What a Wonderful Highway!!

I drive quite a bit every day and can't say enough about the 403 in Mississauga. It's like we have our own city highway that links south from Dundas and the QEW in Oakville to the 401 in the north. It is jam packed eastbound every morning from 8 to 9 and westbound in the evenings from 4-7pm. The greatest thing about the road is the use of HOV lanes, where if you have 2 or more people in the car, or drive a hybrid/green vehicle, you can travel in a dedicated lane just for you! This, of course, makes your ride a lot quicker. (I can travel from the west of the city all the way eastward in prime time in about 15 minutes using these lanes.)

There are some rules and tips, however, to get your best experience when travelling this road:
- Police travel this road constantly and you should never cross in or out of the HOV lanes while the line is solid - wait for the posted dashed lines and always change lanes safely
- The posted speed limit is 100, and the HOV lanes aren't a chance to drive like the Autobahn... you will get ticketed for sure
- Travelling eastward, there is a traffic bunch-up in a turn just after the Erin Mills Parkway. Ensure that you leave a ton of room in front and behind you, especially if you are in the left-hand lane, awaiting your chance to get into the HOV lanes. Traffic is known to stop completely at the base of the hill under the bridge there.
- The same goes if you take the Cawthra exit instead of continuing to the 401 E... traffic can stall here while everyone waits for the signal lights. However, you have the option of going south on Cawthra, north to the 410 or Eglington, and straight all the way to Dixie and beyond.
- Beware entering the 403 westbound any time after 4:30 on a weeknight before Hurontario... this hugely  traversed street is also where the a lot of autos converge and it is the sight of many a collision, just because of the merging requirements.There is construction being done to address this issue.
- There is another traffic slowdown westward at night, around the bend before the Erin Mills exit, I think because of the hill ending and the turn. Police like to park under the bridge here as well.

There are a lot of gas stations and coffe shops dotting the entry/exitways, notably:
- Winston Churchill: travel north from the highway and you get a fab Coffee Time, and go a minute more and you can reach a mecca of plazas on Eglinton that stretch from Winston Churchill east to the Erin Mills Parkway - like Swiss Chalet, McDonald's, Rona, Sunset Grill (love it!), Boston Pizza, a super Portuguese bakeshop, dollar stores, Loblaws and the Erin Mills Town Centre.
- Erin Mills: the Credit Valley Hospital is north of the highway at Eglinton. There is a red-light camera at this intersection. Shop at the Erin Mills Town Centre.
- Hurontario: Square One is just south of the exit. I enjoy the Starbucks at the Chapters just north of the mall, by the GO and city bus hub.
- Cawthra: if you travel south from the 403, there is a Petro Canada just on your right before you hit Burnhamthorpe... always a great place to stop and get loaded up.
- Be careful out there!