AB Highway Construction

[dmuzika]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Now that explains the lights, stop signs and interchanges on a "seemingly innocent" rural highway a bit north of Edmonton.

Highway 37 also predates Anthony Henday as a northern bypass. It probably still has its appeal for those who want to avoid "city driving ". As an aside, Highwsy 60 is a popular west Edmonton bypass and I have family who promote that route when going from Stony Plain/Spruce Grove to the airport and points south. Personally I think that route is now slower and prefer Anthony Henday.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Ps: This technically belongs in the AB Highway thread, but that traffic light on TCH & 100 Street NE right outside of Calgary's Ring Road is such an eyesore...

There's a master plan out there to convert everything between Chestermere and Calgary to interchanges on the Trans-Canada. I thought it would have happened sooner but I imagine other projects became a higher priority. The ring roads, Highway 63 twinning, and the Gaetz Avenue interchange on Highway 2 immediately come to mind.

Originally Posted by craner

^GGGRRRRR - don’t remind me Dengler, and the one just west of the Ring Road at 68th St. too.

This was supposed to be almost a guaranteed go-ahead project back when the NE leg of Stoney was being built. I don't know what happened there but for whatever reason the City backed out on building that interchange. It's going to be even more annoying once they take care of the TCH intersection at 19th Street.

Originally Posted by craner

So lets build a simple interchange and keep lights off the TCH.

How much is that worth to you? In the BC perspective, how much twinning of the TCH are you willing to pass up so one intersection is grade separated? If they have to further subdivide the Yoho Park twinning and drag out the completion another 10 years so you get a bridge at Field, is that okay? A simple interchange isn't cheap in a mountainous/constrained area.

In the grander scheme of things for the TCH in Alberta, I would love if they focused on bypasses for Strathmore and Medicine Hat first before thinking of building interchanges at the other signalized intersections.

[Apey]

Originally Posted by dmuzika

The Alberta government is looking to twin the Peace River bridge in the town of Peace River. I found this film that was done when the current highway bridge was opened in 1968. Previous to the present highway bridge, automobile traffic used the railway bridge, which is still in service.

• Video Link

Amazingly insightful video of yester year! Interesting to see how it was built to last back in those days! Thanks for posting the video!

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

In the grander scheme of things for the TCH in Alberta, I would love if they focused on bypasses for Strathmore and Medicine Hat first before thinking of building interchanges at the other signalized intersections.

I agree. They could cheaply get rid of a lot of grade intersections by just removing them though.

[craner]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

There's a master plan out there to convert everything between Chestermere and Calgary to interchanges on the Trans-Canada. I thought it would have happened sooner but I imagine other projects became a higher priority. The ring roads, Highway 63 twinning, and the Gaetz Avenue interchange on Highway 2 immediately come to mind.


This was supposed to be almost a guaranteed go-ahead project back when the NE leg of Stoney was being built. I don't know what happened there but for whatever reason the City backed out on building that interchange. It's going to be even more annoying once they take care of the TCH intersection at 19th Street.


How much is that worth to you? In the BC perspective, how much twinning of the TCH are you willing to pass up so one intersection is grade separated? If they have to further subdivide the Yoho Park twinning and drag out the completion another 10 years so you get a bridge at Field, is that okay? A simple interchange isn't cheap in a mountainous/constrained area.

In the grander scheme of things for the TCH in Alberta, I would love if they focused on bypasses for Strathmore and Medicine Hat first before thinking of building interchanges at the other signalized intersections.

I agree with your priorities but in the case of the twinning of the TCH through Yoho we are talking about adding a set of lights where none exist currently. I think any “upgrade” to the TCH should NOT involve adding lights.
I think Metro-One said it best in the Canada section:

I am okay with using a mix of interchanges and protected Ts, but no signals. As soon as an intersection needs a traffic light on the #1 then it needs to be an interchange.

They are proposing numerous wildlife underpasses and overpassed, some as wide as 60m, so you think they can construct one or two vehicle / pedestrian overpasses and underpasses along a 40km route...

Thanks for your info regarding the TCH east of Calgary to Strathmore - would be great if the Province & City could proceed with some of this in the near term but I am very doubtful.

[Dengler Avenue]

Don’t forget about the Crowsnest Highway: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/0...al-government/.

[Mazrim]

I agree that the goal should be avoid new signalized intersections at all costs. However, we all know that there isn't an endless supply of money available to do that. So it comes down to how long you wait for enough money to show up versus doing something sooner with less.

Wildlife over/under-passes are pretty much a standard feature now in any Parks project, so you can't get around that. Generally they're a lot cheaper than a road interchange, though. A wildlife overpass doesn't have to deal with vehicle traffic on top, and an underpass doesn't need as much clearance. You can use a lot more pre-cast stuff with them too.

