Three stretches of the 400 series of highways have been chosen for pilot projects to test out 110 km/h maximum speed limits.

Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek announced Friday that Hwy. 402 between London and Sarnia, the QEW between St. Catharines and Hamilton, and Hwy. 417 from Ottawa/Gloucester to the Ontario/Quebec border will post the higher speed limits starting in mid-September.

The highway sections were chosen for the pilot project, in part, because of their ability to accommodate higher speeds, he said.

The Transportation Ministry is also looking at a fourth pilot project in Northern Ontario.

Yurek said he doesn’t believe the higher speed limits will encourage drivers to go even faster, noting the street-racing threshold will remain at 150 km/h.

The government also plans to launch provide-wide public consultations on speed limits that in combination with the data from the pilot project will guide it in making a final decision, he said.

“We’ll be engaging our enforcement and road safety partners every step of the way to ensure that our highways continue to be rates among the safest in North America,” Yurek said.

The government will continue to require that large trucks set their speed limiters at 105 km/h.