Essa Road Interchange & Highway 400 Overpass Replacement (MTO Project)

Project Type

Roads

Project #

EN1392

Status

Recently Completed

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) constructed a new interchange at Essa Road and Highway 400 and widened Essa Road to six lanes.

This construction project was led by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and included significant roadwork on highway 400, between Harvie Road and Tiffin Road, along with a widening of Essa Road to six lanes between Fairview Road and Bryne Drive/Ardagh Drive.

Project Updates

October 20, 2025

The Ministry of Transportation has informed the City that the project was officially completed on August 15, 2025, several months ahead of the originally projected year-end completion.

June 5, 2025
The MTO project is nearing completion. The new Highway 400 northbound on-ramp from eastbound Essa Road is now open. The new Fairview Road traffic signals are in operation and the road is back to the existing configuration, with all eastbound Essa lanes now through lanes only. Left turns toward northbound Highway 400 are no longer permitted.
The southbound Highway 400 on-ramp from westbound Essa Road was also reopened last week. The Ardragh Road parking lot work is progressing and Highway 400 work is still ongoing, which includes final paving of all lanes and interchange ramps.
May 21, 2025
The southbound Highway 400 on-ramp from westbound Essa Road is closed until May 29 at 11:59pm for bridge and road works on Highway 400 southbound lanes. Traffic is being detoured via Veteran's Drive and Mapleview Drive West.
The Fairview Road carpool lot has reopened and the Ardagh Road carpool lot is now closed until the end of July 2025.
May 15, 2025
The MTO's contractor has resumed construction on Highway 400 and Essa Road. Remaining work will be focused on Highway 400 including the interchange ramps. All work is anticipated to be completed late summer 2025.
On May 21, 2025 the Ardagh Road carpool lot will be closed until end of July 2025. Prior to the closure, the Fairview Road lot, which is presently closed, will be reopened.
December 18, 2024
Green Infrastructure Partners Incorporated (GIP) will suspend construction activities for the winter season on Essa Road and Highway 400, with maintenance responsibilities transitioning to the City of Barrie Operations Team starting December 18, 2024. Construction operations are scheduled to resume in March 2025.
November 28, 2024
The contractor has successfully completed the concrete sidewalk installations on the south side of Essa Road and the multi-use pathway on the north side. Both pathways are now fully operational and accessible for public use.
As a result, the temporary pedestrian shuttle service provided by Barrie Transit to transport pedestrians through the Highway 400 work zone is no longer required and will be discontinued at the end of November 2024. This shuttle service was implemented during construction to ensure pedestrian safety and convenience while access was restricted, but with the completion of the sidewalks, pedestrians can now safely travel along Essa Road.
We remind all pedestrians to use the designated sidewalks and pathways, and never enter an active construction zone.
October 10, 2024
The Essa Road Interchange & Highway 400 Overpass Replacement project is progressing well. Bridge deck pouring is planned for the week of October 21. Paving on Essa Road is scheduled for the week of October 28. Lane closures on Essa Road remain in effect. All lanes are expected to open in early November.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as these important improvements are completed.
August 30, 2024
The northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road opened just after 10am today, as work was completed ahead of schedule. Concrete forming for the bridge and grading on the highway ramps were completed during the closures.
Traffic continues to be restricted to one lane in each direction on Essa Road under the bridge work. The lane closures are expected to be in place until this fall.
August 16, 2024
The southbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road and the Commercial Access Road from Essa Road reopened early this morning, as work was completed ahead of schedule.
The MTO requires the following ramp closures to conduct construction works:
August 19–23: A full closure of the northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be in place. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 19, at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 23, 2024, at 11:59pm. The ramp will be open over the weekend on August 24 & 25.
August 26–30: An additional full closure of the northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be in place. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 26, at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 30, 2024, at 11:59pm.
Traffic continues to be restricted to one lane in each direction on Essa Road under the bridge work. The lane closures are expected to be in place until this fall.
August 14, 2024
The MTO requires an additional ramp closure to conduct construction works. Current and upcoming ramp closures are listed below:
August 12–16: A five-day full closure of the southbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road and the Commercial Access Road from Essa Road (the one-way road off the ramp that lets motorists access Georgian BMW, Zehrs, MEC Barrie, etc.) is in place. The closure is scheduled to continue until Friday, August 16 at 11:59pm.
August 19–23: A full closure of the northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be in place. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 19, at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 23, 2024, at 11:59pm. The ramp will be open over the weekend on August 24 & 25.
August 26–30: An additional full closure of the northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be in place. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 26, at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 30, 2024, at 11:59pm.
Traffic continues to be restricted to one lane in each direction on Essa Road under the bridge work. The lane closures are expected to be in place until this fall.
August 8, 2024
The MTO requires two ramp closures over the next two weeks to conduct construction works.
August 12–16: A five-day full closure of the southbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road and the Commercial Access Road from Essa Road (the one-way road off the ramp that lets motorists access Georgian BMW, Zehrs, MEC Barrie, etc.) is required. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 12 at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 16 at 11:59pm.
August 19–23: Following that, a full closure of the northbound Hwy 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be in place. The closure is scheduled to start on Monday, August 19, at 12:01am and continue until Friday, August 23, 2024, at 11:59pm.
Traffic continues to be restricted to one lane in each direction on Essa Road under the bridge work. The lane closures are expected to be in place until this fall.
July 31, 2024
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the MTO's contractor requires an additional overnight full closure of eastbound Essa Road (towards downtown) between Fairview and Ardagh. The closure is planned for Thursday, August 1 from 11pm to Friday, August 2 at 5am. No traffic, including emergency services, will be able to travel through the closure. This is in addition to tonight's closure (see details below).
July 12, 2024
Nightly full closures of Essa Road between Fairview and Ardagh are planned during the below times for the erection of new bridge girders. No traffic, including emergency services, will be able to travel through these closures:
Monday, July 29, from 11pm until Tuesday, July 30 at 5am
Tuesday, July 30, from 11pm until Wednesday, July 31 at 5am
Wednesday, July 31 from 11pm until Thursday, August 1 at 5am

