Construction is expected to begin this fall on the long-promised eastward extension of Highway 407 on the outskirts of Toronto.
The 22-kilometre stretch from Brock Road in Pickering to Harmony Road in Oshawa will cost one billion dollars.
Premier Dalton McGuinty says the extension will be owned by the province, but drivers will still have to pay to use the route that runs north of the city.
The project will create 900 direct construction jobs and thousands of spinoff jobs. The section of highway will be built by the end of 2015.
The second phase of the project, extending the 407 further east to Highway 35/115, should be completed by 2020.
