The Ontario government has awarded a series of contracts for the design and management of the Bradford Bypass.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced on Friday that the province had awarded the detail design contracts for the central and east sections of the highway to WSP Canada Inc. and Stantec Consulting Ltd.

It awarded a further contract to Jacobs Consultancy Canada Inc. & Egis Canada Ltd. to act as program management consultants for the full project.

“The Bradford Bypass will cut gridlock, shorten commute times, strengthen east-west connections between Highways 400 and 404 and keep people and goods moving through one of the fastest growing parts of the Greater Golden Horseshoe,” Sarkaria said.

The design contract applies to the sections of the Bradford Bypass running from Highway 404 in the east to Simcoe County Road 4 in the west. Crews will conduct field work, consult with Indigenous communities, coordinate utility relocations and finalize the design of the two sections.

The program management contract calls for oversight of the full project, including design, quality assurance, schedule and construction oversight.

Construction of the highway will support more than 2,200 jobs per year and contribute $286 million to Ontario’s GDP.

Work is also ongoing on the west section of the Bradford Bypass, including construction of a temporary detour at 10 Sideroad to support construction of a future bridge and interchange.

Last year, the province awarded contracts for detail design and a construction manager for the west section. Since then, crews have completed tree clearing along the proposed route to streamline utility relocations and clear a path for construction. In addition, work is underway on a southbound lane on Highway 400 that will connect to the Bradford Bypass.

The 16.3-kilometre Bradford Bypass will connect Highway 404 in the east to Highway 400 in the west, running through York Region and Simcoe County. The province says that the new highway will save drivers an estimated 35 minutes in travel time compared to using local roads.