How so? How much is it really different from what came about?
- We have the 417/OR174 – which pretty much aligns with the one planned west-east highway. Their south-east branch of the 417 cuts through the Train Yards, while the one built takes a less direct route, dumping extra traffic on the road section just east of the Rideau River. On the western end, the 416 goes south, parallel to the proposed Richmond Road-turned-highway.
- The west-end bridge would already be there, instead of being a political football (that keeps getting punted into the future).
- There would be a purpose-built highway from Confederation Heights across Lemieux Island that would remove a lot of traffic from crossing the Ottawa River closer to downtown – including off-loading traffic from Bronson Avenue – and it makes better connections to highways in Gatineau.
- There would already be an east-end crossing of the Ottawa River – albeit, a bit further east than the new plan.
If it had been implemented, there would be better north-south movement, but still only one major west-east highway.
- I do prefer having the Portage Bridge (which is not in that old plan) and an expanded Boulevard Maisonneuve rather than enlarging the Chaudière Bridge and destroying Rue Eddy.
- And I prefer having the large Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, as opposed to enlarging the Alexandra Bridge – although the M-C Bridge should have been properly connected to the Vanier Parkway.
Making sure that there are enough large conduits to move traffic quickly and easily is a requirement for a city. Putting those major roadways where they are useful yet minimizing interference of city life is what planning should be all about.
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