Field and desktop investigations for disciplines such as geotechnical, natural sciences (fisheries and terrestrial), archaeology, cultural heritage, noise, contaminated property and waste management, groundwater, land use, landscape composition, erosion and sediment control, snow drift, air quality, drainage, etc. will be completed to collect background / existing conditions information.

These environmental investigations are ongoing. Following these investigations and completion of the recommended preliminary design plan, the Project team will determine potential environmental impacts and develop mitigation measures to avoid or minimize potential impacts as best as possible.

The results of these investigations and the proposed environmental mitigation and protection strategies will be documented in applicable study reports and summarized in the final TESR.

The following environmental studies will be completed within the Study Area as part of this Study:

• Fish and Fish Habitat
• Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Noise Assessment
• Land Use/Designated Areas
• Agricultural Assessment
• Built Heritage and Cultural Heritage Landscapes
• Archaeology
• Air Quality
• Groundwater
• Surface Water
• Contaminated Properties and Waste Management
• Landscape Composition
• Snow Drift
• Erosion and Sediment Control

Results of these studies will be summarized in a Transportation Environmental Study Report, which will document the design and environmental process, and potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures. The Transportation Environmental Study Report will be made available for comment at the end of this study.

Yes, the Project Team will be undertaking a noise assessment study (as per the Ministry of Transportation’s Noise Guide, 2022) to determine potential traffic noise impacts of the proposed highway improvements within the Study Area. The noise assessment study will determine predicted future noise levels with and without the improvements in place. These future noise levels will be used to determine locations where potential noise mitigation (such as noise barriers) needs to be reviewed for technical, economic, and administrative feasibility within the Study Area.  

Following Public Information Centre 1, the Project Team will select a preferred alternative design that will be used to complete a preliminary Impact Assessment of the Project. The preliminary Impact Assessment, including the results of the noise assessment, will be shared as part of Public Information Centre 2. The final Impact Assessment results will be summarized in the final Transportation Environmental Study Report, which will be available for public comment at the end of this Study. 

The Ministry of Transportation recognizes the impacts that construction-related noise can have on communities. The impacts and mitigation of construction noise will be reviewed in a subsequent design phase.

Yes, this Project will identify illumination requirements within its limits. In developing the lighting design, mitigation measures to minimize light trespass will be identified (e.g., location, pole height, shielding of luminaires, etc.).

The Environmental Assessment requires the Project Team to complete many types of desktop and field investigations to confirm the existing conditions of the Study Area in order to accurately identify the potential impacts of the Project on the environment and identify necessary commitments for further consideration in the next stages of the Project. As part of this Environmental Assessment at the Preliminary Design stage of the Project we have completed or will be completing the following ecological desktop and field investigations: fish habitat assessments, breeding bird surveys, nocturnal amphibian surveys, screening for Significant Wildlife Habitat and Species at Risk, preliminary habitat assessment, and Ecological Land Classification study to identify significant environmental features and candidate habitat for Species at Risk and Species of Conservation Concern.

The preliminary results of desktop analysis are shared in the Public Information Centre 1 materials and the final results of field investigations will also be summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report which will be available for public comment at the conclusion of the Study.

The Project Team is undertaking a review of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and is in the process of confirming the existing environmental conditions within the Study Area. The Project Team has identified a number of environmentally sensitive features within the Study Area including but not limited to multiple watercourses, Significant Wildlife Habitat for birds, Guelph Junction Wetland Complex, and Mountsberg Reservoir Marsh. Impacts to these features will be considered in the assessment of alternatives.  An assessment of design alternatives based on the Project’s evaluation criteria will be used to select the preferred alternative which, following Public Information Centre 1, will be developed into the Recommended Plan. Once the Recommended Plan is developed, the Project Team will complete an Impact Assessment to identify environmental impacts that cannot be avoided. These impacts will be addressed with proposed environmental protection and mitigation measures that will be considered and applied, where practical, during subsequent design and construction phases.

Preliminary Impact Assessment results will be shared at Public Information Centre 2 and summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report. Environmental Commitments for the next phase of design and construction and the proposed mitigation measures to address potential impacts to environmentally sensitive features will also be shared in the Transportation Environmental Study Report.

