Hwy 11-17 speeds to stay at 90 km/hr

Drivers hoping they can travel faster on the new highway near Thunder Bay will be disappointed.

The Ministry of Transportation says the posted maximum on the four-lane highway between Thunder Bay and Birch Beach Road will stay at 90 km per hour, the same as on the old highway.

It will also remain at 90 km per hour when other sections of four-laning are complete, between Thunder Bay and Nipigon.

The new Highway 11-17 is classified as a highway, not as a freeway, a spokesperson for the MTO said, which is typical for a divided highway with "at-grade intersections and entrances."

For a highway to be considered a freeway, it needs to be "grade-separated with overpasses and underpasses."