East Metro Freeway

The East Metro Freeway was a proposed north-south expressway to be built in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Though plans were never completed, visionary plans show the expressway beginning at the 401 at Morningside Avenue and roughly following the edge of the Rouge River valley to Highway 407 which was under planning at that time. In phase 2,beyond the 407, the proposed route was between the Ninth Line and the York-Durham Line in Markham, leading to Stouffville. It was a last priority for the province and construction was not planned to have begun until the Scarborough Expressway was completed. It was not an extension of the Scarborough Expressway as the Scarborough's western terminus would have been 2 km west of East Metro's southern terminus. When Jane Jacobs came, battled the Spadina Expressway, and won; the Scarborough Expressway was put on hold and went into review. Toronto, Metro Toronto, and Ontario had 4 choices left. Choices 2,3, and 4 included the East Metro Freeway. Choice 2 was selected. This Choice didn't have the Scarborough Expressway. With the Scarborough gone, the east metro route was less necessary. It also encountered serious opposition from Rouge River naturalist groups. The proposal was officially dropped from planning documents on June 1st 1994.

In 1998, the Citizens Transportation Alliance formed a plan to help Toronto win the 2008 Olympics. The Scarborough Highlands Expressway will be completed along the Gatineau Hydro Corridor between the Don Valley Parkway and the Morningside Avenue and Highway 401, than it will swing northwards till Highway 407. This and other parts of the plan were submitted to the Toronto Olympic Committee. It was favored a lot by the citizens, but opposed by the downtown anti-car politicians. this plan would have helped resolve traffic congestion. it was given a lot of thought but was rejected because it clashed with Toronto's Official Plan which was transit only. The C.T.A. abandoned the East Metro Freeway part of the plan.

The Freeway is still possible since the lands from Highway 401 to Highway 407 are empty. It can turn into the existing Donald Cousens Parkway/ York Regional Road 48, this project can go with the extension of the parkway from Major Mackenzie Drive till Highway 48. In the future, the road can be upgraded to full freeway standards. This road can be called Highway 448, since it's a bypass to Highway 48. The portion of Highway 48 south of the East Metro can than be downloaded to Markham.

References

• History of Toronto's unfinished expressway system
• Missing Links: A Complete Illustrated History Of Toronto's Controversial Unfinished Expressway System