A section of Highway 401 near Dorchester, Ont. is closing for construction. Here's when
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has begun work to demolish the Dorchester Road Bridge over Highway 401.
“It's going to have an impact on our residents, and it's going to have an impact on the businesses that are along the 401 and any of the others that come normally up Dorchester Road, but we are working on mitigating that problem," said Thames Centre Mayor Sharron McMillan.
The MTO said the project includes replacing the Dorchester Road Bridge with a new four lane bridge and reconfiguring the interchange ramps.
“This is a badly overdue project, and we're very grateful the province of Ontario has jumped in with some infrastructure money to get the job done, and in the end, it will be so much better for this area,” added McMillan.
The MTO said Highway 401 westbound and eastbound lanes will be closed for bridge demolition of the Dorchester Road underpass from April 13 at 6 p.m. until April 14 at 10 a.m.
All westbound and eastbound traffic will be detoured around this closure.
Vehicles will exit and re-enter the highway via the Dorchester Road interchange off-ramps and on-ramps as part of the detour.
A graphic depicts upcoming road closure information for Highway 401 at Dorchester Road in April 2024. (CTV News London)
Thomas McQuinn, who has been driving a truck for 40 years, said he’s travelled along Highway 401 many times and that the work is necessary, but will cause a bit of a delay.
"To get into the fuel bar here [Dorchester Road exit], you have to go about 15 miles out of your way to come into the fuel bar, so that's a bit of an inconvenience, depending on which way you're going on the 401,” said McQuinn.
According to the ministry, Dorchester Road will remain closed to traffic at Highway 401 until October, with local road detours in place to manage traffic.
Construction is expected to be completed by June 2025.
For project details you can visit the following website. Travellers can visit the Ontario 511 website for project updates.
Construction begun on the Dorchester Road Bridge in Dorchester, Ont. in April 2024. (Reta Ismail/CTV News London)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.