QEW Widening Between Guelph Line and North Shore Is Now Underway

A $52-million upgrade to the QEW corridor in Burlington is officially in progress — and the contractor behind the work says it's been a long time coming. The project spans approximately 5.7 kilometres between North Shore Boulevard and Guelph Line, and includes new median HOV lanes, bridge work, pavement reconstruction, drainage improvements, lighting upgrades, and modern traffic management systems. Lawrence Rigatti, chief estimator at Alliance Verdi Civil Inc., the firm leading the project, put it plainly: "People are frustrated, traffic is getting worse. This is better late than never." He also noted that the investment stays close to home — "that tax money is being spent locally, not in Toronto, not in Ottawa, right here." One of the more complex parts of the project involves rehabilitating and widening bridges at Brant Street, Fairview Street, and the CN Rail corridor — all while keeping traffic moving on one of Ontario's busiest highways. Alliance Verdi Civil is no stranger to big Burlington infrastructure jobs; the firm also completed rehabilitation work on both the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge and the Burlington Skyway Bridge. Expect 25 to 50 workers on site around the clock. Traffic will be shifted to the shoulder while inside widening connects the bridges and road to a new concrete barrier wall — part of what Rigatti describes as "urbanizing" the highway. That said, the actual HOV lanes won't be open to drivers until a follow-up contract is complete, with an expected timeline closer to 2029. Rigatti also flagged that work on the Burlington Skyway has roughly two more months to go, with weekend travel on that stretch remaining unpredictable. His advice: plan accordingly.