Highway 102 - Larry Uteck Boulevard Interchange | Completed
 

THis has been in the works for awhile now but it looks like they are starting to move on it;

Councillors Encourage Residents to attend Public Consultation for Interchange at Larry Uteck Boulevard

(Tuesday, December 2, 2008) A public consultation session for a new interchange on Highway 102 (Bicentennial Highway) at Larry Uteck Boulevard, between Kearney Lake Road (Exit 2) and Hammonds Plains Road (Exit 3) is being held December 3, 2008, at 6:00 pm at the Beaubassin School.

The Larry Uteck Interchange is a critical piece of transportation infrastructure which is needed to meet the outcomes of the HRM Regional Plan. It will provide an additional access/egress in Bedford South and Royale Hemlock Estates developments. The interchange will also help reduce congestion on the Bedford Highway and allow for an additional access to/from Highway 102 for motorists traveling this 100 series highway, as well as, the Bedford Highway.

"There has been a great deal of interest and concern about the growing congestion on Bedford Highway," says Councillor Debbie Hum, District 16, Rockingham-Wentworth. "This infrastructure is badly needed and will be greatly appreciated."

A recommended plan has been developed and will be presented at the session. Staff from the Province of Nova Scotia's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal and the Halifax Regional Municipality will be available to answer questions.

Tim Outhit, Councillor for District 21, Bedford, adds, "We are strongly encouraging people to attend this session. By working together, we can find solutions that will serve all of us well into the future."

When: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Where: Beaubassin School, 54 Larry Uteck Boulevard, Halifax

Doors open at 6:00 pm, presentation at 6:30 pm and an informal open house from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

About time.

Anyone heard when they plan to fix/upgrade the fairview overpass?

I heard someone (Gloria McCluskey maybe?) within the last week or two say that it was scheduled for next year.

One hopes it isn't just a replacement of the existing structure but instead addresses things like the hairpin turn exit onto Joe Howe which brings traffic to a stop during busy times. Of course, the logical solution would be an overhead ramp instead, but we all know that won't happen.

As to the 102 interchange, what really needs to be done is to stretch the highway to 3 lanes each way between Bayers Rd and the Kearney Lake Rd, and to build an interchange to Bayers Lake at the location of the Imax to fix the horrible ingress and egress to the BLIP.

The Bayers Lake Functional Plan calls for something along the lines of a new underpass near Empire and an overpass connecting to Ragged Lake with a half interchange i believe...

In 25 years or so with the massive growth off the 102 and the new 113 the Bi-Hi might start looking like the Circ by Woodland.

Theres a link to the Bayers Lake & Burnside Functional Plans in the Dartmouth Crossing thread if anytbody wants to see them.

Just heard a funding agreement with the fed has been approved for this project and it should be starting soon.

Planning for Bayers Lake was always a mess. I am guessing the idea for the other entrances was to tie them in with development on the other side of the 102, which is a problem since it is happening 15 years after the big box stores went in.

I guess the idea is to extend that little road that goes nowhere by the theatre under the 102 and then connect it to a completed Regency Park Drive.

Apparently there are also plans for more land to be opened up to the west of the current developed area, maybe by turning the curved part of Chain Lake Dr into an intersection. Maybe it will all connect to the Timberlea side.

As for the Larry Uteck interchange, yes, it's needed. At one point there was some debate over whether or not to allow more development in that area before it is completed. I'm not sure what the verdict was, although it's more fairly classic poor planning.

That is exactly what the Business Parks Functional Plan calls for.

They actually stopped all development to a limit of 2'000 units for Bedford South until this is funded. Its why the Ravines and Hemlock Ravine are not progressing quickly. Both have reached their limit.

The restrction also affects Bedford West and Southgate Village. For the latter they were actually banned from building any residences until the interchange was funded.

With the funding now approved construction in Bedford South should pick up rapidly. :)

Heres the article about the funding;

A $50-million boost
Province, feds pony up for paving, bridges
By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
Thu. Dec 18 - 5:35 AM

Paving projects and bridges will get the bulk of $50 million in federal and provincial funding announced Wednesday.

Much of the work has already been completed or is underway.

For example, paving and safety improvements on 100-series highways were done this summer and fall, upgrading Highway 4 from East Bay to Big Pond has started and is scheduled to be done next year, and three bridge projects are done, another is underway and set for completion next year, and another will be tendered in 2009.

Some of the money comes from the $25 million in infrastructure funding that Ottawa has allotted to each provinceannually until 2014.