March 8, 2024
The MTO's work on the Essa Road interchange and the new highway bridge requires lane restrictions on Essa Road starting Monday, March 11, 2024. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction between the interchange off-ramps until the fall.
November 20, 2023
MTO requires the below closures to complete ongoing construction. No traffic or emergency services will be able to travel through the closures.
November 20–25: Westbound Essa to Southbound Hwy 400 On Ramp
The westbound Essa Road to southbound Highway 400 on ramp is closed until 5am on Saturday, November 25. The eastbound Essa Road to Highway 400 on ramp will remain open throughout. Detour route: Essa to Veteran’s to Mapleview to southbound Highway 400.
December 2–3: Essa Road (Fairview to Ardagh)
This closure includes the westbound Essa Road to Southbound Highway 400 on ramp. Essa Road under the Highway 400 will be fully closed from Saturday, December 2 at 9pm until 10am on Sunday, December 3 for bridge demolition operations. Lane closures on the highway are expected, but the highway will remain open. View closure details on map. In the event of inclement weather, the work will be pushed to Saturday, December 9.
November 6, 2023
MTO requires two upcoming ramp closures to complete ongoing construction. No traffic or emergency services will be able to travel through the closures.
November 12 to 13: Northbound Highway 400 Off Ramp
The northbound Highway 400 off ramp to Essa Road will be closed from 6pm on Sunday, November 12 until 5am on Monday, November 13. Detour route: Mapleview to Veteran’s to Essa.
November 20 to 25: Westbound Essa Road to Southbound Highway 400 On Ramp
The westbound Essa Road to southbound Highway 400 on ramp will be closed from 12:01am on Monday, November 20 until 5am on Saturday, November 25. The eastbound Essa Road to Highway 400 on ramp will remain open throughout. Detour route: Essa to Veteran’s to Mapleview to southbound Highway 400.
October 18, 2023
Construction of the interchange is progressing well and work along Essa Road continues. Sidewalks west of Bryne/Ardagh and east of Fairview will be reinstated by the end of the month. Pedestrian access under the bridge is still restricted. Pedestrians are encouraged to use the free Barrie Transit pedestrian shuttle service to get through the work zone.
August 24, 2023
The southbound Highway 400 to Essa Road off-ramp reconstruction is complete one day ahead of schedule. The southbound Highway 400 to Essa Road off-ramp & the westbound Essa Road to southbound Highway 400 on-ramp will be reopened today, August 24, at 5pm.
August 9, 2023
To construct the new southbound Highway 400 to Essa Road off-ramp, the MTO's contractor requires closures of the below ramps:
Southbound Highway 400 to Essa Road off-ramp
Detour: Hwy 400 south - Dunlop Street West - Ferndale Drive - Ardagh Road - Essa Road
Westbound Essa Road to southbound Highway 400 on-ramp
Detour: Essa Road - Veterans Drive - Mapleview Drive - Hwy 400 south
These closures will be in place from Monday, August 14 at 12am until Friday, August 25 at 11:59pm. All advance notification TC64 and detour route signing is in place.
Image

