississauga Road (Peel Regional Road 1) just prior to crossing

2376-740: The Credit River and the Orangeville Brampton Railway , after which it enters the urban GTA. After passing interchanges with Mavis Road (Peel Regional Road 18) and Hurontario Street (formerly Highway 10 ), the route encounters Highway 410 at another sprawling interchange located over Etobicoke Creek . Over the next 7 kilometres (4.3 mi), the route nudges northward into Brampton, interchanging with Dixie Road (Peel Regional Road 4) and Bramalea Road and meeting another CN railway line, before crossing Steeles Avenue (Peel Regional Road 15). Highway 407 curves back to

2464-690: The Don River . It curves back eastward as it interchanges with Dufferin Street (York Regional Road 53), travelling adjacent to and south of Highway 7. After interchanges with Bathurst Street (York Regional Road 38) and Yonge Street (York Regional Road 1), Highway 407 crosses the CN Bala Subdivision, which carries the GO Transit Richmond Hill Line . After an interchange with Bayview Avenue (York Regional Road 34),

2552-476: The VIVA bus rapid transit system. Warden and Enterprise are served by three lines: Viva Purple , Viva Green , and Viva Pink , while Unionville Station is only served by Viva Pink. As of 2011, Viva Purple is the only line with all-day service, the other lines operate only during rush hour. It is scheduled that when Downtown Markham is fully functional and occupied, Viva Green will return to full service. The community

2640-570: The "four-oh-seven", is a tolled 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario . Comprising a privately leased segment and a publicly owned segment, the route spans the entire Greater Toronto Area (GTA) around the city of Toronto , travelling through the suburbs of Burlington , Oakville , Mississauga , Brampton , Vaughan , Markham , Pickering , Whitby , and Oshawa before ending in Clarington , north of Orono . At 151.4 km long, it

2728-521: The "worst financial missteps" by any government in Ontario's history. When purchased, the highway travelled from the junction of Highway 403 in Mississauga to Markham Road in Markham. Extensions westward to the QEW and eastward to Highway 7 and Brock Road in Pickering were constructed by the corporation, as mandated in the lease agreement. The western extension, from Highway 403 southwest to

Downtown Markham - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-419: The 407 ETR Concession Company Limited ("407 ETR"), the operator and manager of the highway, is as follows: The concession has been called a "cash cow" for SNC-Lavalin, while local media has commented on the "huge jump" or "soar" in profits. The highway's initial construction cost was pegged at $ 1.5 billion. The toll concession was sold for $ 3.1 billion. In 1998, MPP E. J. Douglas Rollins claimed that

2904-693: The Downtown Markham to Stouffville and Downtown Toronto . The community reserves 72 acres (290,000 m) as a natural reserve, which includes an ecologically sensitive area, Rouge River . There are two recreational facilities in Downtown Markham: The York University Markham Campus is currently being built next to the Markham Pan Am Centre. Ontario Highway 407 King's Highway 407 , commonly referred to as Highway 407 and colloquially as

2992-539: The GTA to Brock Road in Pickering. East of Brock Road, the tollway continues east as Highway 407 (referred to as Highway 407 East during development to distinguish it from 407 ETR), a toll route operated by the provincial government, for 43.4 km (27.0 mi), to Highway 35 / 115 in Clarington. The route interchanges with nine freeways: the QEW, Highway 403, Highway 401 , Highway 410 , Highway 427 , Highway 400 , Highway 404 , Highway 412 , and Highway 418 . Highway 407

3080-578: The Highway 407 extension and Highway 412 did not commence until February 2017. The tolls also applied to Highway 418 when first opened in December 2019. On April 5, 2022, Highways 412 and 418 became toll-free, but the tolls on the 407 East Extension remained. As of June 1, 2019, the following tolls applied for motorists using this section of the 407. The rate stayed the same in 2018 and rose in 2019: As of September, 2024 and unchanged since 2019, ownership of

