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From Ontario Newsroom
NORTHERN ONTARIO — The Ontario government is taking action to improve safety on the Highway 11/17 corridor by advancing road enhancement projects and cracking down on dangerous driving. Highways 11 and 17 form a key part of the Trans-Canada network, supporting supply chains, economic growth and access to jobs and services across the North. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is continuing to invest in critical highway infrastructure to ensure people can safely and efficiently access essential goods and services, while building stronger, more resilient and self-reliant communities across the North.
Key highlights include:
- Increasing the number of Transportation Enforcement Officers in Northern Ontario.
- Expanding enforcement blitzes along the Highway 11/17 corridor between truck inspection stations to ensure trucks are safe and drivers follow the rules of the road.
- Deploying two mobile inspection support units in spring 2026 to increase truck enforcement along the Highway 11/17 corridor.
- Launching procurement in spring 2026 to rebuild the Hearst truck inspection station and replace the weigh scale.
- Improving and upgrading highway signage for better visibility.
- Installing new portable variable messaging signs to provide better safety information to drivers about weather conditions and closures.
- Advancing preliminary design work to expand Highway 11/17 between Thunder Bay and Shabaqua, including scheduling a public meeting in spring 2026.
- Upgrading the provincial rest area network in Northern Ontario to provide more year-round truck parking and working with municipal and business partners to expand capacity, including a new service hub facility in Matheson that will allow more trucks to pull off safely during winter storms.
- Continuing to work with stakeholder groups, including the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Road Builders’ Association on further improvements.
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