Ministry of Transportation Ontario: Bringing more light to Ontario’s transportation operations

The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) Traffic Operations Centre (TOC) and Centre for Excellence in Transportation Infrastructure (CETI) ensure safe, efficient flow of traffic across Ontario’s busiest road networks.

The engineers, technicians, and researchers in these facilities study vehicle patterns, monitor traffic signals and road conditions, and provide real-time information to motorists and media. At the same time, the CETI team conducts material testing that informs current and future MTO projects.

To support this vital work, MTO needed a modern campus that promotes productivity, collaboration, and wellbeing. The new facility consolidates transit teams from multiple locations into one workplace, responsible for monitoring traffic flows, research, training, and emergency response.

A theme of “the roadway” informed the design, showcasing raw materials such as aluminium, steel, concrete, and aggregate. The TOC combines advanced technology with flexible comfort. Expansive windows provide daylight and highway views, while glazed ground-floor walls buffer workstations equipped with ergonomic and climate-control features. Upper-level meeting spaces host training and staff gatherings in naturally lit settings.

The CETI incorporates research labs, high-density storage, garages, a wellness centre, break rooms, and a three-storey administration building. Entry pavilions rendered in green, grey, and charcoal zinc slats punctuate the composition. All buildings on the campus have green roofs, helping achieve LEED Silver certification.

This integrated campus strengthens Ontario’s transportation network by enhancing traffic control, road maintenance, and infrastructure planning, while bringing transparency, efficiency, and flexibility to the province’s transportation future.

“The only way you can meet the goals and desires of the client is to collaborate. Doing this achieves excellence and a level of expectations that serves the whole project team.” Sanja Djulepa, Principal