MTO approves Morriston bypass

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2016

MTO approves Morriston bypass

(Wellington-Halton Hills) – After years of lobbying, the Ministry of Transportation has finally
approved the Highway 6 Morriston bypass.

“This is great news for our Riding,” Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott said. “The Morriston
bypass will improve safety for our residents in Puslinch Township, and it will have economic benefits
for a large portion of the province.”

Mr. Arnott expressed thanks to the Government of Ontario.

“I wish to thank the Ministers, as well as MPPs on both sides of the House who offered their
support,” Mr. Arnott added.

The Highway 6 corridor is an important economic corridor which links Wellington County and the
401 to the Hamilton/Niagara Region, as well as to the U.S. border. There is currently a bottleneck
through the community of Morriston, with traffic jams that often extend for several kilometres.

The project will realign Highway 6 south of the 401 to bypass the congested two lane section
through Morriston and provide an improved connection to the 401 and the Hanlon Expressway in
Guelph.

Highway 401 will also be widened from six to ten lanes and include future High Occupancy Vehicle
lanes. The project will also include the construction of three new interchanges with improvements
made to Highway 401 an existing Highway 6 interchanges, 11 new structures and construction of a
local connection road.

Mr. Arnott has been pushing for the project for many years, working with Township of Puslinch
officials and other area partners.

“When my riding boundaries changed in 2007, I was once again privileged to represent the
Township of Puslinch. The Highway 6 Morriston bypass project was identified as a priority and
together we got to work,” Mr. Arnott said.

Mr. Arnott praised Township of Puslinch Mayor Dennis Lever, Council, and staff for the work they
have done in helping to secure a promise from the Government to build the bypass.

“In May 2012, Mayor Lever, several Councillors, and I met with the Minister of Transportation to
discuss the need for the bypass and how we could best move forward,” said Mr. Arnott. “The
Minister challenged us to build a coalition of businesses and to develop a strong economic case for
the bypass. Mayor Lever and Council worked hard to do just that, and they deserve a lot of credit.”

Mr. Arnott also acknowledged the role of past Councils and local residents.

“Past Councils, including former Mayor Brad Whitcombe, the County of Wellington Council and staff,
the members of the Morriston Bypass Coalition, the Puslinch COP Committee, and many local
residents were also instrumental,” Mr. Arnott added. “Working together, we were able to make
progress.”

Mr. Arnott has raised the need for the Morriston bypass in the Ontario Legislature countless times.
He repeatedly wrote and spoke to successive Ministers of Transportation to press the case. He also
helped initiate meetings with Ministers. He tabled two Private Members Resolutions in the
Legislature calling on the Minister to put the Highway 6 Morriston bypass on the Ministry of
Transportation’s 5 year plan for highway construction.

According to the 2016/17 Ontario Budget, the Ministry of Transportation plans to spend $2.15 billion
on highway infrastructure and an additional $768 million on “other transportation, property, and
planning” this year.

The Ministry of Transportation estimates that construction could start as early as 2019.

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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org