July 21, 2023
Below are the details of the upcoming lane and full closures by the MTO.
As per the previous update, Essa Road between Fairview Road and Ardagh Road will be reduced to one lane in either direction for the week of July 24, 2023. This is being done to facilitate a further grade lowering that is necessary to accommodate large vehicle traffic flow under the structure.
Nightly full closures of Essa Road between Fairview Road and Ardagh Road will take place during the below times for the erection of new bridge girders. During the full closure periods, the westbound Essa Road on-ramp to southbound 400 will be closed. A detour will be set up to direct traffic around the closure; however residents are encouraged to avoid the area during these times.
Monday, July 31: close at 11pm & open by Tuesday, August 1, at 5am
Tuesday, August 1: close at 11pm & open by Wednesday, August 2, at 5am
Wednesday, August 2: close at 11pm & open by Thursday, August 3, at 5am
Additionally, single lane closures will be in place between Monday, July 31 and Saturday, August 5; however, they are not anticipated to take place during commuting hours.
July 20, 2023
The MTO is scheduled to reduce Essa Road between Fairview Road and Ardagh Road to one lane in either direction for the week of July 24, 2023. This is being done to facilitate a further grade lowering that is necessary to accommodate large vehicle traffic flow under the structure.
July 7, 2023
The new eastbound Essa Road to southbound Highway 400 ramp will be open on Wednesday July 12, 2023. Eastbound left turns to access the southbound Highway 400 will no longer be permitted.
June 23, 2023
Due to inclement weather, the contractor has postponed the two-day full closure of the northbound Highway 400 off-ramp. The northbound off-ramp will be closed from 12:00am on Wednesday June 28, 2023 until 5am on Friday, June 30, 2023. All advance notification TC64 and detour route signing will be in place for this closure, per the Mapleview westbound to Veterans northbound to Essa detour route (Drawing Sheet 188).
June 14, 2023
Northbound Highway 400 On-Ramps
The on-ramp at the Essa Road/Fairview Road intersection will remain closed until 11:59pm on Friday, June 16, 2023. During this closure, the loop ramp (used when travelling eastbound on Essa Road to access the northbound Highway 400) will remain open.
Once the on-ramp at the Essa Road/Fairview Road intersection is reopened, it will become the only access to the northbound Highway 400 from Essa Road. Drivers travelling eastbound on Essa Road will no longer use the existing loop ramp.
Northbound Highway 400 Off-Ramp
The off-ramp closure has been pushed back one week. The off-ramp will be closed from 12:01am on Monday, June 26, 2023 until 5am on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
All advance notification TC64 and detour route signing will be in place for this closure, per the Mapleview westbound to Veterans northbound to Essa detour route (Drawing Sheet 188).

