Ontario Highways - Page 8

sonysnob · #**141** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 1:23 AM**

^ There is always going to be some degree of partisanship when it comes to highway twinning. The truth is, there will always be more projects to spend money on then there is money to spend. The people who support twinning from Thunder Bay to Nipigon will correctly point out that it's the only road through that part of Canada, so it deserves to be twinned, while people who support road twinning in the Ottawa Valley will correctly point out that it's the busiest two-lane section of Highway 17 so it deserves to be twinned. Despite both arguments being correct, there may only be money to build one at a time...

Dengler Avenue · #**142** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 1:52 AM**

In BC, Highway 20 between Bala Coola and Anahim Lake was constructed by volunteers from the former: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit...bia_Highway_20. Should we let that happen again?

The idea sounds horrible, but I find it pretty realistic. “You want the highway twinned and grade-separated? Do it yourself! It must still be constructed to provincial standard, however.”

At the very least, people can no longer say that the provincial government is using their tax money for irrelevant things.

vid · #**143** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 3:06 AM**

The contractors here would never do that. They barely volunteer small amounts of material or labour for charity, let alone building a highway.

Dengler Avenue · #**144** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

The contractors here would never do that. They barely volunteer small amounts of material or labour for charity, let alone building a highway.

I didn't say volunteer. People that want the freeway real bad will need to get their own equipment. It will take a lot longer, but I think things like blasting rocks, building overpasses and paving can be done using primitive means.

sonysnob · #**145** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 12:41 AM**

Some photos of the recently twinned section of Trans Canada Highway between Red Rock and Nipigon. The eastbound lanes are finished, but construction is still ongoing on the westbound lanes.

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_1...ep18_24x16.jpg

sonysnob · #**146** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 12:42 AM**

Also, staying in Ontario, construction to widen the 400 through the Highway 9 interchange is nearing completion:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ep18_24x16.jpg

Dengler Avenue · #**147** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 12:55 AM**

Impressive photos of the new 4-lane section of Highway 11/17!

As for Highway 9, with traffic getting out of hand between Orangeville and Newmarket, does any one have any suggestion as to what to do?

My fantasy is this:
We should extend the 4-lane freeway section of Highway 7 around Guelph until where 410 merges onto Hurontario Street (also brand new segments). Meanwhile, east of Acton, the extension of 410 will branch north and bypass Orangeville on the west, merge onto 10 (which will be upgraded too), bypass Shelbourne (which will also carry Highway 89 and Highway 24) and finally merge onto 10.

Then, where 410 returns to 10 north of Orangeville, a new 4-lane freeway* (midpoint between 9 and 89) will branch off eastwards, interchange with 400 north of Bradford - West Guillimbury and continue as 400-404 connector. From there on, 404 extension will head towards Lindsay and probably tie into Highway 115 near Peterborough.

* It's an unpopular idea, but MTO can consider charging a toll of $1/daily usage to recuperate the cost.

(As a byproduct, this also joins the 2 discontiguous section of Highway 7. Obviously this would require renumbering the current Highway 7 between Markham and Brooklyn, however. Essentially, what I've been looking at is extending 402 from London to Madoc if not Ottawa, effectively octupling its length. What for? To potentially divert trucks from Highway 401 and open up area along Highway 7 for developments other than mines.

)

sonysnob · #**148** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 1:25 AM**

The current PC government has indicated that they will be re-evaluating the GTA West Highway proposal, that was first deemed warranted by an extensive EA and then subsequently cancelled by the previous Liberal government. That was a policy direction that I was pleased about.

Dengler Avenue · #**149** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 1:31 AM**

Catering to 905's, I see.

Dengler Avenue · #**150** Posted **Oct 10, 2018, 8:43 PM**

A curious question:
Northland passenger rail service between TO and Cochrane may be revived. If we are going to revive passenger rail throughout Ontario in general, does that mean we have twinned some of the highways (for example, 11 between Crown Hills and North Bay) for nothing?

