Ford’s $100B tunnel dream resurfaces, now branded a ‘nation-building’ project

Premier Doug Ford is adding his controversial Highway 401 mega-tunnel to Ontario’s official funding wishlist for Ottawa, rebranding the widely-panned idea as a national priority. But critics are again raising the alarm, calling the proposal environmentally reckless, politically calculated and wildly unrealistic in cost and feasibility.

The request came in a letter last week to Prime Minister Mark Carney, in which Ford outlined a slate of major projects, including the proposed “401 Express Tunnel” — a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar megaproject he claims would “significantly ease congestion on the busiest highway in North America, helping to improve our economic competitiveness by getting goods and services to market sooner.”

The tunnel, in Ford’s description, would dive underground at Brampton and emerge somewhere near Scarborough. 

Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, said the tunnel could cause serious ecological harm across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). “The tunnel would cut through major river valleys, like the Credit, the Humber, the Don and others — all of which are part of the Greenbelt and home to endangered species,” Gray said. “Construction would also create years of added gridlock. You’ll see increased air pollution from vehicles, as many will be stuck idling in traffic due to the chaos — and that could go on for years.”

Gray told Canada's National Observer the tunnel’s carbon footprint would be staggering, as it would require millions of cubic metres of cement to build. “That means more gravel and aggregate will need to be extracted from the Greenbelt and surrounding areas, leading to massive amounts of carbon emissions from all the concrete needed to construct the tunnel.”

Instead of expanding highways, Gray said Ontario should be reducing car dependency by investing in smarter transit and using existing infrastructure more efficiently. 

A Campaign Centrepiece with no details 

During the provincial election earlier this year, GTA traffic was one of the top campaign issues, with all major parties promising to address it. Ford, known for his large-scale infrastructure promises, unveiled the “401 Express Tunnel” as his boldest proposal — but despite its scale, the plan lacks basic details and a clear timeline. 

Peter Graefe, a political science professor at McMaster University, said Ford’s inclusion of the 401 tunnel in his letter to Carney may be more about politics than policy. Graefe told Canada's National Observer Ford could be facing resistance within his own government over the tunnel’s astronomical cost, and is now testing whether Ottawa might foot the bill. Alternatively, he may simply be signalling to his supporters that the idea is still alive — even if it’s unlikely to move forward.

If Ottawa rejects the project, Graefe says, Ford can use that outcome to shift blame and save face. “He can say, ‘We have limited resources, and the federal government refused to respond to Ontarians’ needs.’” That narrative could help Ford avoid criticism for abandoning the project, while positioning himself as someone who at least tried, Graefe added.

These unrealistic requests from premiers, while not uncommon, also carry political risk, Graeffe said. If they are too public or extreme, they can strain federal-provincial relations. In this case, Ford may be following a playbook similar to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith — using large, provocative proposals not just to seek funding, but to position Ottawa as the obstacle.

At the same time, Ford’s letter aligns with Carney’s call for “nation-building” proposals — giving Ford a chance to claim credit if any project on his list moves forward.

‘He’s serious — but it’s a bad idea,’ says transit advocate

While some see the tunnel as political theatre, others believe Ford genuinely thinks it will work — but remains misguided.

“I think Ford genuinely believes that adding new lanes, whether they're in a tunnel or on a wider road … will reduce gridlock,” said Peter Miasek, president of Transport Action Ontario. “But everybody I talk to about the 401 tunnel just thinks it's the stupidest idea.”

Miasek said the plan is flawed financially and conceptually, arguing that it would be extremely costly and ultimately ineffective, as expanding highways does not reduce congestion over time as the new lanes fill with newly-incentivized drivers.

Instead, Miasek pointed to a range of faster, more affordable alternatives — including building east-west transit along Highway 407, investing in rapid bus lanes, improving transit operations, and shifting truck traffic to the 407. “If we give trucks a discount on the 407, that meets Mr. Ford’s objective … getting goods and services to market sooner,” he said.

Longer-term, he said, the key is to tackle sprawl and reduce car dependency — not expand infrastructure that reinforces it.

Miasek also stressed the environmental cost of building such a tunnel through heavily populated, river-filled terrain. “The noise, the dust, the vibration … that’ll be serious,” he said. “And even if cars go electric, there’s still health impacts — tire dust, brake dust, particle emissions.”

As for Ottawa, Miasek is skeptical they’ll step in.

“Traditionally, the federal government does not get involved in road projects,” he said. “Look at the 413 — zero federal money.”

Abdul Matin Sarfraz / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative