Has anyone pass through Kicking Horse after the month long closure?
Does it look much different? |
I have seen some pictures. Apparently the other set of lanes is taking shape in some places.
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Most of the widening is happening off the edge of the cliff with new retaining walls or viaducts. There's just a few spots where they would've blasted into the mountain to widen the highway that way.
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The Facebook site is really nice. The project team is doing an excellent job of capturing the work as they progress. |
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I didn’t know it was just named “kicking horse canyon phase 4”. I searched for the name of the contractor to no avail. |
Drove out to Vancouver Island from Calgary & back - here are some of my observations & comments regarding the TCH in BC:
- Seems the most recent 4-laned sections do not include median barriers, this is concerning. One section had upright reflectors in the median (but no barrier) - WTF ? - The main intersection in Revelstoke is a joke and an accident waiting to happen. Looks like a traffic circle was built to try and improve things rather than doing it properly with an interchange. - BC highway standards appear to have deteriorated over time. Older twinned sections include a grass median where possible and concrete barriers where a median is not possible (the Coquihalla for example). Later twinned sections eliminated grass medians but have concrete barriers. And as mentioned, some of the most recent sections have no barrier. - Also, newer twinned sections do not include a 3rd lane for trucks to use as a climbing lane on steep grades. - The TCH east of Vancouver needs to be expanded from the current 2 lanes each direction as it's been like that since at least the 1970s. 3 lanes each direction out to Chilliwack would be nice. - It seems 4-laning west of Golden for about 45kms would be pretty simple and inexpensive (by BC standards). Wish they would tackle this low hanging fruit and get a decent chunk done at once. - I can confirm a traffic signal has been added to the TCH at Field. Unfortunate that we're still adding lights to the TCH. :( On the Island: - Was surprised the TCH entering Victoria from the north reduces from 4 lanes to 3 (or 2) lanes. I thought the highway would get wider (not narrower) entering the largest city on the island. - The rest of the TCH between Victoria & Nanaimo (as far as I went) was 4 lanes but was littered with traffic lights (a very BCey thing to do). My intent is not to pick on BC. I really wish national highways were a much higher priority for the Federal Government. IMO the Feds should be developing minimum standards for a system of TC Highways and dictating those standards as well as footing 90% of the bill for upgrading these highways. I think the best I can hope for before I leave this life is for a TCH in BC that is continuously 4-laned from the west to Salmon Arm, and from the east to the Glacier Park east boundary. That would leave from Salmon Arm to the east Glacier Park boundary to 4-lane. I think an alternate route will need to be found for the 3-Valley Gap section. Anyway - this has all been discussed before, just had to vent - thanks all. :cheers: |
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An new alignment for TCH has been discussed for between Revelstoke to Craigellachie which is likely why there have been no desire to spend beyond the bare minimum on that stretch including that intersection in Revelstoke. Oh there is a short 4 lane section on that stretch without median barriers as well. I think they treated it as concurrent passing lanes in both directions. The traffic light at Field is under Federal jurisdiction, I don't think we can trust the Feds to implement a standard for the national highway. :haha: |
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Just a few tidbits for your observations: 100% agree on the lack of median barriers, but I have heard that they are / will be added to most (all?) of the twinned portions. Aso agree on the need for more interchanges to be built as part of twinning projects (protected Ts are okay at the more rural / barely used local access points). I would also like to see at least the flat west of Golden section done a single large project. The TCH in the Valley from 216th street to Whatcom Road in Abbotsford will be expanded to 6 lanes (but they will be HOV lanes). This will also include rebuilding older overpasses and the 232nd and 264th interchanges (and likely the Sumas interchange as well). I believe phase one of this project starts this year or next. It will be two phases. Not much I can say about the #1 on the Island. Though I would rather see the 17 upgraded to freeway standards first. The Field traffic light is 100% the doing of the federal government. And yes, Canada’s lack of a true federal Highway program / system is head scratching to say the least. |
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Even upgrading to this minimum standard is going to take a lot longer than 20 years given the lack of attention to the TCH by governments. |
https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/aug...ast-of-golden/
Key part: No closure during August long weekend :D |
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My last trip through I noticed that they have been working on the Chase bypass, a new chain up area between Revy and Rogers pass including 4 lanes, started clearing for 4 laning at Quartz Creek, in addition to starting on phase 4 at Kicking Horse. That's a lot of money they are spending. Granted the traffic signal at Field is a step backwards, but I've yet to stop there in four trips though so far. (I blame the feds for this) |
Hey DoubleK,
You might find this site interesting: http://https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/highway1-kamloops-alberta |
In fact on the subject of TCH four laning they just announced another 4.3km today: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021TRAN0112-001414
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