Barrie 
Ontario has announced a permanent increase in the speed limits from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on ten more sections of provincial highways across both northern and southern Ontario, starting July 12, 2024.
Eric Sehr/Flickr /CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed
This decision follows successful pilot increases on six highway sections in 2022 — Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) between Hamilton and St. Catharines, Highway 402 from London to Sarnia, Highway 417 from Ottawa to the Quebec border, Highway 401 from Windsor to Tilbury, Highway 404 from Newmarket to Woodbine, and Highway 417 from Kanata to Arnprior — which demonstrated that these highways could safely accommodate the higher speed.
The sections of highways affected include extensions of existing 110 km/h zones and new stretches on Highways 401, 403, 406, 416, and 69, totalling 860 kilometres:
- Hwy 401, Tilbury, extending the existing 110 km/h zone further east by 7 km
- Hwy 401 from Hwy 35/115 to Cobourg (approximately 35 km)
- Hwy 401 from Colborne to Belleville (approximately 44 km)
- Hwy 401 from Belleville to Kingston (approximately 66 km)
- Hwy 401 from Hwy 16 to Quebec boundary (approximately 107 km)
- Hwy 403 from Woodstock to Brantford (approximately 26 km)
- Hwy 403 from Brantford to Hamilton (approximately 14.5 km)
- Hwy 406 from Thorold to Welland (approximately 13 km)
- Hwy 416 from Hwy 401 to Ottawa (approximately 70 km)
- Hwy 69 from Sudbury to French River (approximately 60 km)
Per the news release, this adjustment means 36 percent of Ontario’s highway network will have a speed limit of 110 km/h.
The provincial government says this increase aligns Ontario’s speed limits with several other provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, where the typical maximum speed limit is 110 km/h, and British Columbia, where it is 120 km/h.
These changes are part of Ontario’s broader strategy to enhance transportation efficiency and safety based on empirical evidence and public consultations initiated in 2019.
Despite the increase, safety measures like stunt driving penalties will apply at 150 km/h. On the highway sections with increased speed limits, stunt driving penalties will apply at 40 km/h over the posted speed limit.
