Officials with the Ministry of Transportation say a concrete barrier will be installed along Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent and Elgin County.
Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Transportation, released a statement Monday on the median barriers.
“We will be building a concrete barrier,” she said. “However before we do so, we need to do the necessary planning work, which includes an Environmental Assessment to widen this stretch of Highway 401.”
McGarry says the government is committed to ensuring that our roads remain the safest in North America.
“As the Minister of Transportation and as the MPP for a community in Southwestern Ontario I took the decision on how best to improve safety on Highway 401 between London and Tilbury very seriously,” said McGarry. “This decision came after additional work and analysis by ministry staff and many important conversations with families and advocates who have personally felt the impact of a fatal collision on this highway.”
She says the planning work will take time and they cannot afford to wait to make this highway safer for the Ontarians who rely on it each and every day.
“That is why in the short term we will be installing high-tension cable barriers,” said McGarry.
The team at MTO has found a way to expedite the installation of these barriers, starting in a few months, so that they will be up sooner than originally planned.
“High-tension cable barriers will enhance safety on this stretch of highway as has been proven in many other jurisdictions, including Michigan,” said McGarry.
