SkyscraperPage Forum

SkyscraperPage Forum (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/index.php)
-   Alberta & British Columbia (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=127)
-   -   BC Highway Construction (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187593)

craneSpotter Feb 14, 2011 5:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingray2004 (Post 5113162)
Yeah, Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 is certainly the next Victoria area priority. It was slated to be completed as part of the Island Highway project in the late 1990's but local public opposition at the time nixed that interchange.

Again, during the late 1980's, the then Socred government planned to convert the Pat Bay Highway into an expressway standard highway with upgrades of most existing intersections to interchanges.

BUT, it seems that the further west one goes in BC (read Van Isle), the more opposition to highway infrastructure one sees. ;)

Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 was indeed included in the original "TCH #1 Victoria Approaches" project. In fact so was a fly-over at Spencer Road. Both were fully designed with land in place and included in original drawings (I worked on it).

However it was not local opposition that nixed them. It was cost overruns on the Inland Island highway section Between Parksville and Campbell River. They (Highway Constructors Limited) needed to cover ~$70 million in cost overruns, so they cancelled Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 and the Spencer fly-over.

As for the Pat Bay HWY. I have seen plans (conceptual) more recent than the socred days that converts the Pat Bay into full freeway from the BCF Terminal @ Swartz Bay to Blanchard/Ravine Way at a cost of ~500 million. Sidney council even voted for, and approved, a full interchange at Beacon! This is rumoured to have a possibility of going after the gateway project is complete in the LM. LOL.

Stingray2004 Jul 10, 2011 11:19 PM

New Wildlife overpass on Highway 1 (Kicking Horse Canyon) east of Golden, B.C.:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/...67224546_z.jpg

Source: Flickr/TranBC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/...n/photostream/

Clearing and grubbing for new 4/5-lane divided Highway 97, 9-km alignment above Wood Lake between Winfield and Oyama:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/...aca4f39e_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6146/...cec32d75_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/...1f986a99_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/...11050588_z.jpg

Source: Flickr/TranBC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/page2/

bulliver Jul 11, 2011 4:02 AM

Cool! I didn't realize that this upgrade of Highway 97 was U/C yet.

Metro-One Jul 11, 2011 7:48 AM

:previous:Same here!

I just drove that stretch of highway on Thursday, and i was thinking to myself, "When are they going to start this project!"

Thanks for the picks stingray. :)

Also on Okanagan notes, the new 4 lane stretch north of Summerland is finally done, and boy is it nice! Same with the new 4 lane stretch of highway 33 going up black mountain.

bulliver Jul 12, 2011 2:37 AM

The Summerland to Greata Ranch bit was done before I left Penticton last fall.

Stingray2004 Aug 9, 2011 3:04 AM

Some more recent Hwy 97 clearing and grubbing pics between Winfield and Oyama:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/...548b507b_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/...850dc227_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/...4fcba6b5_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6205/...78bd3f73_z.jpg

Some pics of the new McTavish interchange, Hwy 17, Van Isle:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/...ce8ca3db_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/...19182fac_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/...70a81a90_z.jpg

Source Flickr/tranbc
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/page1/

Stingray2004 Sep 15, 2011 3:14 AM

Some June, 2011 aerials of the continued Hwy 1, Kicking Horse Canyon upgrades:


http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...UR_DSC9286.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...en_DSC9308.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...n__DSC9365.jpg

Some of the completed sections:

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...ho_DSC9443.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...up_DSC9453.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...il_DSC9478.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...rs_DSC9497.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...op_DSC9523.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...fe_DSC9531.jpg

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...op_DSC9518.jpg

Source: BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse..._june_2011.htm

renthefinn Sep 17, 2011 3:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingray2004 (Post 5411683)

Crap, that makes me want to make that drive again, forget the white knuckling in a blizzard on the old highway, this looks like a pleasant drive....

Metro-One Sep 17, 2011 6:02 AM

just drove it this Wednesday, it is a great stretch of road now, but boy there is a lot of work to be done from Golden to Kamloops! (there are signs all along the highway saying "4-lanning from Kamloops to BC Border program" every time you come close to a highway construction site.

There are a few 4-lane chunks outside of Revelstoke u/c now.

Once phase 4 of the Kicking Horse gets underway (when will that be?) it would be nice for the government to actually 4 lane a considerable chunk of the #1 at once (with interchanges).

I think the next upgrade should be a single project to make the #1 a continuos freeway from Kamloops to that 10km long 4 lane divided stretch outside of Sicamous.

