Cost of Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel dream would be ‘astronomical,’ experts say

Doug Ford's plan to build a tunnelled highway could cost tens of billions of dollars and present significant challenges, according to experts and advocates. On Wednesday, Ford introduced his intention to commission a feasibility study to explore the possibility of constructing a new expressway beneath the heavily congested Highway 401, potentially running from Mississauga and Brampton in the west to Markham and Scarborough in the east.

The premier explained that the study would estimate the cost and scope of the project, but emphasized his commitment to moving forward with the plan, regardless of the study's findings.

Jay Goldberg, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, expressed concern about Ford's determination to proceed with the project before understanding its feasibility.

“My biggest concern with what we’ve heard so far is that Premier Ford says there’s going to be a feasibility study, but he’s going to get this project done essentially regardless of the feasibility study,” Goldberg stated. “That’s the most concerning aspect for taxpayers.”

The exact cost of the tunnel remains uncertain. While the government has not disclosed the cost of the feasibility study, it indicated that a figure would be provided once a contract is awarded. Ford added that the study would ultimately determine the cost of the entire project.

There are few comparable projects to offer cost estimates. For example, Boston's Big Dig project, which involved constructing a 2.5-kilometre tunnel, cost around $8 billion. Meanwhile, Washington State spent $2.15 billion on a 3.2-kilometre tunnelled highway in Seattle. In Ontario, transit projects also carry hefty price tags. A recent report from the Toronto Region Board of Trade revealed that the Ontario Line and Yonge Subway Extension are expected to cost around $700 million per kilometre, while the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is estimated at $674 million, and the Scarborough Subway Extension is projected to cost $600 million per kilometre.

Goldberg, who has also analyzed subway projects in New York City, warned that the costs for a Highway 401 tunnel could be even higher. "We’re talking about something like two to three billion dollars per mile (in New York) — and they’re talking about 33 miles (of Highway 401 tunnel) — that’s well over $50 billion," he noted.