Drivers in Durham Region are now saving money on their daily commutes, with tolls officially removed from the eastern portion of Highway 407.
As of June 1, the provincially owned section of the highway between Pickering and Clarington is permanently toll-free. The change was included in Ontario’s 2025 budget and follows a promise Premier Doug Ford made during the last provincial election campaign.
“We’re putting money back in people’s pockets,” Ford said earlier this year. “This will make a real difference for families.”
The Ontario government estimates commuters who use the highway daily could save around $7,200 a year.
The move does not affect the privately operated 407 Express Toll Route (407 ETR), which runs west of Brock Road. That section continues to charge tolls.
A 2021 Ministry of Transportation report had projected that tolls on the provincial stretch would generate $72 million in revenue in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Despite that, the province says the toll removal is aimed at easing congestion on Highway 401 and making life more affordable for drivers in the Greater Toronto Area.
Highway 407 East was built in stages beginning in the early 2010s and is owned and maintained by the province, unlike the original 407 ETR, which was leased to a private operator in 1999 under the previous Progressive Conservative government.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
