Ontario Highway 26 - Future

Future

A major realignment of the highway is currently in the construction phase that will, when completed, bypass the current highway east of the town of Collingwood. The present section of highway between Collingwood and Wasaga Beach is an older and dangerous section of road(especially during the winter months), with many small intersecting streets and private residences with direct highway entrances, along with very high traffic volumes. The new alignment will have the highway veer west from a point along its present route between Stayner and Wasaga Beach, and parallel the current highway until a point east the Collingwood town limits. It is believed that this section is the first part in realigning the existing highway within the Collingwood area, including a bypass of the town itself, but no other projects or studies are underway that would expand this highway beyond its current length. The new route will be designed as a limited access highway, although it is not known yet if it will be a 2 or 4-lane divided roadway. It is also not known what will happen to the current route of Highway 26, whether it will be assumed as a Simcoe County road, or if it will remain in the provincial highway system.