Trans Canada Highway Twinning: Segments U/C

[hipster duck]

In northwestern Ontario, I think the TCH should only be twinned to allow redundancy in case an incident closes a pair of lanes and there is no alternative route - where the TCH is literally the only paved road that connects two parts of the country.

So that would be the stretch between Thunder Bay and Nipigon (happening incrementally), and the stretch from where the 71 joins the 17 just east of Kenora to the MB border (happening very incrementally).

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by esquire

A lot of people think NWO is endless rocks and lakes but there are many stretches that would be a relative breeze to twin, like pretty much most of Vermillion Bay-Thunder Bay. The demand just isn't there, it's a lightly travelled rural road for those long stretches.

Originally Posted by hipster duck

In northwestern Ontario, I think the TCH should only be twinned to allow redundancy in case an incident closes a pair of lanes and there is no alternative route - where the TCH is literally the only paved road that connects two parts of the country.

So that would be the stretch between Thunder Bay and Nipigon (happening incrementally), and the stretch from where the 71 joins the 17 just east of Kenora to the MB border (happening very incrementally).

There’s also Sistonens Corners (JCT 102) and Shabaqua Corners. MTO does have the route planned out.
Also Dryden’s zoning map shows the route for TCH freeway bypass within its city limit.

And TCH between Kenora and Vermilion Bay can surely use some passing lanes here and there, at the very least. Some parts are too curvy for safe passing.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

And TCH between Kenora and Vermilion Bay can surely use some passing lanes here and there, at the very least. Some parts are too curvy for safe passing.

I drove that stretch for the first time in 1994 (going to Ottawa from MB for university) and most lately in Oct 2021. You can see a lot of the old highway segments that are now abandoned around that area that I probably drove on almost 30 years ago.

30 years? Man I am old.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by esquire

Sure, the feds are always there for improvements here and there. But that's a far cry from agreeing to fund the improvement of the entire TCH coast to coast to interstate standards.

In my view it's not even necessary. There are many stretches where it's just not that busy of a highway. The TCH through NWO and western Sask (among other places) is a sleepy road with not that much traffic.

I guess the question to be asked is what criteria will be used to justify twinning the TCH and other highways in Canada. If AADT is the sole criteria, then many highways would never be twinned. If safety, importance of the corridor, connecting to the US border, etc., then many highways should be twinned. NB-1 is an example of a highway described as "overbuilt" based on AADT. It connects NB's largest port (Saint John) to the TCH for points east and connects with the US border at St. Stephen/Calais to the eventual connection with an extended I-395.

The upgrade of TCH-104 in Nova Scotia between New Glasgow and Antigonish is another example. AADT-wise, the upgrade to a full four-lane freeway is not justified. However, given the importance of the corridor and the number of fatalities/accidents on that stretch, the NS government made the decision to upgrade and the next stage of upgrades start in 2024 for another 10km of twinning from the current end point of the freeway.

There are many lightly travelled Interstates in the US which from an AADT perspective should have never been twinned. I-95 in Maine north of Bangor to the Canadian border has minimal traffic (it was originally a two lane Interstate); as does I-29 in North Dakota from Grand Forks north to the border.

[MonctonRad]

NB-1 from SJ east to River Glade (where it connects with NB-2 (TCH) to Moncton) is appropriate. It connets the provinces two largest cities.

NB-1 westbound to the US border is absolutely overbuilt.

[davidivivid]

I've been regularly using the A85 for the last decade or so to visit the inlaws in Témiscouata and it's been quite interesting, from an engineering point of view, to see the transformation of the 185 into the very nice A85. Quite impressive worksites.




















































https://www.transports.gouv.qc.ca/fr...oroute-85.aspx

[harls]

Damn.

[Biff]

I am always amazed at the engineering and construction behind big highway projects. Driving by this kind of stuff, I always ask myself "how do they even know what they are doing?"

Obviously it looks very scarring on the land right now, but in 5-10 years it will un-doubtedly be a very pretty (safer) drive.


...amazing comparison pictures by the way.

[MonctonRad]

The existing portions of the A-85 are amazing to drive on. This and the bypass around Edmundston (NB-2) makes for one of the most interesting portions of the entire TCH to drive.

[Dengler Avenue]

TCH at Edmundston felt more like a thruway. Why else is the speed limit only 100 kph?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

TCH at Edmundston felt more like a thruway. Why else is the speed limit only 100 kph?

It is kinda a thruway. But, that helps make it kinda unique. Degelis on the A-85 is sort of like a thruway too.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It is kinda a thruway. But, that helps make it kinda unique. Degelis on the A-85 is sort of like a thruway too.

Yea A-85 through MRC Témiscouata definitely feels like a thruway. It’s built very differently from A-50 along Ottawa River which is sandwiched between mountains and farm fields.

[Dengler Avenue]

Meanwhile, I came across a geotechnical report about TCH in Interior B.C.: https://www.kickinghorsecanyon.ca/ap...Pages-1998.pdf

[craner]

Awesome update on A85 - Thanks for posting all those photos.
Looks great.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

TCH at Edmundston felt more like a thruway. Why else is the speed limit only 100 kph?

Blame it on how close it is to Quebec and needing to drop the speed.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Blame it on how close it is to Quebec and needing to drop the speed.

Actually, New Brunswick does it differently than Ontario on this front.
In Ontario, the speed limit on Highway 417 drops from 110 kph to 100 kph near the border.
In New Brunswick, TCH is posted at 110 kph northwest of Edmundston all the way to the border, even though that stretch is as short as 8 KM.

[ScreamingViking]

Do other provinces build wildlife "overpasses" or underpasses? This has become something Ontario has begun to do... I believe there is at least one on an expanded section of Hwy 69 (slash future Hwy 400)

Just wondered, when looking at those Quebec expansion photos.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Do other provinces build wildlife "overpasses" or underpasses? This has become something Ontario has begun to do... I believe there is at least one on an expanded section of Hwy 69 (slash future Hwy 400)

Just wondered, when looking at those Quebec expansion photos.

Alberta and B.C. have them in Parks Canada jurisdiction too.

[craner]

^There is a wildlife overpass being constructed over the TCH east of Canmore (i.e. not in the NP). There are also numerous underpasses east of Banff as well.

[Loco101]

Thanks davidivivid for posting those photos!! The progress for the A-85 is quite incredible!