3168-614: The Humber River valley alongside a CN line and along the northern border of Thackeray Conservation Lands, passing beneath a CP line. After an interchange with Pine Valley Drive (York Regional Road 57), the route becomes sandwiched between the industrial lands of the Pine Valley Business Park and the Emery Creek Corporate Park. A partial interchange with Weston Road (York Regional Road 56) lies just west of

3256-491: The Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin (22.6%), and CDP Capital (16.1%). The 99-year lease agreement granted the consortium unlimited control over the highway and its tolls, dependent on traffic volume; however, the government maintains the right to build a transport system within the highway right-of-way. The highway has since been described as a "value generating monster" and "cash cow" for SNC-Lavalin and one of

3344-465: The Ontario Court of Appeals denied the government leave to appeal the 2005 decision. As a result, plate denial remains in place. The rate rose for tolls in 2019 and again in 2020. On December 31, 2019, it was announced that the highway would have seasonal toll rates. As of February 1, 2020, the base tolls for driving on the 407 ETR are as follows: To compensate for opening delays, tolling of both

3432-579: The QEW, was not part of the original Highway 407 concept in 1987; rather, the corridor was originally intended to connect the Hamilton and Mississauga sections of Highway 403. Highway 407 was originally slated to assume the temporary routing for Highway 403 along the Mississauga-Oakville boundary to end at the QEW. However, the Bob Rae led Ontario government altered these plans in 1995, and

3520-468: The Tremaine Road (Halton Regional Road 22) overpass, then gradually swerves to the north as it encounters an interchange with Bronte Road (Halton Regional Road 25, formerly Highway 25 ). The route crosses Sixteen Mile Creek just north of Glenarchy Conservation Area, then travels parallel to the creek for several kilometres. It swerves north after an interchange with Neyagawa Boulevard, near

3608-481: The centre of the sign, with the word REGION above and the word YORK below. Like King's Highways, these signs are known as shields . As par standard practice in regional municipalities , they run through and are signed in urban areas in addition to rural areas. The following is a list of provincially maintained highways in York Region. Communities are ordered by where the route encounters them (either from south to north or from west to east). The main arterial road

Downtown Markham - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-467: The community of Whitevale , south of the future Pickering Airport and the planned community of Seaton . Sandwiched between farm fields, the highway is crossed by North Road, before interchanging with Whites Road (formerly Sideline 26), an interchange which opened in February 2021. Highway 407 ended just south of Brougham at a signalized intersection with Brock Road (Durham Regional Road 1) until

3784-437: The connector highways, with an announced completion date of 2013. On January 27, 2009, the provincial government announced that the extension would be a tolled highway but owned by the province and with tolls set by the province. The announcement also indicated that the province expected to issue a Request for Proposals later in the year. The contract, which is valued at $ 1.6 billion and includes construction and operation of

3872-430: The corporation constructed this section quickly upon obtaining the lease. Sections opened throughout the middle of 2001: between Neyagawa Boulevard and Highway 403 on June 17; between Bronte Road and Neyagawa Boulevard on June 29; between Dundas Street and Bronte Road on July 18; and between the Freeman Interchange and Dundas Street on July 30. In the east, a final extension between Markham Road and Highway 7 opened

3960-430: The early 1990s, the provincial government proposed tolling the highway to alleviate a revenue shortfall. The central sections of Highway 407 opened in 1997, and the remaining sections were built quickly over the following four years, with the final segment opening in mid-2001. Despite being included in the 400-series network, the Highway 407 ETR section is not considered part of the provincial highway network as it

4048-430: The end of 2015, where it continued eastward as Highway 7. A new interchange has been built in conjunction with the provincially maintained and tolled extension, Highway 407E, which was constructed east of this point, and ties in with the current freeway, eliminating the at-grade intersection. Immediately east of Brock Road, drivers enter the provincially operated portion of the highway. Right before Brock Road,

