the province approved it in January 1973 and construction began; it opened to Wilson station on January 27, 1978. In 1996, Metro Council voted to end the matter finally and sell the 112 expropriated properties south of Eglinton Avenue. The properties were appraised and sold at fair market value, offered first to their former owners. The proceeds were divided between Metro and Ontario, with Metro keeping two-thirds up to $30million, and proceeds above $30million split equally. One home purchased by Metro in 1967 for $50,000 had appreciated in value to $440,000 by 1997. During the 2010 Toronto mayoral election, Rocco Rossi proposed completing the expressway in a tunnel to meet the Gardiner Expressway. Later that week, after much criticism of Rossi by other candidates and the media, Rossi revised his position to one of "studying" building a tunnel. Chronology The road opened in three phases: Lawrence Avenue to Yorkdale Mall – Four lanes (future southbound lanes) opened to serve Yorkdale Mall on February 25, 1964. Lawrence Avenue West to Wilson Heights Boulevard – December15, 1966 Lawrence Avenue West to Eglinton Avenue West – September8, 1976 Wilson Heights Boulevard to Kennard – June 1982 Future In September 2014, the City of Toronto completed a study of Allen Road and its operation, its effect on nearby neighbourhoods, and the changes made to it since it opened. The city released six options for the terms of reference for an environmental assessment. The options were as follows: Maintain the roadway as is. Maintain the roadway, make conditions for pedestrians easier, and enhance access to subway stations. Make significant improvements to the corridor through the addition of HOV lanes, bike paths and pedestrian infrastructure. Transform the roadway to a surface roadway. Transform the roadway to a tunnel or deck. Eliminate the roadway entirely and open up the space for other uses. Subway service would remain in place. Exit list See also Cancelled expressways in Toronto William Allen References Bibliography External links The Expressways of Toronto (built and unbuilt) Aerial view of the Highway 401 cloverstack Toronto highways Expressways in Canada