An all-new 8km stretch of the Herb Gray Parkway is opening Sunday night.
Garfield Dales with the Ministry of Transportation says traffic on Hwy. 401 heading towards the city will be slowed significantly. "We'll be dropping from 100 km/h to 80 km/h just around North Talbot Rd. and then to 60 km/h as you approach Labelle St.," says Dales.
Part of the highway from Labelle St. to the Ojibway area, leading up to where the new bridge will be, remains closed. That phase should be complete by the end of this year.
Since the parkway is below grade, officials say there's a very slim chance of the highway ever flooding because of the five pump stations.
Another neat feature -- lighting inside tunnels is also designed to mimic the outdoors so when motorists travel through, their eyes won't need to adjust.
Project director Michael Hatchell says the completion of the $1.4-billion Herb Gray Park is exciting. "We're sort of reconnecting the community in some ways because you've taken all that truck traffic and putting down below grade," says Hatchell. "So from a noise standpoint it's a huge impact and also just (having) local traffic up top."