4136-486: The end of the following year. The 16 kilometre segment of Highway 407 from Markham to Brock Road in Pickering opened on August 24, 2001. When Mike Harris was elected Premier in 1995 on his platform of the Common Sense Revolution , the Ontario government faced an $ 11 billion annual deficit and a $ 100 billion debt. Seeking to balance the books, a number of publicly owned services were privatized over

4224-516: The first of three large interchanges with other 400-series highways in York Region. The Highway 427 interchange is a four-level partial stack located just north of Steeles Avenue in Vaughan and adjacent to the 407 ETR Concession Company offices. The interchange features weaved ramps which connect to former Highway 27 , located just to the east. The route continues eastward, parallel to and between Steeles Avenue and Highway 7. It dives through

4312-420: The first quarter of 2013. In early December 2015, it was announced that contractor delays would push the opening of the first phase from December 18 to the spring of 2016. The extension did not open until the morning of June 20, 2016, in the last hours of Spring 2016. On December 9, 2019, the final portion of the 407 East highway, the section of the highways east of and all of Ontario Highway 418 opened to

4400-456: The following years. Although initially spared, Highway 407 was privatized quickly in the year leading up to the 1999 provincial elections. It was leased to a conglomerate of private companies for $ 3.1 billion. The Ontario-based corporation, known as 407 International Inc. , was initially owned by the Spanish multinational Ferrovial through its subsidiary Cintra Infraestructuras (61.3%),

4488-590: The freeway meets with Highway 412 at a large Y-interchange. Highway 407 then curves southeast to bypass the town of Brooklin . It is crossed by Highway 7 once again before interchanging with Highway 12 /Baldwin Street and Thickson Road. The freeway becomes parallel with a hydro line briefly. The freeway once again curves northeast, crossing the Whitby / Oshawa border, passing over Thornton Road and Winchester Road before interchanging with Simcoe Street and Harmony Road. The freeway then curves sharply southeast, crossing under

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4576-419: The freeway turns northeast. After interchanging with Brock Road, the freeway is crossed by Highway 7 and Sideline 14 before it slowly eases due east. The freeway is flanked by farmland is then crossed by Westney Road, Salem Road, where there is a maintenance depot, and Kinsale Road, before interchanging with Lake Ridge Road, which forms the border between Pickering and Whitby. Immediately east of Lake Ridge Road,

4664-435: The full extension in one project, but failed to pass. Instead, a compromise was issued on March 10, 2011: the first phase would extend Highway 407 to Harmony Road in Oshawa by 2015, including Highway 412; the second phase would then complete the extension to Highway 35 / 115 by 2020, including Highway 418. This timeline was confirmed by Premier Dalton McGuinty on May 24, 2012, and construction began in

4752-549: The government. The government filed an appeal of this decision but was overruled by an Ontario Superior Court decision released on January 6, 2005; however, a subsequent ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal on June 13, 2005, granted the government permission to appeal the decision. Around the same time, the government also faced off against 407 ETR in court regarding plate denial . List of York Regional Roads York Region , located in southcentral Ontario , Canada, assigned approximately 50 regional roads , each with

4840-410: The hamlet of Glenarchy. After diverging from the creek, it curves northeast, parallel to and north of Burnhamthorpe Road , where it interchanges with Trafalgar Road (Halton Regional Road 3). Highway 407 then encounters Highway 403, where it curves sharply to the northwest, while Highway 403 curves from the southeast to the northeast; resulting in both highways meeting and deflecting at

4928-403: The hamlet of Hampton before interchanging with Bowmanville Avenue. The freeway is crossed by Middle Road, Liberty Street, and Bethesda Road before it turns slightly northeast. The freeway interchanges with Darlington-Clarke Townline with a B4 Parclo interchange, which is the last interchange on the freeway. The freeway then crosses Leskard Road and Best Road, before ending at Highway 35 / 115 with

