Connecting Canada Drive and America Avenue over Highway 400

Hey- We’re getting a bridge!

The City of Vaughan is building a bridge over Highway 400 to connect Canada Drive and America Avenue. Once complete, the bridge will enhance Vaughan’s transportation network, help alleviate traffic and gridlock, allow residents to travel seamlessly from one community to another, and incentivize the accelerated development of 3,100 housing units in the surrounding areas. This project is the latest example of the City’s determination to fight traffic gridlock.

Today, an official groundbreaking ceremony took place marking the start of construction. Mayor Steven Del Duca, Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan–Woodbridge, Members of Council and other dignitaries were in attendance.

The total project construction cost for the bridge is $25 million with $9 million coming from the City, $8.5 million from York Region and $7.5 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.

The bridge will include a two-lane road with sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides – this will improve overall traffic movement in the area, shorten travel times, offer better access to local amenities, create access to enhanced transit systems and promote sustainable transportation options with pedestrian and cycling networks. It will also help improve emergency services response times within the community.

Construction activities underway include:

  • installing erosion and sediment control measures.
  • removing trees and implementing tree protection measures.
  • stripping and excavating existing topsoil.
  • excavation and grading works.
  • importing, placing and compacting fill materials (such as soil and gravel) to the site.
  • installing foundations – pile foundations, caisson foundations, abutment and pier construction – to support the construction of the bridge.
  • cast-in-place concrete, which involves pouring concrete to form the walls of the bridge.

All roads will remain open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic during construction. However, temporary lane restrictions will be required to allow construction activities to proceed safely and efficiently. Disruptions will be communicated in advance to the public.

The bridge is anticipated to be open in 2026.

Questions? Contact the project team via email at infrastructure.delivery@vaughan.ca.

For more information, visit vaughan.ca/CDAAbridge.

QUICK FACTS

  • The City of Vaughan is building a bridge over Highway 400 to connect Canada Drive and America Avenue.
  • The design of the bridge includes a two-lane road with sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides – this will improve the flow of traffic, shorten travel times, create access to transit systems and promote active transportation options.
  • The bridge is anticipated to be open in 2026.
  • The total project construction cost for the bridge is $25 million with $9 million coming from the City, $8.5 million from York Region and $7.5 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
  • The Housing Accelerator Fund is a $4 billion initiative from the Government of Canada that is designed to help cities, towns, and Indigenous governments unlock new housing supply through innovative approaches. The City of Vaughan will receive an allocation from the Housing Accelerator Fund program in the amount of $59,153,675, disbursed over three years.

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Source: City of Vaughan