Ontario Construction News staff writer
Public opposition to the Ontario government’s proposed Highway 401 tunnel remains strong, even as the Progressive Conservatives maintain a lead in provincial voting intentions, according to a new poll by Liaison Strategies.
“The data suggests that only PC voters support the project,” said David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies. He said 56 per cent of Progressive Conservative supporters back the tunnel, compared with 20 per cent who oppose it, while opposition outweighs support across most other regions and demographic groups.
The survey, conducted for Focus Ontario from Dec. 5–7, 2025, found that only 28 per cent of Ontarians support the idea of building a tunnel beneath Highway 401, while 45 per cent are opposed. When asked to identify the top transportation priority for the Greater Toronto Area, just six per cent selected the tunnel, far behind improving public transit (33 per cent) and upgrading local roads and intersections (20 per cent).
The poll surveyed 1,000 Ontarians using interactive voice response technology and has a margin of error of ±3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Concerns about transparency and construction risk were prominent in the findings. Nearly eight in 10 respondents (78 per cent) said the province should publicly release earlier studies related to the tunnel project, even if those studies raise serious concerns. Initial safety and construction risk concerns were expressed by 58 per cent of respondents, rising to 75 per cent after participants were informed of reported internal risks such as potential roadway collapse, with nearly half saying they were “very concerned.”
Cost pressures and opportunity costs also weighed heavily on public opinion. If funding for the tunnel were to limit spending on other priorities, 46 per cent of Ontarians said the province should instead focus on healthcare, education or housing. Only seven per cent said building the tunnel should take priority over those areas.
Public trust in the province’s ability to deliver the project was also limited. Thirty-six per cent of respondents said they have “no trust at all” in the government to manage the tunnel safely, on budget and transparently. Nearly half of those surveyed (47 per cent) believe the project would do little or nothing to reduce traffic congestion.
Asked to characterize the project overall, 48 per cent of Ontarians described the tunnel as “unrealistic, risky and wasteful,” compared with 18 per cent who viewed it as a “bold, nation-building project.”
“Though a lot of Ontarians believe the project would achieve little and oppose the project, many of these same Ontarians would vote for Doug Ford and the PC Party if an election were held today,” Valentin concluded.
The poll also examined provincial voting intentions, finding the governing Progressive Conservatives with a nine-point lead over the Ontario Liberals among decided and leaning voters, 44 per cent to 35 per cent. While the PCs lead in Eastern and Southwestern Ontario, the Liberals are ahead in Toronto and Northern Ontario and currently hold a narrow lead in the 905 region, though the firm cautioned that result should be treated carefully.
Despite widespread skepticism toward the Highway 401 tunnel, Valentin noted that many Ontarians who oppose the project would still support Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party if an election were held today.
