One of the first non-stop, all electronic toll highways in the world, 407 ETR is a major east-west expressway that runs north of Toronto. Giffels has been involved in the development and implementation of this project continually since the planning studies that were initiated in 1978 by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Our involvement over the years has been through all project phases from Feasibilty Studies, Preliminary Design to Detail Design and Contract Preparation. As a member of the Design-Build Team, Giffels played a key role in the overall design management of the initial phase of the project and provided detail design services for Highway 407 and the major freeway to freeway interchanges with Highways 403, 410 and 427. This included all road, structural, electrical and stormwater management design.

The initial 69 km phase of the project required over 300,000 tonnes of cement, 300,000 cubic metres of pre-cast concrete, 600,000 cubic metres of concrete pavement, 11 million tonnes of aggregate and over 17 million cubic metres of earth excavation. It included 120 bridges, 29 interchanges, 15 road grade separations, 13 water crossings and 8 railway crossings.

Giffels continues to provide consulting services to 407 ETR as the success of Ontario’s only electronic toll highway requires expansion of the facility. We have provided design services for the following projects:

• Completion of the Mavis Road interchange
• Widening of Highway 407 to eight lanes from Highway
   427 to Highway 400
• New interchange at the Markham By-pass