If I were to guess, a wildlife crossing will cost $5-10 million, while a road overpass will cost $20-30 at the smallest and most simple configuration. Given how close the Field visitor center, gas station and bridge crossing the river into the town are to the highway, it would probably mean a lot of cutting and blasting into the hillside to fit an interchange there. To keep all the existing stuff I mentioned next to the highway, you'd have the TCH go over the cross road. There's been a few compact interchanges built that way in the Okanagan recently to give you an idea of the space they'd need.

[craner]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Don’t forget about the Crowsnest Highway: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/0...al-government/.

Nice !!

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Don’t forget about the Crowsnest Highway: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/0...al-government/.

I don't see this happening any time soon given the current state of the Province's finances.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by lubicon

I don't see this happening any time soon given the current state of the Province's finances.

Let’s be real here: Other than Calgary RR, which Kenney’s more or less forced to finish, nothing else will happen.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Let’s be real here: Other than Calgary RR, which Kenney’s more or less forced to finish, nothing else will happen.

The province could have easily delayed the last segment of the 201. Back when the PCs were in power they planned on waiting to 2024 to start the last leg. Then the NDP in late (?) 2018 the NDP out of the blue announced that they were going ahead with it. Not much had been done when the UCP came to power but they did not stop the project. So far that leg has moving along at a very fast pace. There's still one more major contract to be awarded in the spring but with all of the prework that's been done there's no question there will be no delays. The next budget is due on 2/27 so we'll find out then what's likely going to happen over the next three years. I think you're being overly pessimistic that nothing else will happen. AB isn't BC or MB!

[Dengler Avenue]

Here in Ontario, Ford has stalled quite a few projects (though he’s also going ahead with others). This is the source of my pessimism.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Don’t forget about the Crowsnest Highway: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/0...al-government/.

Love me some highway 3! Probably because Castlegar is on it lol.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Love me some highway 3! Probably because Castlegar is on it lol.

This technically belongs in the B.C. highway thread, but lowkey I want all of it in B.C. to have undivided 4 lanes. xD I've always found it amazing/interesting/intriguing that it's got that configuration from Hope to Sunshine Valley and once again from Manning Park to Eastgate. Having it 4 lanes (even if undivided) all the way from Medicine Hat to Hope will make it a good alternative to TCH.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Don’t forget about the Crowsnest Highway: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/0...al-government/.

There are "plans" for turning just about the entire network of major roads in Alberta into 8 or 10 lane freeways (on my phone now, but there is a whole website with everything detailed). However, as that article says, these are just planning studies and what gets built is a matter of priorities, and highway 3 rightfully should be way down the bottom of the list.

[Dengler Avenue]

I think it depends on which section. If trades with the states are still going strong, we really should consider bypassing Nanton, Claresholm, Fort McCleod and Lethbridge, where the latter two places are traversed by the Crowsnest Highway. It helps that the section in between has already been twinned so we only need to focus on the bypasses (and possibly grade separations).

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I think it depends on which section. If trades with the states are still going strong, we really should consider bypassing Nanton, Claresholm, Fort McCleod and Lethbridge, where the latter two places are traversed by the Crowsnest Highway. It helps that the section in between has already been twinned so we only need to focus on the bypasses (and possibly grade separations).

Actually, I agree, I was thinking more of the section west of Fort Macleod. The route from points north of Edmonton all the way down to the border should be a priority route.

If you haven't seen this website yet, prepare to spend a few hours...

https://www.transportation.alberta.c...cts/index.html

The website is a bit crap, click on a place on a map and a little box comes up. Click "text only version".

[Dengler Avenue]

Oh yea, that map hurts my eyes. I have seen something similar though, from the same website, which listed all the projects (planned and under construction).

North of Edmonton? Will we actually be able to link up and completely grade-separate the currently being twinned Ray Gibbon Drive to Highway 2 north of Saint Albert? Lol, it seems that the department of transportation has even made space for a flyover ramp from Anthony Henday Drive (eastbound) to Ray Gibbon Drive (northbound).

Also, we still haven’t figured out how to bring 4 lanes of Highway 63 to Edmonton...

[the.tru.albertan]

Proposed Howse Pass highway back in the news:
https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news...-b-c-proposed/

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by the.tru.albertan

Proposed Howse Pass highway back in the news:
https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news...-b-c-proposed/

Can't see this ever happening. Can you imaging the environmentalist backlash. Plus having to go through national parks will require yeas of review. look how long it takes to just upgrade the highways.