June 1, 2023
The northbound Highway 400 on-ramp will be closed from 12:01am on Sunday, June 11, 2023 until 11:59pm on Friday, June 16, 2023. All advance notification TC64 and detour route signing is in place for this closure, per the Ferndale to Dunlop detour route (Drawing Sheet 186). During this closure the eastbound Essa Road to northbound Highway 400 ramp will remain open.
The northbound Highway 400 off-ramp will be closed from 12:01am on Monday, June 19, 2023 until 5am on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. All advance notification TC64 and detour route signing will be in place for this closure, per the Mapleview westbound to Veterans northbound to Essa detour route (Drawing Sheet 188).
May 10, 2023
Occasional lane closures may occur. At least one lane in both directions remains open for the majority of the season. As part of the works this year, the contractor will be erecting new girders on the Highway 400 overpass in both the northbound and southbound directions. To facilitate this, Essa Road will be fully closed between the hours of 11pm–5am on six occasions (three for each set of girder) from Fairview Road to Ardagh Road. The schedule for the northbound girder installation is:
Monday, June 5, 2023: close at 11pm & open by Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 5am
Tuesday, June 6, 2023: close at 11pm & open by Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 5am
Wednesday, June 7, 2023: close at 11pm & open by Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 5am
During the above times, no traffic will be permitted to cross the Highway 400 at Essa Road. A detour will be set up to direct traffic around the closure; however residents are encouraged to avoid the area during these times. View information about the detour.
The same closures are expected in early July for the installation of the southbound girders. As the dates approach, confirmation of the exact dates will be communicated via detour signage and on this page at least one week in advance of the actual closure.
April 2023
The contractor has resumed full operations on the Essa Road Interchange this month. This year's focus is on constructing the new overpass. To complete this work, the contractor will need to fully close Essa Road between Fairview Road to Ardagh Road from 11pm to 5am on six occasions.
The first three occasions are tentatively scheduled for early June, and the final three for early July. As the dates approach, confirmation of the exact dates will be communicated via detour signage and on this page at least one week in advance of the actual closure.
Traffic impacts for the remainder of the season are expected to be minimal as two lanes in either direction will remain in place for the majority of the season. Pedestrian access across the Highway 400 along Essa Road remains closed and pedestrians are encouraged to use the free shuttle service offered through Barrie Transit if they need to cross. As always please take extra caution when driving through a construction zone and never enter a construction zone as a pedestrian.
December 2022
Essa Road has been reinstated to two lanes of traffic in either direction. The Contractor will continue to work throughout the winter.
November 2022
The Contractor is continuing work on the Essa Road Interchange Bridge and is expected to return Essa Road traffic to two lanes during the week of December 12, 2022.
August 2022
The Contractor is continuing work on Essa Road. Traffic on Essa Road under the Highway 400 Bridge is restricted to one lane in each direction. Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously through the construction zone and take alternative routes to avoid potential delays.
July 2022
Traffic on Essa Road under the Highway 400 bridge will be restricted to one lane in each direction starting in early or mid August.
June 2022
Construction is underway. The MTO has hired Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd. (Aecon) to complete the construction of the Essa Road Interchange Project.
The access road that runs along the Highway 400 south of Essa Road will also be closed starting June 20, 2022 until the end of Fall 2022, and the Car Pool Lot at the northeast corner of Essa Road and Highway 400 will be closed until the end of 2024. An alternative lot can be found at the northwest corner of Ardagh Dr and Essa Road.
Starting June 20, 2022, pedestrian access will be restricted under the Highway 400. While the sidewalk along Essa Road is closed, a regularly scheduled Barrie Transit bus will bring pedestrians through the work zone for free. Pedestrians can get on the bus at bus stop 296 and 300 to the east and west of the construction limits and it will bring them to the other side. This service is expected to be in place until the end of 2024.
Full closures underneath the Highway 400 along Essa Road will be required on three occasions to allow for the construction of new bridge girders and the demolition of the old bridge. The City will communicate these closures in a advance.
Full ramp terminal closures will also be implemented for a period of 5 days to allow for interchange ramps to connect to Essa Road. During this time access along Essa Road will still remain. A staging schematic is provided for reference. Detours will be in place for this project The City will communicate which traffic stage configuration is to be expected one week in advance of its implementation.
April 2022
Pre-construction activities are on-going along Highway 400, Essa Rd and Bryne Dr. These activities include tree clearing and utility relocations. The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has completed the tendering for the construction of the interchange and is expected to award the contract to the selected Contractor in the coming months. Construction activities will follow shortly after.
February 2022
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has released the construction tender for this project. They are expected to hire a Contractor in spring 2022 followed immediately by the construction start.
During construction, pedestrian access under the Highway 400 will be restricted. The MTO in conjunction with the City of Barrie Transit department will be providing a free shuttle service for pedestrians who wish to cross the Highway 400 while access is restricted. More details on this shuttle service will follow in the coming months.
Please monitor this webpage for information on pedestrian and traffic impact updates.

Project Coordination

MTO was the proponent for this project, however the City was a key stakeholder. The City and MTO worked collaboratively to incorporate transportation improvements that support the needs of local residents and the travelling public at large. These improvements enhance the transportation network and help mitigate traffic congestion.

City Infrastructure Impacts

Highway crossing widening (widening from 4 lanes to 6 lanes from Bryne Drive to east of Fairview Road)
Multi-use path on the north side of the road from Bryne Drive to east of Fairview Road
Sidewalk on the south side