
Construction begins on major County Road 27 widening project
Construction is officially underway on County Road 27 - a key north-south route for both commuters and residents alike.
Back in 2014, Simcoe County's Transportation Master Plan flagged the need to widen County Road 27 from County Road 21 (Innisfil Beach Road) to County Road 90 from two lanes to four lanes.
Improvements were also considered along County Road 27 and County Road 90 to help ease northbound left-turn delays.
County Road 27
Construction is officially underway on County Road 27 - a key north-south route for both commuters and residents alike on July 14, 2025. (CTV News/ Julianna Balsamo)
'These improvements are necessary to support the arterial function of this primary travel corridor and accommodate planned growth in adjacent areas in both the City of Barrie and Town of Innisfil,' the county stated online.
This project will include widening and resurfacing the roadway to improve traffic flow, upgrading drainage and watercourse crossings, and reviewing roadside lighting and safety.
Key intersections also being reviewed for possible improvements include; County Road 90, Ardagh Road, and Essa Road.
County Road 27
Construction is officially underway on County Road 27 - a key north-south route for both commuters and residents alike on July 14, 2025. (CTV News/ Julianna Balsamo)
This plan is part of the broader Transportation Master Plan update, which identified County Road 27 as a priority corridor due to growing pressure from regional development and rising traffic volumes.
In a study provided by the county, findings showed that this major road could become congested over time.
CTV News reached out to the County of Simcoe for a timeframe on the road project and what this phase means for commuters.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Pat Bay highway flyover opening soon, after years of construction
Drivers on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula will soon be taking a flyover to cross Highway 17 at Keating Cross Road, as construction nears completion. (CTV News) Drivers on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula will soon be taking a flyover to cross Highway 17 at Keating Cross Road, as construction nears completion. The area's MLA toured the site Friday afternoon, along with Tsawout First Nation's chief and Central Saanich's mayor. The flyover is set to open to northbound traffic on Monday, July 28. 'This has been about community safety,' says Saanich South MLA Lana Popham. 'And I think that the hard work and the planning that's been put into it has definitely delivered an excellent project for the South Island.' According to B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Transit, the traffic changeover will start at midnight on July 27. This means drivers travelling north on the Pat Bay to Keating Cross Road will use Exit 18 onto the flyover. They will no longer have to wait in a turning bay in the middle of the highway to turn left across traffic. The turning lane will permanently close. 'I'm here to celebrate with the local, municipal and provincial government in their efforts and safety, safety of all of us here on the peninsula, including us at Tsawout. We're very proud,' says Tsawout First Nation chief Abraham Pelkey. 'I myself have been sitting in the lineup to turn left and you do feel quite vulnerable,' says Popham. 'So, people are very aware that this is delivering on safety in a really big way.' The province says the project is coming in 'on time and on budget.' The total project budget is $76.8-million – which includes $16.7-million from the federal government and $2.5-million from the District of Central Saanich. Mayor Ryan Windsor told the crowd the first political mention for the work happened 50 years ago – four years before he was born. He says he's thrilled to be talking about the final stages of the work as opposed to when it's going to start. 'Obviously, there'll be a period of adjustment. So slow down, use your common sense when you're coming down he highway. Be safe,' says Windsor. Crews are warning drivers the area is still an active construction zone, while other work is underway to finish the project over the next few months. The province says drivers should watch for new signage and construction activity – and allow for extra travel time. The speed in the area will remain at the reduced 60 km/h limit while work continues. On top of improved safety, the ministry says the project will also reduce idling times and related air emissions, better accommodate growing traffic demands, relieve vehicle congestion and improve access to the Keating Business Park.


CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
First phase wraps up for major road reconstruction project on Bleams Road
A major construction project meant to ease congestion in a busy part of Kitchener is nearing its next phase. CTV's Krista Simpson has details. A road extension meant to ease congestion in a busy part of Kitchener is one step closer to being complete. People and vehicles will soon be able to take Bleams Road from Manitou Drive to Wilson Avenue. 'It's an important connector in our road network,' said Marcos Kroker, head of transportation expansion at the Region of Waterloo's design and construction office. Work is wrapping up on this first part of a multi-phase project that's been years in the making. The new section of Bleams Road includes a bridge over Schneider Creek. Construction on that part of the project started in 2020. Road work began in early 2024 and is nearly complete, with the road expected to open in early to mid-August 2025. 'The project is a great community connector. So it improves the economic environment for us. It improves the road network. It relieves a lot of traffic congestion that we're experiencing on Fairway Road. And it's adding trails to our existing trail network as well,' Kroker said. The new road is parallel to Fairway Road in Kitchener, and it is hoped it will spread out some of the traffic there. A manager at a nearby business on Manitou Drive also hopes there will be some relief in that area, too. 'It should relieve a lot of problems here on Manitou in front of our shop. It's just congestion, lots of traffic congestion,' said Ben Hallman, manager at All-Brite Glass & Tint. Hallman said the problems are made worse by stopped buses slowing traffic, transport trucks having difficulty navigating the road, and backups as vehicles try to turn onto Fairway Road but have to wait because of crossing trains on Courtland Ave. Hallman has been watching the construction as it has progressed over the past few years. 'It looks good. They've done a really good job with it.' The total cost of construction to date is $20.6 million, which a Region of Waterloo spokesperson notes includes: Extending Bleams Road to Wilson Avenue Building a bridge across Schneider Creek Installing a roundabout at Goodrich Drive/Bleams Road and Wilson Avenue Connecting the new road to the Manitou Drive and Bleams Road roundabout Underground infrastructure upgrades including a new Regional watermain This is just the first part of the first phase of construction; the next steps include the addition of a roundabout at the Bleams Road extension and Wabanaki Drive, and another roundabout at Wabanaki Drive and Hidden Valley Road plus additional road capacity and trail networks there. A second phase of the project will extend River Road from King St. East to Hidden Valley Road, including ramps to access Highway 8. All in all, the project will create 3.4 kilometres of new connections. The work is expected to be done by 2030, and by then it's expected 17,500 vehicles per day will use the Bleams Road extension.

CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Canada border agency experiencing system outage, causing delays
A pair of Canadian geese fly towards the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ont. to Detroit, Mich., on Thursday, March 6, 2025. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is experiencing a 'partial outage,' causing delays at the Canada-U.S. border between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., a spokesperson confirmed to in an email on Friday. The CBSA says the delays are affecting its digital document exchange system, which processes shipments at the Ambassador Bridge. 'We are working closely with partners to resolve this issue as soon as possible,' the spokesperson said. first became aware of this issue through a press release sent by Cross Border Pickups on Friday afternoon, which was sent out to all customers as a heads up for delays in shipments from the U.S. to Canada. 'There's currently a CBSA system outage affecting shipments crossing into Canada,' the press release read. 'If you had packages manifested since July 23, they may be delayed at the border until services are fully restored.' Additionally, CBSA is also experiencing a high volume of travellers due to Canadians returning home from vacations, the statement by the CBSA said. Last month, a nationwide outage impacted CBSA kiosks at different Canadian airports, including Toronto's Pearson International Airport. A similar outage in February led to the CBSA's kiosks and other digital tools being temporarily unavailable.