A Cultural Heritage assessment is currently being undertaken that will identify properties of known or potential cultural heritage value. Properties that have been identified to date as having known cultural heritage value can be found in the Public Information Centre 1 presentation materials. Country Heritage Park is an example of a known cultural heritage site within the Study Area that showcases agriculture and rural life from the past 150 years.

The Cultural Heritage assessment will be summarized in a Cultural Heritage Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Report. The research and evaluation of known, or potential, built heritage and cultural heritage landscapes identified in the Cultural Heritage Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Report as requiring assessment, will be documented in a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) and Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA).      

The Project Team is also completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 Archaeological Assessments as per the requirements of the Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archeologists in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. These field investigations will identify areas of archeological potential and cultural significance within the Study Area and will be completed in consultation with, and with participation from, Indigenous Communities.

The Project Team has completed Fish and Fish Habitat field investigations to characterize the fish habitat within the Study Area. Many watercourses with the potential to support fish exist within the Project limits including watercourses known to provide habitat to Species at Risk. Impacts to watercourses, fish, and fish habitat will be considered in the assessment of design alternatives based on the Project's evaluation criteria and will be used to select the preferred alternative. The need for watercourse modifications such as realignment will be identified following the development of the Recommended Plan.

Where potential impacts to Species at Risk are identified, the Ministry of Transportation will work with regulatory agencies to meet the regulatory requirements.

Once the evaluation of alternatives is complete and the Recommended Plan is developed the Project Team will undertake a local air quality assessment and greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment of the Recommended Plan as per the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Environmental Guide for Assessing and Mitigating the Air Quality Impacts and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Provincial Transportation Projects (May 2020). This assessment is a desktop study that assesses the predicted air quality for the Study Area in two modeled scenarios: the predicated future air quality without improvements and the future predicted scenario with the improvements constructed. The results of this assessment will be summarized in the final Transportation Environmental Study Report, which will be available for public comment at the end of this Study. Air Quality impacts resulting from construction will be reviewed in the next stages of the Project as construction methods and staging are further considered.

The Project Team acknowledges the public’s concerns about climate change. The need for highway improvements is highlighted by the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) population and employment growth forecasts. By 2051, the population of the GGH is expected to grow to 14.8 million people, and unmanaged growth can have negative impacts on the region’s air quality, water resources, and natural heritage resources. Improvements to the existing highway network is key for the safe and efficient movement of goods and people, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts.

Once the evaluation of alternatives is complete and the Recommended Plan is developed the Project Team will undertake a local air quality assessment and greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment of the Recommended Plan as per the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Environmental Guide for Assessing and Mitigating the Air Quality Impacts and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Provincial Transportation Projects (May 2020), the results of which will be summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report.

Once the Recommended Plan is selected the Project Team will assess the snow-drift potential considering wind speed and direction, snowfall depths, and topography along the highway. The Project Team will also consider the application of mitigation, such as landscaping and natural vegetation, as snow drift barriers are to be reviewed in later stages of design. The results of the assessment will be summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report.

The Project Area lies within lands designated under the Greenbelt Plan (2017) and some of the proposed alternatives result in non-agricultural uses to lands presently used for agricultural purposes. For this reason, the Environmental Assessment Study must include an Agricultural Impact Assessment (AIA). The AIA is a study that evaluates the potential impacts of non-agricultural development on agricultural operations and the agricultural system and recommends ways to avoid or, if avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate adverse impacts. The results of the AIA will be used to assess the alternatives and impacts of the Recommended Plan will be summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report.

In alignment with Ontario Regulation 406/19: On-Site and Excess Soil Management, as the Project Team reviews the alternatives we consider the effect of each alternative on the soils within the Project site, including the potential to produce excess soil that requires transportation off site at the time of construction, as well as management of soils with potential for contamination. This work includes preliminary calculations of excess soil volume and development of a preliminary Earth Management Plan as well as a desktop investigation and windshield level survey of present land uses and reported incidents (i.e. spills) that identify areas of potential contamination. These reports provide recommendations for next steps to be taken in later stages of the Project and inform subsequent stages of design.

