Ontario's Progressive Conservative government is introducing its budget today, which is set to stand as its election platform and includes new promises on widening Highway 401.
A senior government source says the plan is to adjourn the legislature after the budget is tabled, which means it won't get passed before the expected start of the election campaign next week.
Senior government sources say the budget will have five themes, one of which is building highways and hospitals and comes with a plan of spending $158 billion over 10 years.
Of that planned spending, $21.5 billion would be for highway planning, expansion and rehabilitation and would include a new twin bridge over the Welland Canal on the Queen Elizabeth Way and widening Highway 401 in eastern Ontario starting in Pickering and Oshawa.
The government has recently made a raft of hospital spending announcements, including more than $2.1 billion for projects across the province.
The sources say the other four themes of the budget are rebuilding the economy, workers, keeping costs down for people, and a plan to stay open.