TORONTO — A new Liaison Strategies poll conducted for Focus Ontario finds significant public opposition to the Ontario government’s proposal to build a tunnel under Highway 401.
Conducted from Dec. 5 to 7, 2025, using Interactive Voice Response technology, the survey polled 1,000 Ontarians.
Only 28 per cent of respondents support the project, while 45 per cent are opposed. When asked to choose the top transportation priority for the GTA, only six per cent chose the tunnel. Thirty-three per cent say the priority should be improving public transit, followed by local roads and intersections at 20 per cent.
Other elements pertaining to the tunnel include:
- Transparency and safety: 78 per cent said the government should publicly release previous studies on the tunnel, even if they raise serious concerns.
- Safety concerns: While 58 per cent of respondents were initially concerned about safety and construction risks, that number jumped to 75 per cent (with 49 per cent “very concerned”) after being informed of reported internal risks like roadway collapse.
- Opportunity costs: If the tunnel project limits funding for other priorities, 46 per cent of Ontarians would prefer the province focus on health care, education or housing. Only seven per cent would prioritize building the tunnel over these areas.
- Trust and impact: 36 per cent of Ontarians have “no trust at all” in the government to manage the project safely, on budget and transparently. Forty-seven per cent believe the tunnel will do “nothing” or “a little” to actually reduce traffic congestion.
- Project characterization: Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) describe the project as “unrealistic, risky and wasteful,” compared to 18 per cent who view it as a “bold, nation-building project.”
“The data suggests that only PC voters support the project,” said David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies, in a statement. “Fifty-six per cent of PC supporters back the tunnel, 20 per cent oppose it and 16 per cent are neutral. Across almost every other demographic and region, opposition outweighs support. With 78 per cent supporting the release of previous studies, transparency will likely be a key issue for the government moving forward.”
The survey also took a look at the political climate in Ontario.
According to the release, if a provincial election were held today, Doug Ford’s PCs would lead the Ontario Liberals by nine points among decided and leaning voters, 44 per cent to 35 per cent.
The Ontario Liberals still do not have a permanent leader in place and haven’t announced details of a leadership race, Liaison notes, so “some Ontarians may simply be parking their vote with the party for now.”
The margin of error for the poll is ± 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
