[St. John's] Transport development (Highways, Airport, and Public Transit)

[colinpeddle]

Miles posted the fogo island link idea on Reddit first about three weeks ago.

Good discussion in the post.

https://reddit.com/r/newfoundland/co...roblem_with_a/

[jjavman]

https://vocm.com/2020/09/25/101600/

[statbass]

Westjet is really taking a hit during the pandemic. Westjet are indefinitely suspending their service in Atlantic Canada by 80%. I wonder if this may present an opportunity for PAL to fill in a gap here. PAL have been bucking the trend in the airline industry as of late, e.g. the new Moncton service. It'll be interesting to see.

https://vocm.com/2020/10/14/103522/

[Offshore1]

Just drove through this new roundabout yesterday. It's all fully paved, but access to Hebron Way was blocked by barricades. There was a truck beyond the barricade - unsure of what they were doing, but it from that end it looked complete so it should be open soon.

[jjavman]

https://vocm.com/2020/11/07/pitts-me...mer-worksites/

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by Offshore1

Just drove through this new roundabout yesterday. It's all fully paved, but access to Hebron Way was blocked by barricades. There was a truck beyond the barricade - unsure of what they were doing, but it from that end it looked complete so it should be open soon.

Announced open this morning!

https://vocm.com/2020/11/18/hebron-w...his-afternoon/

[jjavman]

Up and running in Halifax today

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ride-1.5825433

[jjavman]

https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundlan...nds-100607518/

[suvla85]

allnewfoundlandlabrador.com has a story that some guy and his Ottawa company are going to buy the Stephenville airport. Announcement to come this week.

[Johnny Engine]

A thought that went through my mind when I was out for a run on Sunday:

What is the current purpose of the Gushue overpass at Topsail Road next to Sobeys Square? As in, why did it have to get built to get that section of the highway open?

Like, I understand where the highway is intended to go from here, and that a bridge will be required to get traffic there, but right now all traffic getting on and off at Topsail road does so before the bridge.

The middle section of the Gushue Highway took over a decade to open after the first section, and as I understand it part of the reason was securing funding for bridge construction projects at Pennywell, Brier, Redmond's and Topsail Road. But what did the last one do towards making the middle section driveable that simply raising the highway bed and building a retaining wall on the North side of Topsail Road wouldn't? Are those things somehow inseparable from building an entire bridge?

Not an engineer or planner or anything like that at all, find it quite puzzling the more I look at it.

Edit: looking at it again on Google Maps, the retaining wall is over 170 metres from the last drivable part of the highway, so is that even necessary?

[Crisisnf]

Noticed a dumptruck at the top of Southlands Blvd this afternoon. Looks like they are finally working on the Galway exit.

[Arrakis]

I was up i that area yesterday checking things out. There’s a bunch of construction equipment at the point where Great Southern Drive ends. That’s the road that goes up along side the Orange Store/Dairy Queen. The new homes up being constructed up there at the end of the street are nice and selling pretty quickly from the look of the sold signs so they are getting ready to extend Great Southern Drive some more to build more homes as demand increases. You can see the water lines sticking up on the cleared building lots. It’s Southlands Boulevard though that’s supposed to link up with Galway eventually. I wonder if Great Southern Drive will join up to relink with Southlands Boulevard when they eventually complete these streets? There was no equipment at the end of Southland Boulevard yesterday when I drive by but it looked like there was activity going on there. Would be good though if someone would connect the Boulevard to Galway and have another option to enter that area. The Ruth Avenue roundabout was backed up yesterday on the ramp right down to Pitts.

Originally Posted by Crisisnf

Noticed a dumptruck at the top of Southlands Blvd this afternoon. Looks like they are finally working on the Galway exit.

