407 ETR Celebrates Highway’s 10th Anniversary – And Sets New One-Day Traffic Record
TORONTO, October 14, 2007 – 407 ETR celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first ever tolled trip by announcing that it recently set a new, one-day traffic record.
On Friday, October 5, a record 445,822 trips were taken on 407 ETR by those wanting to avoid congestion and jump start their holiday weekend. This beat the previous record of 434,670 trips set on June 22, 2007.
“For 10 years now, 407 ETR has provided a fast, safe and reliable way for drivers to get around the GTA,” said Antonio de Santiago, President and CEO of 407 ETR. “Setting a new one-day traffic record is a great way to celebrate our 10th anniversary.”
The first day of tolling on Highway 407 ETR was October 14, 1997 when the highway was only 36 kilometres long, stretching from Highway 410 to Highway 404. By 1999, the highway was lengthened to 68 kilometres and privatized. During the past eight years, 407 ETR has spent over $800 million to lengthen the highway by 40 kilometres and to widen busy sections to improve traffic flow.
“Thanks to all of our customers, employees and business partners for helping us reach this 10-year milestone,” said de Santiago. “Our ongoing commitment to delivering outstanding service – both on and off the highway – has made 407 ETR one of the best-built, safest, best-patrolled and best-maintained highways in North America.”
407 ETR has experienced a significant increase in traffic and many improvements in its customer service since 1997. Currently, 407 ETR has:
· Over 500 employees headquartered in Woodbridge
· 407,000 trips on an average workday
· Over 830,000 transponders in circulation
· An average telephone waiting time of 30 seconds
· A Roadside Assistance Patrol which helps over 700 motorists each year
As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, 407 ETR is offering tours of its Operations Centre to the public. Interested persons must register in advance to tour 407 ETR’s head office at 6300 Steeles Avenue West in Woodbridge. Tours are conducted once daily throughout the month of October, except Sundays. For details and to register, visit www.407etr.com.
407 ETR Concession Company Limited (“407 ETR”) is the operator and manager of Highway 407, which extends 108 kilometres east-west, just north of Toronto. 407 International Inc., the sole shareholder of 407 ETR, is owned by a consortium comprised of Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, Macquarie Infrastructure Group and SNC-Lavalin.
For more information, contact:
Dale A. Albers
Manager, Public Relations
407 ETR
Tel: 905-264-5221
Fast Facts
*407 ETR runs east and west just north of Toronto, from Burlington (in the west) to Pickering (in the east) for a total of 108 kilometres.
*108.081 kilometres is the exact total length of 407 ETR.
*407 ETR has six freeway-to-freeway interchanges: 401, 403, 410, 427, 400, and 404.
*There are 197 gantry sites on 407 ETR.
*407 ETR West Extension, East Partial Extension and Central Deferred Interchanges are comprised of:
-6 million cubic meters of earth excavation;
-5.1 kilometres of storm water sewers;
-44 bridge structures;
-1.7 million metric tons of granular;
-440,000 metric tons of asphalt.
*First day of tolling was October 14, 1997.
*Over 750,000 transponders have been distributed as of September 2006.
*Over 6 million customer accounts have been established since 1997.
