Questions & Answers

The Project limits are located within the City of Hamilton from the Highway 403 interchange along Highway 6 South to Upper James Street.

To enhance connections to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and to support future growth, the proposed works under this update include developing, reviewing, and evaluating alternatives for the widening/twinning of Highway 6 South from two lanes to four lanes, in accordance with the approved 1987 EA, as well as interchange and intersection improvements.

The key objectives of the Project include:

• Update the approved 1987 Environmental Assessment (EA) and complete the preliminary design to widen Highway 6 South from Highway 403 to Upper James Street to four lanes;
• Review the commitments made in the previous EA and ensure that they are appropriately carried forward for this Project;
• Complete documentation review to update to current existing environmental conditions;
• Design the Highway 6 South corridor to be a controlled access freeway operating at a higher posted speed;
• Update the design in the 1987 EA to current MTO design standards and policies including improvements to Highway 403 / Highway 6 South and Garner Road East interchanges; and
• Generate and evaluate alternative designs at Highway 6 South and Book Road East, Airport Connection Road, and Upper James Street.

Highway 6 South from Highway 403 to Upper James Street is the primary connection from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to the Greater Golden Horseshoe via Highway 403. As part of the government’s plan to build Ontario, increasing lane capacity from two lanes to four over a nine-kilometre segment between Highway 403 and Upper James Street will better connect communities, create good-paying jobs, and support the needs of a growing population.

The 1987 Preliminary Design Approved Plan identified interchanges at these locations. The Project Team has investigated refinements to the approved plan and various interchange configurations at Book Road East, Airport Connection Road, and the terminus of Highway 6 South at Upper James Street. The alternatives were evaluated against a variety of criteria including operations, safety, constructability, cost, and environmental impacts.

The selected design alternatives are outlined in the materials posted for PIC #2.

PIC#1 was held virtually on November 29, 2022 from 4pm-6pm. PIC#2 was held virtually on September 19, 2023 from 4pm-6pm. The PIC material for both PIC#1 and #2 will remain on the website for reference.

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The 1987 Preliminary Design identified properties that are to be impacted by the Project. However, as part of this Update Study, the Project Team has reviewed design alternatives for some of the interchanges and have updated the 1987 Preliminary Design to meet current MTO design standards for the widening of Highway 6 South from two to four lanes. Property impacts for the Recommended Plan have been identified and the impacted property owners are being contacted by the Project Team via posted mail prior to the second Public Information Centre. The Project Team is available to meet with impacted property owners at the property owners’ request.

Yes. The Project Team has completed a Noise Study as part of this project. The results of the Noise Study has been shared with the public in the PIC materials for PIC #2 and will be summarized in the Transportation Environmental Study Report.

The Project Team completed the Noise Study in accordance with MTO’s Environmental Guide, 2022.

The Noise Study entails an assessment of the future traffic conditions for the 2-lane highway and the future traffic conditions for the proposed 4 lane highway. Depending on the difference in future noise levels, as well as the overall future noise level of the proposed 4-lane, the feasibility of noise mitigation (e.g., noise barriers) is considered.

The Project Team is currently undertaking a Preliminary Design and EA Update with the objective to design for the widening of Highway 6 South from Highway 403 / Highway 6 South interchange to Upper James Street from two lanes to four following current MTO design standards and policies. The timeframe for the Detail Design stage and construction is not known at this time.

Proponents can visit the Corridor Management website to learn more about the land development review process and to initiate the application process for projects near a highway by visiting: https://www.ontario.ca/page/highway-corridor-management.

Following the PIC (Scheduled for September 19,2023), the Project Team will:

• Respond to comments received (comment period ends October 5, 2023);
• Meet with impacted property owners (as requested), stakeholders and regulatory agencies;
• Finalize the impact assessment of the Recommended Plan;
• Prepare the TESR for review; and
• Identify future permits/approvals to be acquired during Detail Design stage.

There are several ways to get involved with this Project:

• Visit the Project Website at http://hwy6southwideninghamilton.ca for Project updates and utilize the ‘Contact Us’ page to be added to the Project Contact List.
• Email the Project Team at: ProjectTeam@Hwy6SouthWideningHamilton.ca.
• Attend the Public Information Centre (PIC) #2 and fill out the sign-in form to be added to the Project Contact List. A Comment Form will be available as part of the PIC, which can be completed and provided to the Project Team during the event or submitted afterwards via online submission from September 14th and October 5th, 2023.

Proponents can visit the Corridor Management website to learn more about the land development review process and to initiate the application process for projects near a highway by visiting: https://www.ontario.ca/page/highway-corridor-management.

For more information about the Project, please contact the Project Team at: ProjectTeam@Hwy6SouthWideningHamilton.ca