[wmemeadusjr]

Originally Posted by Arrakis

I was up i that area yesterday checking things out. There’s a bunch of construction equipment at the point where Great Southern Drive ends. That’s the road that goes up along side the Orange Store/Dairy Queen. The new homes up being constructed up there at the end of the street are nice and selling pretty quickly from the look of the sold signs so they are getting ready to extend Great Southern Drive some more to build more homes as demand increases. You can see the water lines sticking up on the cleared building lots. It’s Southlands Boulevard though that’s supposed to link up with Galway eventually. I wonder if Great Southern Drive will join up to relink with Southlands Boulevard when they eventually complete these streets? There was no equipment at the end of Southland Boulevard yesterday when I drive by but it looked like there was activity going on there. Would be good though if someone would connect the Boulevard to Galway and have another option to enter that area. The Ruth Avenue roundabout was backed up yesterday on the ramp right down to Pitts.

Great Southern Drive and Cheeseman Drive will converge together to form a 4-way intersection at Southlands Boulevard. Original plans called for traffic lights but that intersection and 2 or 3 more along the future section of Southland Boulevard will now feature roundabouts.

[jjavman]

Wonder can we get this crew for the next TCH culvert replacement?

Netherlands Tunnel in 1 weekend !

https://imgur.com/VQUwhTz

[KOliver]

Little update on the Team Gushue Highway. Particularly enjoy the part where Dave Aker complains about people from St. John's (Goulds) using Mount Pearl roads a shortcut home.

https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundlan...lls-100700902/

[Arrakis]

Good... perhaps if Mount Pearl keeps up complaining it might get some movement in decision making and in getting that damn highway completed. I’ve been in Mount Pearl on Park Avenue during the peak times in the afternoon drive home and it’s completely true. Park Ave and Smallwood Drive are bumper to bumper because everyone offloads from the Gushue Highway and heads right down Dunn’s Road/Park Ave/Smallwood Dr. to get to Commonwealth Ave, then onto the Gould’s Bypass.

Originally Posted by KOliver

Little update on the Team Gushue Highway. Particularly enjoy the part where Dave Aker complains about people from St. John's (Goulds) using Mount Pearl roads a shortcut home.

https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundlan...lls-100700902/

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by Arrakis

Good... perhaps if Mount Pearl keeps up complaining it might get some movement in decision making and in getting that damn highway completed. I’ve been in Mount Pearl on Park Avenue during the peak times in the afternoon drive home and it’s completely true. Park Ave and Smallwood Drive are bumper to bumper because everyone offloads from the Gushue Highway and heads right down Dunn’s Road/Park Ave/Smallwood Dr. to get to Commonwealth Ave, then onto the Gould’s Bypass.

Absolutely!

Lots of people in Mt. Pearl using it as well of course. The ironic thing was Randy Simms telling Andy Wells no one in Mt. Pearl would use it back during the snow plowing tiff.

The Highway has been bungled by every government since it was proposed 30 years ago. i.e. Letting a contract for lighting for the new section, without including the previous built section. Not to mention the long trip up or down Briar Ave. in pitch black darkness with no guardrail on either side!

[wmemeadusjr]

Originally Posted by jjavman

Absolutely!

Lots of people in Mt. Pearl using it as well of course. The ironic thing was Randy Simms telling Andy Wells no one in Mt. Pearl would use it back during the snow plowing tiff.

The Highway has been bungled by every government since it was proposed 30 years ago. i.e. Letting a contract for lighting for the new section, without including the previous built section. Not to mention the long trip up or down Briar Ave. in pitch black darkness with no guardrail on either side!

I live in Mount Pearl and use it several times daily. I don't know how any mayor, past or present, could say that the highway didn't benefit Mount Pearl.
I agree that more lighting is needed on the off ramps and access roads.

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by wmemeadusjr

I live in Mount Pearl and use it several times daily. I don't know how any mayor, past or present, could say that the highway didn't benefit Mount Pearl.
I agree that more lighting is needed on the off ramps and access roads.

[jjavman]

Does this mean the highway gets finished?

https://vocm.com/2022/03/14/gushue-brier-win/