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Originally Posted by Djeffery
Doubt that would be something on any radar screen. Other than the guy on the Ontario Roads facebook group who did up an interesting plan for it anyway. I drive between London and Woodstock at least 4 times each way a day, sometimes 6. I don't see the highway being that busy that an entire new freeway would be needed to divert the relatively small number of Niagara bound travelers, or the others that are going to the various communities in the highway 3 corridor. The 401 would be widened well before that.
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If such a highway were to be built it would be solely for Economic development along the north shore of Lake Erie.
Ontario had planned to encourage growth down there in the 1970's and 1980's, even going as far to plan a new city the size of Guelph in Haldimand County next to Jarvis (Google "Townsend"). The town only got to 2,000 people before growth petered off. It's the same reason the US Steel plant, oil refinery, and coal plant got built in Nanticoke - an effort to drive growth. Nothing ever came of it though.
The local official plans still show the planned route of what was to be a freeway upgrade of Highway 6 to feed traffic to the area. I believe there was a similar plan for Highway 3 but that's harder to find. Parts of both managed to get built - the Caledonia Bypass, St. Thomas Expressway, and Tilsonburg Bypass.
Just not going to happen today, especially given the failures of the past. It does seem like a bit of a missed opportunity however. Lots of space down there and it's well positioned for shipping.