All major infrastructure projects in the province of Ontario are planned in a similar manner. MTO undertakes the following process in planning complex transportation projects:

One of the features of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (OEAA), January 1, 1997, is the requirement for the preparation, submission and approval of a Terms of Reference (ToR) before work begins on an Environmental Assessment (EA). Once approved by the Minister of the Environment, the ToR sets out a framework that will guide the preparation of the EA. The approval of the ToR is the first statutory decision by the Minister of the Environment in the EA planning and approval process. As part of the formal submission/ approval process, the ToR is submitted to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) for public and government agency comment and review.

The EA ToR for this study has been approved. The following outlines the various tasks and overall study process identified in the EA ToR.