Class EA Process
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000) provides a decision-making process to make sure that all relevant engineering and environmental factors are considered in the planning and design of transportation facilities. This Planning, Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment Study is being undertaken as a Group ‘A’ project, which includes new provincial highways and freeways, major realignments and bypasses to existing provincial highways/freeways that do not substantially follow the existing right-of-way and extensions to existing provincial highways/freeways.
Upon completion of the project, a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) will be prepared to document the following:
- The major features of the proposed work
- A full description of the consultation program
- Evaluation of alternatives process and selection of preferred alternative
- Identification of all project approvals, licenses and permits that have been or must be obtained
- Environmental impacts, mitigation, and protection measures that will be implemented
- Commitments to future work
The TESR will be placed on the Public Record for a review period of 30 calendar days to provide the opportunity for Indigenous communities, key stakeholders and the public to review and comment on the document.
Following Preliminary Design, the project will move into the Detail Design stage. The purpose of the Detail Design stage is to develop a transportation plan to a design/implementation level of detail and to develop drawings and documents for construction. Following completion of Detail Design, the project will move into Construction.
This project is currently in the Planning and Preliminary Design stage and timing for construction has not yet been determined.
Learn more about the Environmental Assessment process.