5016-590: The highway corridor) located to the south. Still travelling alongside a power transmission corridor, Highway 407 crosses a complex rail wye which provides access to the CN freight yards to the north. After interchanging with Keele Street (York Regional Road 6), the route gently curves northward, passing under the CN Newmarket Subdivision, which carries the GO Transit Barrie Line and crossing

5104-469: The highway swerves south and enters Markham. A partial interchange with Leslie Street (York Regional Road 12) precedes the third and final large freeway–freeway junction at Highway 404. East of Highway 404, the freeway travels generally parallel to the Rouge River . It interchanges with Woodbine Avenue (York Regional Road 8) and Warden Avenue (York Regional Road 65), east of which

5192-535: The highway to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) for $ 3.25 billion, implying a $ 32.5 billion valuation of the highway. After the sale, SNC-Lavalin would own only 6.76% of the highway. In August 2019, a court approved the sale of SNC-Lavalin's 10% stake to CPPIB instead of to OMERS. Although the construction of Highway 407 did not begin until 1987, planning for the bypass of Highway 401 north of Toronto began in

5280-476: The highway, was eventually awarded to the same consortium that owns 407 ETR. On June 9, 2010, the MTO approved the extension as far east as Simcoe Street in Oshawa, announcing plans to phase construction of the extension. Local residents and politicians rejected the plan, as had happened with the section between McCowan Road and Markham Road. A motion was proposed in the Ontario Legislature to build

5368-543: The highways. York Region is also home to three 400-series highways, which are controlled-access freeways. York Region is home to a privately-maintained (but provincially-owned) toll freeway, the 407 ETR . The freeway crosses the Region east-west near the southern border. Toll rates vary depending on the section, time of day, and mileage driven. York Regional Roads are signed with a flowerpot-shaped sign, as are most regional and county roads in Ontario . The road number appears in

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5456-460: The hydro lines it was just parallel to, crossing Winchester Street for the last time, and crossing the Oshawa/Clarington border. The freeway then is crossed by Langmaid Road and Concession Road 6 before turning due east and interchanging with Enfield Road. The freeway passes south of the hamlet of Solina before meeting Highway 418 at another large Y-interchange. Highway 407 then jogs north of

5544-413: The island being within York Region. Roads are generally paved with some gravel roads in less populated areas. Before the 20th Century most cleared roads were dirt roads . There are 161 kilometres (100 mi) of provincially maintained highways , termed "provincial highways" or " King's Highways " As in the rest of Ontario, the provincially maintained highways in York Region are designated with

5632-411: The lack of protective guardrails along sharp curves, in addition to the lack of a concrete median barrier to separate the two travel directions. However, it was also argued that the large grass median was sufficient to prevent crossover collisions, given that Highway 410 has a similar median. The Ontario provincial government has quarrelled with 407 ETR over toll rates and customer service but

5720-497: The large four-level stack interchange with Highway 400, the only of its kind in Canada. An interchange with Jane Street (York Regional Road 55) is interwoven into the east side of the Highway 400 interchange, below which pass the tunnels of the Line 1 Yonge–University subway, with the Highway 407 station (with its large commuter parking lot and GO Transit bus terminal serving

5808-555: The late 1950s. Concepts for the new "dual highway" first appeared in the 1959 plan for Metropolitan Toronto. Land adjacent to several hydro corridors was acquired for the future freeway in the 1960s, but sat vacant as the Ontario Department of Highway (predecessor to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO)) opted instead to widen Highway 401 to a twelve-lane collector-express system. The Highway 401 expansion project

5896-650: The northeast as it interchanges with Airport Road (Peel Regional Road 7) and passes beneath another CN line, before encountering the final interchange in Peel Region at Goreway Drive. It crosses the West Humber River and former Highway 50 in Claireville Conservation Area before curving east into Vaughan, in York Region . Immediately after crossing into Vaughan, Highway 407 encounters

