401 Interchanges

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by haljackey

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What I don't get is the city wants to ultimately make the VMP a freeway, but they're adding two new lights with this interchange 'upgrade'. That means they will have to reconfigure the thing again in the future to make it free flowing. Seems like a free-flow junction should have been made now.

The trumpet design that currently exists is free-flowing.

Just scrolling up and saw this, so thought I would comment. The city doesn't have any immediate plans for making it an expressway. I will be shocked if I ever see it in my lifetime (and I'm late 40's). It's more a wishlist type of thing, I think. Even if they do make it an expressway, I could see it being like Highbury, expressway to the north of the 401, with signal controlled exits.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Just scrolling up and saw this, so thought I would comment. The city doesn't have any immediate plans for making it an expressway. I will be shocked if I ever see it in my lifetime (and I'm late 40's). It's more a wishlist type of thing, I think. Even if they do make it an expressway, I could see it being like Highbury, expressway to the north of the 401, with signal controlled exits.

Which doesn't make sense...
How can one put lights on 2 roads where the speed limit on both is 100...

[MolsonExport]

every LFP article has this:

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Which doesn't make sense...
How can one put lights on 2 roads where the speed limit on both is 100...

Highbury has lights and 100 speed limit north of the lights. Speed limit drops coming to the lights. VMP would do the same if it ever became an expressway. Sure, the lights are annoying on Highbury, but the only other way to do it is a full cloverleaf and that's just asking for trouble with that much truck traffic trying to merge where the on and off ramps use the same piece of pavement. And flyover ramps cost way too much for the amount of traffic we have.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Highbury has lights and 100 speed limit north of the lights. Speed limit drops coming to the lights. VMP would do the same if it ever became an expressway. Sure, the lights are annoying on Highbury, but the only other way to do it is a full cloverleaf and that's just asking for trouble with that much truck traffic trying to merge where the on and off ramps use the same piece of pavement. And flyover ramps cost way too much for the amount of traffic we have.

A way to improve things a little bit is to have the 401 ramps begin before the intersections.

Here's an example of a parclo I made in SimCity 4 to demonstrate what I mean:


This would mean that Highbury southbound would be fully controlled-access if you are getting off at one of the 401 exits, and would change to signalized road south of it.

If you're on 401 EB and want to access Highbury SB, then you're still SOL pal, you've got a light.
-Same setup could have worked at the new VMP interchange.

[jammer139]

The opportunity to make the VMP a full expressway died decades ago when city hall at the time lead by Mayor Jane Bigelow said we don't want the city to grow. At that time the province was kicking in upto 90% of the costs of major highway projects. KW got their expressway built then.

To rebuild the VMP now as a full expressway would be massively expensive

London had a chance to also have the 402 routed to the east of London and across the north of the then city. If that route had been chosen all we would have needed is a west side north-south expressway to have a complete ring road around the city. Instead they routed the 402 west of the city and connected it to 401 in the south. We could have had a expressway called the 201 north south on the west side of London.

As usual lack of planning and vision ends up costing us all.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by haljackey

A way to improve things a little bit is to have the 401 ramps begin before the intersections.

Here's an example of a parclo I made in SimCity 4 to demonstrate what I mean:

This would mean that Highbury southbound would be fully controlled-access if you are getting off at one of the 401 exits, and would change to signalized road south of it.

If you're on 401 EB and want to access Highbury SB, then you're still SOL pal, you've got a light.
-Same setup could have worked at the new VMP interchange.

All you are doing is building more ramps and bridges. Might as well build a couple flyover ramps. Again, hugely expensive for the volume of traffic. When they do Highbury, they could do something similar in concept to what you drew, and what I have seen in the States.

Make the bridge 6 lanes wide, and straight through traffic would be the left 2 lanes in each direction, and still controlled by lights. The right lane in each direction would have a barrier (the ones I saw were just those skinny orange plastic poles mounted in the roadway, but for new construction it could be a barrier wall) and this lane would be the on ramps. So if you were on Highbury, you could still access both directions of the 401 without having to stop at a light. Doesn't help those making a left coming off the highway, and those going straight through still have a light, but at least more vehicles get through the light because the vehicles going to the on ramp on the other side of the bridge are removed from the equation. Especially important at an interchange like Highbury with lots of trucks.

It's a concept that could be adapted to T intersections, which I've also seen in the US. Imagine Commissioners and Adelaide, for example. First off, get rid of that stupid plaza entrance that gets it's own light. Then put a bypass lane on the right side of the eastbound lanes, so that traffic going straight through doesn't have to sit at a red while traffic turns left from Adelaide. Surprised the city hasn't done that for buses (Give them time I'm sure lol).

