Ontario's plans to build two new highways — Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass — in the GTA could ease traffic jams, but many people don't like their proposed locations.

A proposal to build Highway 413 has been in the works for several years now, but the province just firmed up plans in their 2021 Fall Statement.

We have a plan to build Ontario’s roads and Ontario’s future:
🛣 New highways
🚗 All-season road network for Ontario's #FirstNations
🚧 Build and repair roads, bridges, and water and #wastewater infrastructure in rural & Northern communities

Read more: https://t.co/7J6gpnB57u pic.twitter.com/RpGThh4ml6

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 4, 2021

In 2020, the government announced the preferred route for Highway 413 and the highway would connect from Highway 407, west of Winston Churchill Boulevard, then north to Vaughan.

The Bradford bypass would be a new, 16.2-kilometre-long, four-lane freeway connecting Highway 400 and Highway 404 in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and the Town of East Gwillimbury.

York-Simcoe has been asking for the Bradford Bypass for decades, and our government is saying yes to building it 🚗

We must keep drivers moving and the Bradford Bypass will do just that, while also supporting up to 700 jobs per year during construction.
#BuildOntario pic.twitter.com/iUFDjwj2PV

— Caroline Mulroney (@C_Mulroney) November 4, 2021

The government argues that the Greater Golden Horseshoe is one of the fastest growing regions in North America and is expected to attract one million new people every five years, reaching nearly 15 million by 2051.

They suggest these new residents will drive cars and need to travel across the city — despite the growing work from home trend.

" (Highway(s) ... that will benefit developers with ties to Ford."
Bradford Bypass + 413 beneficiaries are more important than all Ontarians - look at the numbers!#210DAYS to #VoteFordOut2022 pic.twitter.com/M6xjQtr5gk

— Sandra Marcok (@skandhala) November 4, 2021

"The people of Ontario have spent too much time facing traffic, gridlock and delays. Gridlock already costs the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) $11 billion per year in lost productivity," the report states.

Highway 413 is "expected to exceed 300,000 commutes per day while cutting commute times by up to 30 minutes."

Doug Ford - Premier of Ontario : STOP THE DESTRUCTIVE HIGHWAY 413 - Billions of $ for car culture during climate crisis that would also destroy wildlife habitat and vital farmland. Please Sign the Petition! https://t.co/WFhFzqrFRs via @CdnChange

— Claudia Davila (@ClaudiaDrawings) November 5, 2021

The Bradford Bypass is proposed to alleviate traffic in Simcoe County and York Region, which is also expected to experience rapid growth.

What the government fails to mention is the cost for these new highways — which in some estimates is in the billions.

The @fordnation stupidity being that if we owned the 407 and eliminated those ridiculous tolls, this 413 highway would not be needed at all!!!!! #onpoli

— What's The Real Cause? (@rootcauseteam) November 5, 2021

But more importantly is the loss of farmland and greenbelt protected areas. At a time when world leaders are gathered to take action against climate change, many argue that these plans seem short-sighted at best.

The 413 for example, will further destroy farmland and natural habitat for wildlife already disappearing due to urban sprawl for a highway that traffic engineers say will save drivers less than10 seconds over it's entire distance. It is not needed.

— Glen Box (@box_glen) November 5, 2021

"If built, these highways would pave over farms, forests, wetlands and a portion of the Greenbelt," says Environmental Defence. "Highway 413 alone would also add over 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, at a time when cutting emissions is more urgent than ever."

We want Greenbelt NOT Asphalt @fordnation @C_Mulroney
Give us walkable communities & climate solutions – not sprawl & highways
NO to Hwy 413 and NO to the Bradford Bypass #onpoli #StopThe413 #StopTheBradfordBypass @envirodefence

— Avidreader (@Avidrea01050507) November 5, 2021

The Canadian advocacy organization, which works with government, industry and individuals to defend the environment, is planning a day of action against the two highways on Nov. 13.

So the highway 413 fiasco shows how much @fordnation hates the planet, but loves his developer buddies #CanPoli

— ChooChooView (@ChooChooView) November 5, 2021

The two highways are still in the planning stages.

There is no word on when construction would start on Highway 413. The future Bradford Bypass is expected to begin in fall 2022 and be completed by 2024.