5984-612: The northeast, avoiding the nearby Niagara Escarpment . The route is crossed by Walkers Line, east of which residential subdivisions line the south side and green space lines the north. At an interchange with Appleby Line (Halton Regional Road 20), the highway straightens and travels parallel to Dundas Street before passing over Bronte Creek and under the Canadian National Railway 's (CN) Halwest Subdivision. East of Bronte Creek, Highway 407 enters an agricultural area, interspersed with woodlots . It enters Oakville at

6072-550: The other hand, Markham Centre or Unionville refers to a broader area. Markham Centre is bounded north to Apple Creek Boulevard / Carlton Road , east to Kennedy Road , west to Rodick Road, and south to 14th Avenue . The current City of Markham was created in 1971 when the original town was expanded by amalgamation with the surrounding namesake Markham Township which also contained the independent communities of Thornhill and Unionville . With its original historic downtown, Markham Village , being small and largely relegated to being

6160-530: The plan approved by the city council, the community will contain residential condos and townhouses, commercial, and retail buildings. Some of these structures have already begun construction. Updates as to what is built is underway. Downtown Markham has been nominated as the country's largest mixed-used development, as well as North America's largest LEED (leadership-in-energy-and-environmental-design) registered development. The primary modes of transportation in Downtown Markham are: Regional Roads , municipal roads,

6248-406: The plan, according to Markham's former mayor, Donald Cousens . The new downtown was planned to be self-sustained and transit-oriented based on smart growth development. Construction began in 2005, when Enterprise Drive was completed. Aviva Canada built its second Canadian headquarters on Birchmount Road and a new Cineplex theatre opened on April 4, 2015. It provides a bigger space to include

6336-563: The proposed extension was undertaken in the early 2000s. The assessment also included studies of the two north–south connectors. A preferred route was announced in June 2007, and the EA was completed in June 2009. On March 6, 2007, as part of the FLOW initiative, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario confirmed the extension of the 407 to Highway 35 and Highway 115 in Clarington, including

6424-513: The province had as much as $ 104 billion invested in the highway. On October 5, 2010, the Canada Pension Plan announced that an agreement had been reached with the highway's owners to purchase a 10% stake for $ 894 million. This implied a value of close to $ 9 billion for the highway in its then-current state. In April 2019, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. announced the sale of a 10.01% share of

6512-443: The provincial system as a toll-free 400-series highway. The succeeding government of Bob Rae announced on March 31, 1995, that the corridor reserved for Highway 403 between Burlington and Oakville would instead be built as a western extension of Highway 407. The first segment of Highway 407, between Highway 410 and Highway 404 , was ceremonially opened to traffic on June 7, 1997; no tolls were charged for

6600-426: The provincially owned portion of Highway 407 to Highway 35  / Highway 115 in Clarington. This construction was completed in two stages, with Phase 2A opening on January 2, 2018, as a 9.6 km (6.0 mi) extension to Taunton Road, and Phase 2B opening on December 9, 2019, as a 23.3 km (14.5 mi) extension to Highway 35 and Highway 115. Included as part of this extension

6688-512: The public, marking the end of the 407 East project. The final portion was originally projected to be completed in 2020. Unlike when the extension originally opened, tolling started immediately on the final portion. The highway now extends east to Ontario Highway 115 , providing more options for people living in and around Peterborough to get into Toronto and the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2018 and 2019, Highway 407

6776-435: The requests of the provincial government, resulting in several court battles and the general public regarding the route as a luxury. As part of the contractual agreement with the government, the MTO is required to deny licence plate validation stickers to drivers who have an outstanding 407 ETR bill over 125 days past due. This process was temporarily halted in February 2000 due to numerous false billing claims. Following

6864-494: The road, the toll rate increases, and the 99-year lease period have been widely criticized. Cost-saving measures and ensuing safety concerns resulted in an independent Ontario Provincial Police investigation shortly before the opening of the freeway. An expert panel of engineers , assembled by the Professional Engineers Ontario , released a report outlining concerns regarding the decreased loop ramp radii and