I mean, if we’re going to reinstate passenger rail service, won’t it be redundant to widen some of the highways (i.e. 17, 69)?

Dengler Avenue · #**151** Posted **Oct 10, 2018, 8:57 PM**

Also OPP North East has reported numerous collisions with moose. Drive safe, folks.

Loco101 · #**152** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 1:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

A curious question:
Northland passenger rail service between TO and Cochrane may be revived. If we are going to revive passenger rail throughout Ontario in general, does that mean we have twinned some of the highways (for example, 11 between Crown Hills and North Bay) for nothing?

I mean, if we’re going to reinstate passenger rail service, won’t it be redundant to widen some of the highways (i.e. 17, 69)?

Passenger trains will take very little traffic away from our highways. I don't think that the Northland passenger service between Cochrane and Toronto will return. Especially when from somewhere like Timmins you would need a bus connection. We used to have rails with passenger service to Timmins but the ONR removed them. I'd rather see a return of NorOntair (which was a division of Ontario Northland) over train service. We already have the airports and the service used to serve many communities. I remember being able to take a plane from Timmins to Sault Ste. Marie and the plane would stop in Chapleau or Wawa if passengers needed to be picked up.

Dengler Avenue · #**153** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 1:25 AM**

Yea it’s sort of dumb that Timmins isn’t right on Highway 11. It could have made life so much easier.

sonysnob · #**154** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loco101

Passenger trains will take very little traffic away from our highways. I don't think that the Northland passenger service between Cochrane and Toronto will return. Especially when from somewhere like Timmins you would need a bus connection. We used to have rails with passenger service to Timmins but the ONR removed them. I'd rather see a return of NorOntair (which was a division of Ontario Northland) over train service. We already have the airports and the service used to serve many communities. I remember being able to take a plane from Timmins to Sault Ste. Marie and the plane would stop in Chapleau or Wawa if passengers needed to be picked up.

Does Bearskin not fly between Timmins and the Sault?

sonysnob · #**155** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:03 PM**

Highway 17 is closed near Wawa again. Actually, it appears that pretty much all of the highways south and east of Wawa are closed. Wawa got nearly 10 cm of rain yesterday, and the drainage systems surrounding the highway appeared to be ill equipped to handle that much water.

Check out the photos below:
https://wawa-news.com/index.php/2018...n-bay-washout/

Dengler Avenue · #**156** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:19 PM**

Highway 17 between Nipigon and SSM is truly a lost cause.

Has something like this happened to Highway 11 other than that sudden sinkhole near Temagami in early May?

sonysnob · #**157** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:38 PM**

The example that comes to mind first for Hwy 11 is the failure of the Latchford Bridge a few years ago.

Years ago I worked for an engineering company in Kitchener, and I remember one of the projects involved building a flood control structure and road embankment for a roadway improvement project in the southwestern portion of the city. The exact proposed pavement elevation was argued about for probably close to a year before we could finally move forward with the exact roadway design, because they were concerned about exactly how much water the roadway embankment would impound during a 100 year storm.

So much of northern Ontario is still wild and unsurveyed, that I can't imagine the highway designers really have a really definitive flow number of exactly how much water would need to be drained following a large storm. It must be really challenging to design an adequate drainage system for these roads because you don't really know exactly how large the drainage catchment area is.

BenTheGreat97 · #**158** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Does Bearskin not fly between Timmins and the Sault?

They fly From Timmins to Sault Ste. Marie via Sudbury.

Dengler Avenue · #**159** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 4:36 PM**

Essentially 2 air services from Timmins to SSM: one via 101 and 17S and the other via 144 and 17W (in terms of how a car will travel)?

Loco101 · #**160** Posted **Oct 12, 2018, 12:10 AM**

I also feel that Ontario Northland bus service should be throughout Northern Ontario and not just in the Northeast. Same for air service if it were ever to return. But back to highways....