By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
The long-anticipated Norval West Bypass project has reached a critical milestone with its public review period set to conclude at the end of the month.
Aiming to ease traffic congestion in Norval, Halton Region issued a notice of completion for the project’s environmental study report on Dec. 15, 2025.
The project is designed as a north-south road connecting Highway 7 to 10 Side Road.
The notice officially triggered a 45-day public review period.
For residents, the Jan. 29 deadline represents the final opportunity to provide feedback on the environmental assessment study.
However, while the end of the review period marks progress, it does not mean shovels will hit the dirt immediately.
According to Stacey Hunter, communications adviser for Halton Region, the conclusion of the review period is a regulatory gate rather than a construction start date.
Once the public review period ends, the region must review all submitted comments and obtain final approvals.
Only then can the project move into the detailed design phase — a technical stage where the region will map out the specific blueprints for the roadway, drainage and utilities.
According to the environmental study report, the construction phase will start with off-road construction, including the Norval West Bypass between Highway 7 and 10 Side Road, as well as the proposed extensions of 10 Side Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard.
The Norval West Bypass roundabouts at Highway 7 and 10 Side Road “could also be constructed without yet connecting to the existing road network.”
In order to finish constructing the roundabout lanes at the Highway 7 and Norval West Bypass roundabout, the report noted “single lane staging could be considered on the existing Highway 7 road platform.”
Traffic would then be diverted through the roundabout “as needed to accommodate construction of the roadworks, grading, lighting and landscaping.”
Partial road closures may be required at various stages of the work, though the region stated in the report “potential closure events and restricted access shall be minimized to the greatest extent possible.”
The report also states “local property owners, hospitals, public and agencies who may be directly or indirectly impacted will be notified of the construction schedule prior to the commencement of construction activities.”
One of the most sensitive aspects of the project involves the historic Russell Farm.
The bypass is slated to bisect the southeast Georgetown secondary plan area, which includes a portion of the farm’s lands.
The intersection of heritage preservation and urban growth has been a delicate balance for the Town of Halton Hills.
In March 2025, council approved a secondary plan for the area that envisions a mix of residential and commercial uses.
Then, a month later, in April 2025, Russell Pines Property Corp. filed applications for a subdivision on the site, proposing 744 residential units and a commercial block.
The developer, as of November 2025, has sent a proposal to the Ontario Land Tribunal due to the town failing to make a decision on the applications within 120 days.
While the bypass will physically cut through these lands, the region maintains the secondary plan was designed with the farm’s footprint in mind.
Hunter said the region will “recognize and conserve the Russell Farm, consistent with the intent of the secondary plan.”
The exact nature of that conservation will be determined as the subdivision applications moves through the evaluation process.
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