Tolls coming to 407 extension next month

Drivers, the free ride on the Highway 407 extension and the new Highway 412 will soon come to an end.

Starting Feb. 1, the stretch of the 407 between Brock Road in Pickering and Harmony Road in Oshawa, as well as the 412 connecting the 407 with the 401, will become tolled highways. The new highways were initially free to drive on when they first opened in June.

According to a news release from the province, the money generated from the tolls will go towards infrastructure and transit projects across Ontario.

“Our government knows how important Highway 407 and Highway 412 are to communities in the Durham, Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes regions. These new, publicly owned highways will provide an efficient alternate route for both commuters and travellers alike,” states Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s transportation minister, in a news release.

“Revenue generated from tolls will be used towards Ontario’s transportation infrastructure, which will help ensure that we can deliver critical projects exactly like these for years to come. ”

While the new extension is publicly owned and the remainder of the 407 is private, drivers will only need to use a single transponder and will receive only one bill.