Ontario Construction News staff writer
The first phase of work to widen Highway 17 from two to four lanes between the Town of Renfrew and Arnprior has been completed with the opening of a new interchange at Calabogie Road in Renfrew County.
“Four years ago, our government made a promise to prioritize widening Highway 17 and today’s announcement is proof that we’re making rapid progress to get it done,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation. “We recognize how important this project is to the local community and once complete, it will fight gridlock and improve safety for workers, families and businesses in eastern Ontario.”
Phase one construction included building a new interchange to carry Calabogie Road traffic over Highway 417, a new carpool lot north of the highway, access roads and new ramp connections.
Construction started in November 2021 and was completed on schedule. The contractor for phase 1 was Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
Crews will now be building three more interchanges and widening 22.5 kilometres of Highway 17 from Scheel Drive to three kilometres west of Bruce Street in Renfrew County.
“The completion of this interchange is great news for Renfrew County and demonstrates that our government is serious about making travel easier for the 14,000 drivers who rely on this stretch of Highway 17 every day,” said Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski. “Our government is investing in critical infrastructure across the province, including in Renfrew, to support jobs, attract investment and keep people moving.”
At 1,900 kilometres, Highway 17/417 is Ontario’s longest provincial highway, stretching from the Ontario/Manitoba border to the Quebec border in Eastern Ontario.