Daguy Sep 18, 2011 8:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro-One (Post 5413958)
just drove it this Wednesday, it is a great stretch of road now, but boy there is a lot of work to be done from Golden to Kamloops! (there are signs all along the highway saying "4-lanning from Kamloops to BC Border program" every time you come close to a highway construction site.

There are a few 4-lane chunks outside of Revelstoke u/c now.

Once phase 4 of the Kicking Horse gets underway (when will that be?) it would be nice for the government to actually 4 lane a considerable chunk of the #1 at once (with interchanges).

I think the next upgrade should be a single project to make the #1 a continuos freeway from Kamloops to that 10km long 4 lane divided stretch outside of Sicamous.


Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon project is contingent on securing funding from the federal government and the province. It may be delivered in stages, as the cost estimate is over 600 million.

I completely agree that a freeway should be built from Kamloops to Malakwa. I am a little biased because I recently moved to Salmon Arm from Kamloops, and travel between the two very often.

The 4-lane section from Hilltop Rd to Balmoral in Blind Bay is basically completed: all four lanes are operational, but the construction speed limit of 80 km/hr remains and a little finishing work appears to continue. I'll try and take a few pictures the next time I head through.

Freewayization through Salmon Arm would be a real problem because the south side of the city has built up enough that a bypass may not be feasible or cost effective. There was a study years ago to build a 2km bridge across the Arm through Sunnybrae to east of Canoe*, which to me looks like a good idea, aside from the high cost, and the effect it would have on the local SA economy.


*( http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse..._mgmt_plan.pdf refer to page 28)

Stingray2004 Sep 18, 2011 8:43 PM

Yeah, not much was done to the original Hwy 1 between Kamloops and the AB border with the exception to the ~9km Malakwa twinning in 1984, extending the Coquihalla in Kamloops along Hwy 1 to Hwy 5 in 1987 and the twinning in east Kamloops during the late 1990's. But it now appears that the proverbial tap has been turned on and will stay on.

Phase 3 of the KHC project will have substantial completion later this year. So that makes twinning for 21 km of the 26 km KHC at a total cost of ~$300 million or ~$14 million/km. The project commenced circa 2002 so that's been ~9 years duration for the first 3 phases.

http://www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id46677

Phase 4 encompasses the last 5 km segment of the KHC at ~$630 million or ~$126 million/km - the most expensive segment of highway ever constructed in Canada - twin tunnels, 5 snow/rock sheds, and ~12 bridges/viaducts. It will be very cool upon completion and rival the Glenwood Canyon section of I-70 in Colorado.

Since this section is very costly and complex, I understand that it will be broken down into additional phased segments and could also take another 5 - 8 years. I suspect that one segment will be announced next year.

BTW, the rock wall at the top of this pic (before the highway bends around the corner) will be the future west tunnel portal entrance:

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...en_DSC9308.jpg

Parks Canada has also been working on the Banff National Park twinning of Hwy 1 since 1981 and that will also be substantially completed to the AB/BC border by late next year. I understand that Parks Canada also intends to continue twinning Hwy 1 into BC through Yoho NP, with a first 8 km segment toward Field, BC and eventually meet up with the KHC section of Hwy 1.

A few other projects are also under construction including the Clanwilliam and Donald bridges twinning projects between Revelstoke and Golden.

Finally, BC MoT seems to have worked out an arrangement with First Nations and the first phase of the ~$100 million Monte Creek - Pritchard - Hoffman's Bluff section has been put out to tender after sitting dormant since funding was announced in 2008.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/BCHighways/c...h%20Report.pdf

BTW, I would have preferred a new Hwy 1 corridor east of Pritchard through the Turtle Valley, which would have considerably shortened travel times. But alas, I suspect that the communities along the current alignment would have balked at some with the diversion of traffic.

As for the future bypass of Salmon Arm, with a new crossing of Shuswap Lake, that's still very long term - it was coined the "Ford Road to Canoe" section and a better routing diagram exists in the following .pdf file:

http://web.archive.org/web/200310060.../MikeBaker.pdf

lubicon Sep 19, 2011 6:04 PM

A bit of Catch 22 for B.C. The most dangerous stretches (and most in need of upgrades) are also the most expensive to do. Kicking Horse canyon, Roger's Pass etc. Compare that to the stretch west of Golden to where the highway starts cliombing to Roger's Pass. It is relatively flat and straight, following a river valley. It would be much easier, faster, and cheaper to make it 4 lane but I suppose the benefits are not as apparent. However it would allow motorists to make the most of this stretch of road an perhaps be less inclinded to make dangerous passes when they do get slowed down through the steeper sections of road.

ssiguy Sep 20, 2011 4:56 AM

I still am unsure of what the whole TCH project is about.
Are they 4 laning the route from Kamllops all the way to the Alberta border? If so is it going to be freeway?
I tried to find a map of BC that shoes 4 lane roads that aren't freeway but I couldn't. Everything is either shown as a freeway or just a standard red lined road.
Can someone tell me exactly what will be done and if the have a link to any more detailed highway map of BC? Thanks.

