Traffic incidents along Highway 403 have often caused major delays for drivers. To help find and manage alternate traffic routes when incidents happen along Highway 403 and roads in and surrounding our County, we developed the Emergency Detour Route Road Closure Action Plan.
Emergency Detour Route (EDR) signs are permanently posted along six routes throughout the County that are used to divert traffic if Highway 403 must be closed. These signs are yellow and black and are visible at the start and along these alternative routes.
EDRs are developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the municipality, and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). They are based on several factors including travel time and whether a route can handle increased traffic.
What Happens during an EDR Road Closure
The OPP is responsible for deciding whether to close a provincial highway, and makes sure any relevant agencies are notified before traffic is directed off the highway to the detour routes.
Signs are located on the highway at the start of the EDR. Once you exit the highway, you can continue to follow the EDR signs along the route.
The Road Closure Action Plan should be taken when highway traffic lanes (all or some) in either or both directions are closed and if the closure will take more than one hour. Usually the highways are reopened about two to three hours after the incident occurs. An OPP officer at the incident will decide when to deactivate the EDRs.
Additional EDR Guidelines
- Oversized or overweight loads are only permitted on predefined routes and cannot follow EDRs. Police will direct you to a safe place to park until the highway reopens.
- If you live in the area an EDR goes through, you may experience an increase in traffic when the EDR is activated. Local police may have to direct traffic at key intersections and monitor use of the EDR.
See EDR locations and more information in the MTO EDR Road Closure Action Plan Guideline Manual.
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