Highway 417 speed limit now 110 km/h east of Anderson Road

Drivers looking to drive with a little more lead in their foot are now able to legally rev their engines harder between the Quebec border and east Ottawa.

The provincial government's pilot project to allow drivers to go 110 km/h on three Ontario highways, including a section of Highway 417, begins today.

The section of Highway 417 starts just east ofAnderson Road in Ottawa and runs to one kilometre west of the Ontario/Quebec border for a total of 102 kilometers.

The province didn't say when the pilot project could end.

Casselman Mayor Daniel Lafleur said he is already confident the higher limit will make the road less safe.

He said people already speed and with the higher limit they will only speed more.

"If we say 100 km/h, people are going 120 on the 417, so people will [now] be going 130," Lafleur said.

"We are going to have more deaths on our roads and I have a hard time with that."

Mayors of The Nation, Champlain, and Russell said they were not concerned about the increase.

New speed limit for parts of Highway 417

5 years ago

Duration 0:32

Drivers can now go 110 km/h on Highway 417 starting just east of Anderson Road. It's part of the provincial government's pilot project to allow higher limits on three Ontario highways.

2 pilots in SW Ontario

The other areas where speed limits are being increased are a section between St. Catharines and Hamiltonand a sectionbetween Sarniaand London.

The government is promising more signsand other safety measures to ensure drivers are aware of the speed change. The rules around stunt driving will still apply at 150 km/h.

The government is also accepting feedback on the pilot projects online for the next two months.

Six other Canadian provinces allow for speed limits over 100 km/h.