Ontario Highway 406 - Future

Future

Several other 400-series highways were originally constructed with two lane sections; Highway 410 is a notable and recent examples of this. However, Highway 406 is the only remaining 400-series highway featuring at-grade intersections and two lane sections. The original intention was to "twin" this two lane section shortly after it was constructed in the 1970s. Plans were deferred multiple times, until the project resumed in the early-2000s. The first phase of this twinning opened to traffic in 2007, extending the four lane highway 5.6 km (3.5 mi) from its previous convergence south of Beaverdams Road to a point north of Port Robinson Road. South of that point, the route remains a conventional two-lane highway with at-grade intersections.

On May 15 2009, Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley announced that the section from Port Robinson road to East Main Street in Welland would be converted to a full freeway; this work includes a roundabout at East Main Street to replace the current southern terminus. Work on the Merritt Road overpass began in September 2009, and was scheduled for completion in mid-2011. On August 19, 2011, full construction got underway with a groundbreaking ceremony. Despite requests from local politicians, there are no plans to extend Highway 406 to Port Colborne at this time.