The province matches that money, plus Halifax Regional Municipality is kicking in about $6 million for some projects in the municipality, including an interchange connecting Highway 102 to Larry Uteck Boulevard in Bedford and another new interchange on Highway 101 at Beaver Bank.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, on behalf of federal Infrastructure Minister John Baird, said investing in infrastructure helps the economy.

"Today’s infrastructure news is a testament to the Government of Canada’s commitment to help the province and Canada meet its pressing infrastructure needs and priorities," Mr. MacKay said at a Halifax news conference.The announcement came the day after Mr. Baird was in Halifax talking to provincial ministers and municipal leaders from Atlantic Canada about how to get more federal infrastructure cash flowing.

Many government leaders have said infrastructure spending would be an effective stimulus in the sagging economy.

Nova Scotia wants its connector roads to be eligible for federal funds.

South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy said Ottawa is not likely to approve a plan that would allow the province to spend national infrastructure money paving secondary roads.

"Our challenge . . . as the federal government is to roll out an infrastructure package that will be helpful to the province and (create) a long-term vision of Nova Scotia.

"The province’s challenge is to try to find the extra money that they need to cost-share this if we accelerate funding."

Mr. Baird was more like the Grinch than like Santa, said Halifax West Liberal MP Geoff Regan.

"The province, municipalities and other stakeholders were saying as late as yesterday that they need accelerated funding, that they need streamlined process and they’re looking for changes to allocation rules so they can deal with immediate infrastructure needs and have a positive impact on the economy.

"And what the government announced today were investments that only come into effect in 2011-2014, as I understand it. So it addresses nothing that Baird was told yesterday. It’s no way to respond to the crisis in the economy."

Provincial Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil said no one should be under the illusion that Wednesday’s announcement is about stimulating the economy because the projects were already in the works or done.

"Those commitments were made previously by this government and everyone expected those to be met. What we were looking for from Ottawa was this additional money which we would hear announced for some new projects, new ways to stimulate the economy of the province."

Other provincial projects include a Highway 111 Mount Hope interchange and a new weigh-in scale in Enfield. Some of the funding will also cover upgrades to the Cheticamp water utility and helping expand broadband coverage in the province.

Isn't the Mount Hope Interchange done anyways?

Also one thing the government should really look at is the Burnside Expressway its badly needed. Defenitely more the the 101 interchange which will ultimately just dump more cars onto the Magazine Hill.

Living in Bedford I'm on the Bi-Hi a lot and the last few times I've been through the area it looks like the forest has been cleared for the interchange. Also the Province has those purple road signs the love so much up and the road from Southgate Drive have been paved and now stretched beyond the horizon.

I'm thinking construction will be very soon. :tup:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3443/...9e5f94dd_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/...ed1a12a7_b.jpg

I just found a link showing the official plan for the Interchange layout.

10.1.1 Larry Uteck Interchange Design Fees Construction Agreement 2008-021 (489 Kb)

Construction expected May 2009. :)

Oh, so there's actually 4 rotaries in this area? That should be fun. :rolleyes:

What idiot thought that one up...

Yes and you guys are traffic engineering experts .:rolleyes:

In theory they are quite effective, but apparently Haligonian's have different driving tenancies than most people which baffle the local transportation engineers.

I was reading somewheres that in Moncton (I think) roundabouts are actually very dangerous because people stop to let others in. And as far as I can tell Haligonians are just like Monctonian drivers.

I think the traffic engineers just like to make confusing intersections with randomly ending lanes ... *cough* Windsor Street *cough* ;)

Haha yeah, I had a class where one of the heads of the traffic department taught a section. He said it's hard to use traffic modeling programs for Halifax because we don't react the same way the computer thinks we should. I don't think its a bad thing, we're more relaxed I'd say, I like it. It was funny I was doing a model for our project of re-designing the cogswell interchange, and on the program I was using, 2-3 cars would make the left turn on the amber. I was shocked when I saw that happening.

These seem like mini roundabouts for Larry Uteck, not full on Armdale rotaries, I think they could work.

Roundabouts work great if designed right. Halifax has the Armdale Roundabout which works well and a lot better than when it was a rotary and there a few others around the province. Moncton has never had one before or NB for that matter so in may not work as well there at first.

Moncton has two roundabouts actually. There's one near Champlain Place and one further downtown.

One thing I've noticed in a lot of highway plans for the province (NS) is there are a lot of roundabouts planned now. I believe at least one was constructed for part of the 101 widening recently.

I remember when my driving teacher first took me to Armdale I was scared silly because of the bad media the conversion got but I have to say now the Armdale is probably one of my favorite places to drive in town. Its really safe and quick. Just as a side not emy least favorite place to drive is Mumford Road.

Actually I don't believe those are roundabouts in Moncton they are rotaries I believe.