Ford government commits to four-lane Highway 6 link to Hamilton’s airport
Ontario will expand Highway 6 South to four lanes between Hamilton's airport and Highway 403 - about three decades after the project was originally planned.
The latest provincial budget commits to twinning nine kilometres of the current two-lane highway between the 403 in Ancaster and Upper James Street south of Mount Hope, although no cost estimate or timeline was made public.
Progressive Conservative MPP Donna Skelly said the expansion is huge" for both the airport - the biggest overnight express cargo hub in Canada - and the surrounding economic development area that includes a new Amazon fulfilment" centre under construction as well as an expanded DHL logistics facility.
The Flamborough-Glanbrook MPP called the current two-lane provincial highway segment an obstacle to future growth" - and potentially dangerous, given the expected increase in transport truck traffic.
John C. Munro International welcomed the announcement, saying by email an expanded highway will help grow airport business and reduce the frustration" of nearby Mount Hope village residents as area truck traffic increases.
The Hamilton-owned, privately operated airport lobbied the current provincial government for the planned expansion.
But a four-lane, divided highway link to the airport was originally designed and earned environmental assessment approval in the late 1980s, according to the provincial Ministry of Transportation. It took until 2003 to build the $33-million, two-lane alignment that currently exists.
As a result, the ministry says the project will need updated" design and environmental studies. An estimated budget and construction date won't be available until those study updates are complete.
Environment Hamilton head Lynda Lukasik said she is hoping for a transparent and thorough" environmental assessment update given all of the time that has elapsed since the late 1980s study.
Time have changed ... priorities have changed," said Lukasik, who added the city is supposed to be committed to growing sustainably, not growing the climate change crisis.
A ministry spokesperson said by email the updated studies would reflect modern design standards, traffic volumes, new developments and future land-use plans.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com