KENORA – The Ontario government has awarded a contract to Moncrief Construction to widen the first section of Highway 17 from two to four lanes between the Manitoba-Ontario border and Kenora.
“The Twinning of Highway 17 is a legacy infrastructure project that will make roads safer in the Kenora region,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora – Rainy River. “Families deserve to feel safe on the roads and that is exactly what our government will accomplish by widening this stretch of the highway. Having more room on the road is critical, especially during the winter months in Northern Ontario.”
Twinning Highway 17 is part of the government’s plan to build a stronger Ontario by improving safety, reducing travel times and creating hundreds of good-paying jobs in the North.
The twinning of Highway 17 between Manitoba/Ontario border and Kenora will be done in three sections: Manitoba/Ontario border to Kenora (6.5 km); Kenora to Rush Bay Road (8.5 km); Rush Bay Road to Highway 17A (25 km). Construction on Section 1 is expected to begin this spring. Construction on Sections 2 and 3 will begin once the necessary environmental assessment and route planning and design are complete.
“Awarding the construction contract for twinning Highway 17 is an exciting milestone towards making this critical highway safer for drivers in Northern Ontario,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “Together with Indigenous communities in the Kenora region, we have a shared goal of creating jobs, improving safety and building a better transportation system in Northern Ontario.”
The first section of Highway 17 twinning will create approximately 310 jobs. The contract includes requirements to work with Indigenous partners in the area and is expected to be completed in summer 2025.
