Photo Source: Philip Walker, Mercury news services file photo, GuelphMercury.com

The wait for a wider, more functional Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph may be over in the not-too-distant future.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has finally included the project in its five-year construction forecast with construction slated to begin in 2015. Long seen as a necessary infrastructure investment, commuters from both cities have complained about the congestion and dangerous conditions the current highway faces. The second most travelled route between the two neighbouring cities currently provides only one lane in each direction with a lack of turning lanes at key sideroads.

There is hope that this new development will ease safety concerns, along with commuter frustration. An issue that dates back 45 years, the Ontario government has no longer been able to ignore the pressure for the road’s expansion. Highway 7 provides the best access to the Guelph Auto Mall, along with a Galaxy Cinema and several large specialty stores along Woodlawn Road; all of which have the potential to be a big draw for the surrounding areas.

With the consistent flow of commerce between Guelph and Waterloo Region, this project is too long overdue to wait any longer.