[kaiserLDN]

For the VMP/401 interchange I thought they should have had high mast lighting for this interchange. However I have not seen the interchange at night to judge how the lighting looks.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

For the VMP/401 interchange I thought they should have had high mast lighting for this interchange. However I have not seen the interchange at night to judge how the lighting looks.

I'm guessing that it's rural enough that it wasn't deemed necessary, although the same could be said for the 401 between Wellington and the 402.

Some of the 417 in a rural part of Ottawa has high mast as well. So who knows what the actual criteria are.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by jammer139

The opportunity to make the VMP a full expressway died decades ago when city hall at the time lead by Mayor Jane Bigelow said we don't want the city to grow. At that time the province was kicking in upto 90% of the costs of major highway projects. KW got their expressway built then.

To rebuild the VMP now as a full expressway would be massively expensive

London had a chance to also have the 402 routed to the east of London and across the north of the then city. If that route had been chosen all we would have needed is a west side north-south expressway to have a complete ring road around the city. Instead they routed the 402 west of the city and connected it to 401 in the south. We could have had a expressway called the 201 north south on the west side of London.

As usual lack of planning and vision ends up costing us all.

It's a shame, imagine where our city would be today if we got what Kitchener got.

I think what we need to do is take Highbury and Wonderland and convert them to freeways. I don't understand why anyone would want to live on these busy streets.

[kaiserLDN]

Even a ring road at the least.

[MrSlippery519]

Originally Posted by tyeman200

I think what we need to do is take Highbury and Wonderland and convert them to freeways. I don't understand why anyone would want to live on these busy streets.

Been saying it most of my life, the city should pick a side of Highbury (likely the east side) and buy up all the houses from Hamilton to Oxford and make it 3 lanes each way. It would be a ton of money but the potential would be huge for the city.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Originally Posted by MrSlippery519

Been saying it most of my life, the city should pick a side of Highbury (likely the east side) and buy up all the houses from Hamilton to Oxford and make it 3 lanes each way. It would be a ton of money but the potential would be huge for the city.

They should've done that instead of VMP a decade ago. Expropriated the property and made it a freeway to atleast Oxford if not further north. But alas London doesn't have the nerve do big things. Hell they can't even widening Wharncliffe because of 1 old complaining NIMBY, for a no brainer project.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

They should've done that instead of VMP a decade ago. Expropriated the property and made it a freeway to atleast Oxford if not further north. But alas London doesn't have the nerve do big things. Hell they can't even widening Wharncliffe because of 1 old complaining NIMBY, for a no brainer project.

It's cause we let the city be run by people who have no potential. I don't understand why we elect all these people who are basically on the verge of retiring. Could you imagine what London, Ontario, even Canada would be like, if we voted younger politicans in office (between 21 and 30 yrs of age)? I just think they have way more ambition to make stuff happen, than the people in there now probably doing city council cause they have nothing better to do with their lives. If you want progress, out with the old and in with the new!

Not to say any of you have ambition, but I feel most older adults don't care for change and want things to stay the same till they die.

[Djeffery]

Anne Marie was mid 30's when she was elected Mayor. Bud Polhill and Bernie McDonald aside, there was a wide representation of age ranges on council back then, although not as young as this council today is.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by tyeman200

It's a shame, imagine where our city would be today if we got what Kitchener got.

I think what we need to do is take Highbury and Wonderland and convert them to freeways. I don't understand why anyone would want to live on these busy streets.

Wonderland is saturated with retail, and could never be converted without an elevated highway, which is a non-starter. I think the city should consider VMP as a full freeway in the East, looping north somewhere around Medway, and down to the 402 somewhere near Lobo. it would bypass the populated areas, but allow quicker access to the North/West/East parts of the city, and define the long-term urban footprint of London.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Bud Polhill .

How the grinch stole taxpayer's money to pay for council tires.

[K85]

Spent the last 45 minutes trying to find anything regarding Colonel Talbot Road interchange, and the Highbury interchange / CNR bridge replacement, and designs and whatnot. Anyone know where to look for some plans? Got curious after reading this

http://www.lfpress.com/2018/02/02/mpp-je...pass-preferred-for-moving-farm-machinery

[Djeffery]

I've seen this map. Looks to me to be a huge increase in the cost of this project, I hope the farm traffic justifies it. Essentially, Glanworth Drive will turn north just east of the Crane yard, cross a new overpass and meet Colonel Talbot right near the Print and Sign Shop, and then cross over to a newly aligned Littlewood Rd. The old Littlewood will become a cul de sac west of Colonel Talbot. Tempo Rd will take the old Glanworth Rd alignment for the most part, but join Colonel Talbot a couple hundred feet south of it's current intersection, as will Burtwhistle Lane.

[K85]

so we're finally getting rid of the a-b exits... thank fuck