The Ministry of Transportation in Ontario (MTO) is reporting that median crossover collision deaths and injuries on Highway 401 from Tilbury to London fell drastically after high-tension cable barriers were installed in 2020.
Statistics from the MTO showed zero fatal crossover collisions after the high-tension cable barriers were installed in 2020 until the end of last year, but nine fatal crossover collisions from 2009 until 2018, the year the cable installation began.
The MTO also said a total of 42 injuries occurred during crossover crashes from 2009 until 2022 on that stretch of highway, but 39 of them happened prior to the barriers being installed.
MTO staff shared a Highway 401 update with Chatham-Kent's Infrastructure and Engineering staff at a recent meeting and an information report will go before CK Council Monday night.
Ministry officials said a multi-year construction project to widen Highway 401 from four to six lanes between Tilbury and London continues, including the construction of a concrete median barrier.
The concrete barriers between Essex Road 42 and Merlin Road are mostly complete, but the timeline for Phase 2 construction of the concrete barriers from Union Road to Wellington Road has yet to be determined, they told CK staff. The timing for Phase 3 of the concrete barriers between Merlin Road and Union Road is also undetermined.
MTO staff noted that due to the length of Phase 3, it will likely be divided into sub-phases and constructed over multiple years.
The ministry also updated other transportation projects, warning that Bloomfield Road will likely be closed for a long time during the reconfiguration of the Highway 401-Bloomfield Road Interchange, adding the work involves replacing two bridges over Highway 401 and Jeannette’s Creek and building up the embankments to increase the bridge's deck height over Highway 401.
The construction is being done to provide safety and capacity improvements.
According to the MTO, short closures will also be required on Highway 401 to remove the existing Bloomfield Road bridge and on Seventh Line West to connect the existing Seventh Line West to the new realigned roadway. However, the exact dates and durations of the road closures will be identified during detailed design anticipated to be made public sometime next year.
The ministry said construction of the Highway 401-Bloomfield Road Interchange Project is expected to start in 2025 and be finished in 2026/2027.
Municipal staff said it will continue to work with MTO staff on detour routes, adding it is anticipated that the closure of Bloomfield Road will cause traffic to divert onto various roads in the vicinity, particularly other roads that cross Highway 401 between the Queen’s Line interchange and the Highway 40/Communication Road interchange.
Also, the resurfacing of Highway 401 from Bloomfield Road to Victoria Road set to start in the Spring of 2025 will overlap with the Bloomfield Road closure, according to the ministry.
The MTO noted Highway 401 will remain open for this project, but with the number of lanes reduced.
MTO officials said it's unknown how much work will happen simultaneously on both projects, but those details will likely be identified closer to the start of construction for the projects.
The resurfacing work on Highway 401 from Bloomfield Road to Victoria Road should be complete in the Winter of 2026.