6952-653: The route travels alongside a CN line and crosses the GO Transit Unionville Line . Highway 407 continues straight eastward into a residential area, interchanging with Kennedy Road (York Regional Road 3), McCowan Road (York Regional Road 67), and Markham Road (York Regional Road 68), where it crosses the river and diverges from both the CN line and power transmission corridor. The route interchanges with Ninth Line (York Regional Road 69) and Donald Cousens Parkway (York Regional Road 48) before exiting

7040-478: The safety of segments built after the sale of the freeway has been called into question. Phase 1 of a provincially owned and tolled extension of the route, known solely as Highway 407 (not Highway 407 ETR), opened to traffic from Brock Road in Pickering to Harmony Road in Oshawa on June 20, 2016. Included as part of this extension was the construction of a tolled north–south link between Highways 401 and 407, known as Highway 412 . Phase 2 later extended

7128-446: The similar sizes of the suburban municipalities the highway passes through in York and Peel Regions, and control cities are not shown at street entrances in these regions, as is the case for freeways passing through Toronto. In the east, Peterborough is reached by briefly following the Highway 35/Highway 115 concurrency north and then continuing northeast on Highway 115 alone. Highway 407

7216-403: The urban GTA and curving northeast over a CP line and into Rouge Park . Until the opening of the first phase of 407E in June 2016, the final interchange along Highway 407 was with York–Durham Line (York/Durham Regional Road 30), the boundary between York Region and Durham Region as well as Markham and Pickering. The route curves eastward, then crosses West Duffins Creek north of

7304-433: Was considered a success and construction of Highway 407 was shelved for almost thirty years. The plan was revisited in the mid-1980s as congestion in Toronto pushed roads beyond capacity. In 1986, Premier David Peterson was given a helicopter tour of the city during rush-hour; construction of the highway was announced soon thereafter, and began in 1987. The Ontario government's normal process for highway construction

7392-446: Was free of tolls until February 1, 2017. Phase 2A, which opened on January 2, 2018, added a 9.6-kilometre (6.0 mi) extension to Taunton Road at the future Highway 418 interchange. Phase 2B, which opened on December 9, 2019, added a 23.3-kilometre (14.5 mi) extension to Highway 35 and Highway 115, as well as the 12.8-kilometre (8.0 mi) Highway 418. An environmental assessment (EA) to analyze

7480-525: Was not possible given the financial constraints of the recession of the early 1990s. The Peterson government sought out private sector partnerships and acquired innovative electronic tolling technology. Two firms bid on the project, with the Canadian Highways International Corporation being selected as the operator of the highway. Financing for the highway was to be paid by user tolls lasting 35 years, after which it would return to

7568-415: Was the construction of another tolled north–south link between Highways 401 and 407, known as Highway 418 . Unusually, the highway does not reach or pass through any of its three control cities : Hamilton, Toronto, or Peterborough . Hamilton is accessed by following either the QEW or Highway 403 beyond its western terminus in Burlington. Toronto proper is bypassed but is used as a control city due to

7656-444: Was then the southern terminus of Highway 48 , was completed in early 1998. However, due to the protest of local residents and officials concerning traffic spill-off (a scenario revisited with the extension to Oshawa ), the freeway was opened only as far as McCowan Road on February 18. The short segment from McCowan Road to Markham Road remained closed for over a year, as locals feared the funneling of traffic onto Main Street, which

7744-602: Was widened between Markham Road and Brock Road. The first project, widening the highway to 6 lanes between York-Durham Line and Brock Road, began in Spring 2018 and was completed in August 2018. The second project, which widened the highway to 8 lanes between Markham Road and York-Durham Line, was completed in September 2019. Highway 407 ETR has been the subject of several controversies over its two decades of existence. The privatization of

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