However, following the 2003 Ontario general election, the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty shelved several highway proposals — including the Bradford Bypass — to the "beyond 2031" timeframe.

While the route is endorsed by the municipalities surrounding it and through which it passes, critics note that the EA is outdated and that the highway would result in induced demand and encourage further reliance on personal vehicle usage.

[16] The marsh crossing was opposed by the Sierra Club,[17] the Federation of Ontario Naturalists,[18] the Canadian Wildlife Service,[19] and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

[19] However, as a result of public opposition and due to the potential environmental impacts of crossing the marsh, Minister of Transportation Edward Fulton abruptly cancelled the project on April 21, 1986.

"[20] While this was applauded by environmental advocates,[19] it was opposed by several local politicians, as well as the York Region Federation of Agriculture, both of which began to petition the government to reverse the decision.

[25] The EA for the Bradford Bypass was completed in December 1997, with environmental studies noting that the proposed highway may contaminate groundwater and the Lake Simcoe watershed.

[6] Later that year on October 4, Minister of Transportation Norm Sterling announced that design work was progressing, with construction set to begin in 2006, with completion expected by 2010.

[36] Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty, who would go on to win the election, promised to tackle gridlock with a transit-oriented approach, pledging only "the removal of highway bottlenecks.

"[37] The McGuinty government passed the Places to Grow Act in 2005, which set forth consistent urban planning principles across the province for the following 25 years.

The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe was released in June of the following year as a framework for implementing the act,[38] which despite including the Highway 404 extension as far as Ravenshoe Road, did not show the Bradford Bypass.

[40] In late 2011, York Region and Simcoe County commenced the York-Simcoe Boundary Area Transportation Needs Study as a basis to advocate for the bypass.

[41] Despite this and studies conducted by the MTO, the provincial government did not change its stance in the five-year Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe in 2012.

However, the report also stated that alternatives such as building high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Highway 400 and improving local roads and interchanges could deliver similar benefits with less environmental impact.

[10] On August 15, 2019, Minister of Transportation and MPP for York—Simcoe, Caroline Mulroney, announced that planning for the Bradford Bypass would resume after years of being shelved.

[needs update][47] In October 2021, a Toronto Star investigation into the Bypass found that the proposed modification to the route would remove it from a golf course jointly owned by the father of MPP Stan Cho, associate minister of transportation.

[75][76] Claimed benefits of the bypass would include removing through traffic from nearby rural roads and urban areas,[77][72] reduced congestion, improved air quality, and the potential revitalisation of downtown Bradford.

[69] In addition to increasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, opponents claim the highway would disrupt woodlands, provincially significant wetlands, the Lake Simcoe watershed, wildlife habitats and species at risk.

[49] They have also criticised the 32 year timeframe since the need for and alternatives to the project were last assessed, the changes in circumstances since then, the potential for urban sprawl along the highway, and a claim that the bypass would save drivers only "60 to 80 seconds" of journey time.

[54][49] Archaeologists, historians, and Indigenous groups are also concerned about the threat the bypass would pose to the Lower Landing, a nationally significant historic site thought to be located along the proposed route.

[82] Indigenous groups and heritage advocates are concerned that construction of the proposed bypass would irreversibly destroy the site before it can be properly investigated.