Stingray2004 Sep 23, 2011 1:03 AM

Some more recent pics of the Winfield to Oyama section of Hwy 97 north of Kelowna:

[Edited - Pics no longer seem available from the link]

stvfishy Oct 4, 2011 6:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingray2004 (Post 5415104)
Phase 4 encompasses the last 5 km segment of the KHC at ~$630 million or ~$126 million/km - the most expensive segment of highway ever constructed in Canada - twin tunnels, 5 snow/rock sheds, and ~12 bridges/viaducts.

Can anyone confirm the $630 million number?
I thought $630mil was for the tunnel option

The Surface Route option:
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse/khc_phase-4.htm
more specifically the Design Update:
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse...al-Yoho_Br.pdf
I thought was cheaper - I have $380mil on the brain from an earlier encarnation of the surface route design update webpage.

Wouldn't you get more bang for the buck using that money for
-the ~20km to the Columbia Crossing@Donald
-and then the ~27-28km up to the Glacier Park Boundary
-How much would be left over to go towards Cranbook(~250km) - should be enough to at least to get to Invemere?
-Highly unlikely to get enough to go to the AB border(~150km)...
-or go the other way through the Blaeberry Valley up to Howse Pass?
while the feds finish off the Yoho/Banff sections?

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications...rch%202005.pdf
P.7 Suggests the Trans-Canada Projects
-Kamloops-Revelstoke four laning plus
-Kicking Horse
+ other Bridges
would be done in 11-20 years(from 2005)

nname Oct 12, 2011 2:02 AM

The Donald Bridge website.. Didn't think it was there the last time I've checked...
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...nald/index.htm

The map.. Still seems to be a lot of intersections for such a small area..
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...ail_11by17.jpg

Metro-One Oct 13, 2011 3:39 AM

:previous:Hey thanks for the update. I drove past the new Donald Bridge being constructed last month.

Would be nice to see a real project on the #1 start, no more drawn out 2 to 4km phases. Would be great to see 50 km chunks or larger being twinned and upgraded to 100km h design standards in a single go.

nname Oct 13, 2011 5:59 AM

Better yet, twin large segments into a divided freeway standard... or at the very least, build proper accel/deaccel lane with RIRO access so they look like a proper exit... I was hoping that they use an interchange for the Donald Road intersection (with the road pass under the CPR overpass and RIRO on both sides to save cost), and connect the Cemetery Road with Douald Road with at-grade CPR crossing (not like the cemetery got so much traffic that it need a separate exit).

On the other hand, phase 1 of the twinning between Monte Creek and Pritchard began today (I still can't believe they have to break up a 10km twinning project on a flat land into multiple phases). This phase will twin the first 3km, with a completion date of fall 2012. The entire project will be done by.... approximately 2017....

Well, at least they're dividing this one, unlike the recent twinning of Hwy 97C and TCH near Sorrento area... (does the concrete median barrier really cost alot??)

Metro-One Oct 13, 2011 7:08 AM

:previous:Well, given the cost of building roads in BC i hope the goal is to have the #1 a full freeway, divided where possible, to Salmon Arm, and then from Salmon Arm to the Alberta border have it the 100km h design with barriers in place and as many interchanges as possible (a few local low volume non interchange access points in the rural areas are ok, they have them throughout the Prairies on their 4 lane highways).

But yeah, i cant believe they are breaking up 10km into multiple phases as well, i thought the 10km stretch was the first phase of a larger project...

I would love to have the intersections on the east side of Kamloops removed as well with frontage streets built (which already largely exist i believe)

stvfishy Oct 14, 2011 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nname (Post 5441378)
The Donald Bridge website.. Didn't think it was there the last time I've checked...
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...nald/index.htm

The map.. Still seems to be a lot of intersections for such a small area..
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...ail_11by17.jpg

OK, so the 3.5km includes the Truck Scale complex. Still unclear if it's 2 lanes on each side or 4 on the north(which appears to be what the plans suggest?) instead of the current one on each side?


All times are GMT. The time now is 4:28 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.