:)

Is that the section around Albert Canyon/Canyon Hot Springs? If so there are two bridges that jump over Illecillewaet River. That would account for the hoopla and cost.

It seems much of the focus of construction from Kamloops to the Alberta border over the past 10 years has been focused on replacing many two lane bridges with 4 lane bridges. Arguably some of the most expensive sections to upgrade to 4 lanes outside of the Kicking Horse Canyon section.

Fixed link for Sunshine Coast
 

The BC Government announced that they will study a fixed link to the lower mainland from the Sunshine Coast!

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015TRAN0123-001542

Wow... can anyone say: "Waste of money"?

Perhaps. But one must look at the matter from a broader a cost-benefit perspective. The Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal is becoming congested. And the Langdale Ferry run to the Sunshine Coast is a major route outta HB.

What would future replacement ships cost for the Langdale run cost? Is the Langdale run a money loser? Would additional funds be required to expand the HB terminal to serve the Langdale run down the road? Etc. Etc.

What would the cost be for a land route in comparison to replace the Langdale run? And would a lower highway toll than the current ferry fare cover the annual interest costs/construction costs over its life cycle? Etc. Etc.

Having all of that information would signal whether the benefits outweigh the costs of a new highway.

Again. It's just a study. Likely still decades out before anything concrete happens.

Very good points Stingray2004. This is like the corridor/second crossing study happening in the Okanagan. A study, pre-engineering is 'cheap'.

Personally I think a fixed link will cause further traffic congestion on the mainland, change the way of living along the sunshine coast among other things. Build up not out is my opinion.

A link such as this will likely come with a hefty toll (as such structures always do in Europe and Asia as well) so that would retain some of the "distance" between the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland while giving the region a far more reliable and strong economic link.

It also creates the possibility (if built into the design) to have a proper rail connection in the future as well.
Not to mention what an amazing bike trip a structure such as this could become!

This black and white idea that "connectivity" = sprawl and "isolation" = good urban management is a phenomenon I have personally only largely seen in British Columbia. Such a mentality does not really exist elsewhere in the developed world on such a massive / paranoid level.

I don't understand this at all, where would this bridge even go? At it's shortest point near Furry Creek Howe Sound is still over 3KM wide, this would make any bridge here among the world's longest spans and likely immensely expensive. Not to mention you would have to drive all the way to Furry creek, then all the way back to Gibsons on the other side of Howe Sound. it probably wouldn't even save you time when compared to the ferry.

The other alternative, of bridging to Bowen then a road across Bowen then bridging to Keats island, then a road across Keats then another bridge to Gibsons would require another roughly 3KM span bridge (assuming you can't cross at the shortest point, Whytecliff Park) and a 2.2KM span bridge to Keats and a third 750M span crossing to Gibsons. Just for reference the body of water the Lions Gate crosses is only 450M.

And this is all to connect the Lower Mainland to how many people? 50,000?

I don't understand why you even need a study. It's a non starter.

↑ Exactly. Its not even 50 000 people either. Its closer to 30 000. Any money spent on this study is a waste (in my opinion), as the outcome is obvious. This is the biggest pipe dream.

four-laning between 74 and 76 Mile Houses Completed
 

Looks like this work has been completed:
http://www.naturalresource.ca/blog/p...r-now-complete
Smooth road for 32km uninterrupted.

Is it possible that a fixed link may not involve a significant water crossing? What if Hwy 101 was extended along Howe Sound to Squamish? There's also a group out of Powell River that is advocating a fixed link between Powell River and Hwy 99 between Squamish and Whistler, http://thirdcrossingsociety.com/.

Back from a week in the Cariboo to finish a few projects and shut down the cabin for the winter

The passing lane projects on 5 between Blue River and Valemount are still ongoing, but other that clear sailing on the BC side

Beware travelling into AB on 16 though, painful amount of road and bridge work in the park and a 60 km work zone between Hinton and Edson

Thanks I have to run out to Jasper for a meeting tomorrow. Its good to know about the Edson Hinton slowdown.

^ give yourself some extra time.. They are repaving almost the entire westbound section of 16 between Edson & Hinton. It's 80k the whole way with numerous stops. They are repaving the first 10k or so of the highway in the park, and both small bridges around the wildlife area are single lane

They are STILL doing that? I noticed the repaving two months ago...

Here are the three options for the McKenzie/Admirals and Highway 1 interchange in Victoria. Source: http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/inde...change/page-21

http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/uplo...1447709011.jpg

http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/uplo...1447709014.jpg

http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/uplo...1447709017.jpg

Cool, thanks for that! I say option 2 or 3.

Option 3!

Two is the most logical. So many cars queue up to make a left turn (facing the viewer of the renderings) off TCH onto McKenzie (right side of the image) that it needs to be a constant. Too many lights won't accomplish much.

Actually I was kinda hoping that a directional flyover would have been part of the plan. But better than nothing... esp. with an est. $85 million cost.