Ontario raising speed limits to 110km in ten places

The Ontario government is raising the speed limit permanently from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on ten additional sections of provincial highways in northern and southern Ontario. The announcement was made in Hamilton this morning; however, no information has been provided on whether the province plans to also allow the governors on commercial vehicles to be raised from the current 105km/hour.

“Most of Ontario’s highways were originally designed to safely accommodate speed limits of 110 km/h and the data from our changes in 2022 shows they do just that,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “These evidence-based increases are a common-sense change to make life more convenient for Ontario drivers while bringing our highway speed limits in line with other Canadian provinces.”

Philip Fletcher of Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) told Road Warrior News that until the Trucking industry finds out whether the governors (currently set at 105) are also increased, it will be challenge to predict impacts.

“When the speed limit was 100, regular traffic drove at 110. 105 was at least not markedly below the speed non-truck traffic was travelling in Canada. With a limit at 110, the rest of traffic will go 120, with trucks governed at 105?”

Starting July 12, 2024, the speed limit will be permanently raised to 110 km/h on most of the following provincial highway sections, with the remainder coming into force before the end of the year:

Hwy 401, Tilbury, extending the existing 110 km/h zone further east by 7 km

Hwy 401 from Hwy 35/115 to Cobourg (approximately 35 km)

Hwy 401 from Colborne to Belleville (approximately 44 km)

Hwy 401 from Belleville to Kingston (approximately 66 km)

Hwy 401 from Hwy 16 to Quebec boundary (approximately 107 km)

Hwy 403 from Woodstock to Brantford (approximately 26 km)

Hwy 403 from Brantford to Hamilton (approximately 14.5 km)

Hwy 406 from Thorold to Welland (approximately 13 km)

Hwy 416 from Hwy 401 to Ottawa (approximately 70 km)

Hwy 69 from Sudbury to French River (approximately 60 km)

All highway sections were selected based on their ability to safely accommodate higher speed limits. Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have a maximum speed limit of 110 km/h, while in British Columbia, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h.