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-   -   BC Highway Construction (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187593)

milomilo Jul 5, 2019 3:24 PM

Hyperbole much? They seem to spend plenty of time and money fixing the roads here, if I was to speculate the weather is more of a factor in claimed poor road conditions, not that I really see much evidence of them being worse than elsewhere. Some newly built roads do seem to take a few years of work before the bumps get settled out, which might be avoidable with different construction methods but I imagine a cost analysis has been made.

240glt Jul 5, 2019 3:28 PM

^ Roads in BC are generally in far better condition than in Alberta

milomilo Jul 5, 2019 3:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corndogger (Post 8624173)
Once AB got serious about Highway 63 to Fort Mac they started awarding contracts for long segments. No reason why B.C. and the feds couldn't do the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipper316 (Post 8624276)
Blah blah. How many times we gotta hear that excuse. Doesn't stop the rest of the world with similar geography to build freeways that make BC's look like goat's trails.

Name an example of other countries that have upgraded roads carrying similar volumes to the fairly light amount carried by the TCH, in similarly tough terrain. I doubt there is much.

I do agree that more money should be spent upgrading highway 1, but comparing it to the 63 is unfair also. The 63 is the main artery to the economic engine of Alberta, carrying large numbers of enormous peices of equipment. Keeping it as an undivided highway was not an option. Even still though, there still isn't divided highway all the way from Edmonton to fort Mac.

milomilo Jul 5, 2019 3:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt (Post 8624467)
^ roads in bc are generally in far better condition than in alberta

OK. Do you have any evidence of numbers on maintenance costs?

240glt Jul 5, 2019 3:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milomilo (Post 8624469)
OK. Do you have any evidence of numbers on maintenance costs?

Nope. But I'm sure if you were so inclined you could dig up some data.

But I do know that I drive thousands of km's in BC every year on major highways from the Kootenays to the Okanagan to the Cariboo. Notwithstanding the lack of divided highways, the roads and road infrastructure in general are in much better shape in BC.

milomilo Jul 5, 2019 4:04 PM

I can't look it up right now, but just saying there could be many other factors than just 'alberta doesn't like taxes hence the roads are bad'. I've driven plenty too, while I wouldn't say the roads here are A+, they're not awful either especially given the harsh conditions and huge amount of roadway.

Dengler Avenue Jul 5, 2019 4:38 PM

https://www.thegoldenstar.net/news/k...sures-in-2020/

Oh yea don't forget... TCH to be possibly closed between West Portal and Parks Bridge next spring. Detour via 93 then 95 (and vice versa). Since 93 can get dangerous in the parks, stay safe. :)

240glt Jul 5, 2019 6:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue (Post 8624547)
https://www.thegoldenstar.net/news/k...sures-in-2020/

Oh yea don't forget... TCH to be possibly closed between West Portal and Parks Bridge next spring. Detour via 93 then 95 (and vice versa). Since 93 can get dangerous in the parks, stay safe. :)

That'll be a bloody nightmare. 93 is bad enough as it is, I can only imagine if all the TCH traffic is routed through there.

DoubleK Jul 5, 2019 6:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt (Post 8624474)

But I do know that I drive thousands of km's in BC every year on major highways from the Kootenays to the Okanagan to the Cariboo. Notwithstanding the lack of divided highways, the roads and road infrastructure in general are in much better shape in BC.

HWY 3 from the border to Sparwood was a frickin worn out goat trail until they fixed it a few years back.

BC is more recently through an investment cycle, particularly in the areas you mentioned, nothing more nothing less.

AB has been pouring money into the highway to Ft Mac and the ring roads. That's behind us. TCH and 16 will be next.

Airboy Jul 5, 2019 7:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleK (Post 8624722)
HWY 3 from the border to Sparwood was a frickin worn out goat trail until they fixed it a few years back.

BC is more recently through an investment cycle, particularly in the areas you mentioned, nothing more nothing less.

AB has been pouring money into the highway to Ft Mac and the ring roads. That's behind us. TCH and 16 will be next.

Lets get that last section of 16 done to JNP gates at least.

Corndogger Jul 5, 2019 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt (Post 8624467)
^ Roads in BC are generally in far better condition than in Alberta

LOL! You used this claim once before when attempting to defend the pathetic state of roads in B.C.

240glt Jul 5, 2019 10:41 PM

:shrug: it’s the truth though

Rollerstud98 Jul 6, 2019 12:33 AM

Roads in Quebec are the worst I’ve ever driven. Especially between Montreal and Sorel.

milomilo Jul 6, 2019 12:40 AM

Try driving a secondary highway in Saskatchewan if you really want to see what bad highways look like.

Corndogger Jul 6, 2019 1:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollerstud98 (Post 8624998)
Roads in Quebec are the worst I’ve ever driven. Especially between Montreal and Sorel.

Stats Canada started compiling info on national infrastructure in 2016 by asking provinces, municipalities, etc. to provide info on their roads, etc. The percentage of Quebec roads rated as "very poor" or "poor" is easily the worst in the nation. I believe the percentage is twice as high as the national average. Quebec blames it on 30+ years of corruption where they paid way too much for contracts b/c of kickbacks, bribes, etc. New Brunswick also rated their roads as being very bad.

What's most interesting is that Ontario and Alberta account for nearly 50% of the nations roads which make up about 25% of the nation's road network.

flipper316 Jul 6, 2019 6:11 AM

https://www.hopestandard.com/news/va...dy-for-winter/

flipper316 Jul 6, 2019 6:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milomilo (Post 8624468)
Name an example of other countries that have upgraded roads carrying similar volumes to the fairly light amount carried by the TCH, in similarly tough terrain. I doubt there is much.

I do agree that more money should be spent upgrading highway 1, but comparing it to the 63 is unfair also. The 63 is the main artery to the economic engine of Alberta, carrying large numbers of enormous peices of equipment. Keeping it as an undivided highway was not an option. Even still though, there still isn't divided highway all the way from Edmonton to fort Mac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNqcNH7ez4k

milomilo Jul 6, 2019 3:58 PM

And how do traffic volumes on that section of the I-70 compare to the TCH?

I don't disagree that we should invest money in the TCH, but the claims people make that every other country would have built a freeway through the mountains are not backed up with any empirical evidence. Primarily because there are few good comparisons.

Dengler Avenue Jul 6, 2019 4:06 PM

If anything, US might be the only reasonable (not necessary good) comparison simply because everywhere else that has freeways by or through mountains also has tax rates that are ridiculously high by North American standard. :shrug:

milomilo Jul 6, 2019 4:24 PM

It's more population density than taxes I would think. Imagine if Canada fewer road kms with the same budget, our roads would be better.

I was just looking at the E25 north of Genoa. Looks like an epic road, and it almost looks alien, like can you imagine a Canadian government ever commiting to build all that at once? But the return on investment there per vehicle km is probably much higher.


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