At this stage of the Project the Project Team will complete a Hydrogeological Assessment of the Study Area. This assessment involves the review of technical documents including past watershed studies, groundwater database reports and source water protection assessments. This preliminary assessment identifies the potential impacts to groundwater as a result of the implementation of the recommended plan and will prescribe mitigation measures and commitments to future groundwater studies to be carried forward for the subsequent detail design phase of the Project. The results of this assessment will be summarized in the final Transportation Environmental Study Report, which will be available for public comment at the end of this Study. 

The existing Highway 401 corridor and right-of-way crosses the Greenbelt lands, including the Niagara Escarpment lands. Impacts to the Niagara Escarpment designated lands and the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act will be considered during the assessment of alternatives and shared at Public Information Centre 2. As the Study progresses, the Project Team will discuss potential impacts and avoidance and protection measures with the Niagara Escarpment Commission, the government agency responsible for administering the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

Both the Greenbelt Plan and Niagara Escarpment Plan support important transportation infrastructure improvements that duly consider environmental impacts and are necessary to the public interest for the movement of people and goods in support of the objectives of the Provincial Growth Plan.

Aligned with Metrolinx’s 2041 Regional Transportation Plan, the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes being considered on Highway 401 within the Study Area are anticipated to facilitate faster and more reliable bus service. High Occupancy Vehicle lanes can support GO Bus route 25 Waterloo/Mississauga, GO Bus route 29 Guelph/Mississauga, and proposed frequent regional express bus routes and services that will serve long-distance transit markets not currently well-served by GO’s proposed Regional Express Rail routes. Adjacent to the Highway 401 corridor, Metrolinx is also undertaking improvement projects for the Kitchener and Milton GO Lines. Metrolinx’s current plans, projects, and programs can be found here: https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-and-programs.

The Ministry of Transportation will continue to consult and work with Metrolinx (an agency of the Government of Ontario reporting through the Ministry of Transportation), municipalities, and transit providers to support transit services on highways and/or adjacent local infrastructure to meet overall regional transportation network needs. 

The Ministry of Transportation will consult and coordinate with municipalities to investigate and appropriately accommodate existing and proposed active transportation infrastructure within the Study Area. Municipal transportation plans that will be considered during the Project include the:

• 2024 Town of Milton Transportation Master Plan Update;
• 2023 Township of Puslinch Roads Management Plan;
• 2022 Wellington County Road Master Action Plan; and,
• Fall 2025 (Anticipated completion) Halton Region Integrated Master Plan. (For more information on the Halton Region study, including their public information centre 2, please see: https://www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Opportunities-to-Participate/Water-Wastewater-Transportation-IMP.)

Other active transportation facilities that will be considered during the study include the Province wide cycling network developed as part of Ontario’s Cycling Strategy and the Bruce Trail.

The traffic study includes an operational performance review, which will identify safety improvements within the Project limits. This study reviews relevant background information, such as historical traffic and collision data and existing highway geometry, and also includes a field review of existing conditions and roadside safety.

Potential safety and operational improvements and other measures to address any identified safety concerns and risks will be considered during this Study and in subsequent phases of design and construction.

Potential impacts to the Bruce Trail have not been determined at this point.  Potential impacts to the Bruce Trail will be considered during the evaluation of alternatives and the Project Team will continue to consult with Bruce Trail Conservancy throughout the study.

The Project Team will include commitments, for subsequent phases of design and construction, in the Project’s Transportation Environmental Study Report to continue consultation with Bruce Trail Conservancy to address construction staging and mitigate potential impacts to the trail or trail users during construction.

The Project Team recognizes that maintaining transportation network connectivity during construction is important. Minimization of potential impacts to traffic operations during construction and construction staging are key factors that will be considered during the evaluation of alternatives and development of the Recommended Plan.  Preliminary construction staging will be documented in the Transportation Environmental Study Report for this Project and details will be further developed during subsequent design stages.  Elements of construction staging design may include public/stakeholder notifications, temporary lane closures, traffic control, roadway protection systems, and temporary detours.