Golden Ears Bridge | Completed

[crazyjoeda]

I think they should cancel the ferry, it will be a waste of tax dollars once the bridge is finished. Not to mention all the fuel they burn. For what???

[Metro-One]

Have you ever used the ferry, i guarantee it will still be busy after the bridge opens, which would save a lot of fuel in the fact that many cars would travel 30km or more less in some cases to reach their destinations. Please, people who have not spent time in Maple Ridge say it is not needed, because you don't understand, it would be like me saying the Knight St. Bridge is not needed. There are many better solutions than outright canceling the ferries,

Only one ferry could run

Tolls could be placed on the ferry

The cities of Maple Ridge and Ft. Langley could share the cost with the province

Etc...

Also what a waste of money to take down transportation infrastructure already in place.

Bottom line is in a growing region more links and varied links are better.

[mr.x]

Golden Ears Bridge: Electronic Tolling System
• Video Link

[officedweller]

Pics from the official Golden Ears Bridge website:

North Approach Oct 30, 2008


Other north side pics here:

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/media/photos.39.html

South Approach Oct 30, 2008


199A Ramp (extending out from right side to cross over main roadway) Oct 30, 2008




Other south side pics here:

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/media/photos.40.html

[SpongeG]

looks good

[crazyjoeda]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Have you ever used the ferry, i guarantee it will still be busy after the bridge opens.

I have used it many times I live in White Rock and have family in Maple Ridge. Busy or not it is a waste of tax payer money.

This looks like a roller coaster.

[officedweller]

My thoughts too. Wonder if you could fly off that bump in the distance?

[SpongeG]

looks like a rollercoaster

[nname]

Originally Posted by crazyjoeda

This looks like a roller coaster.

And this is what's after that roller coaster ride:

[SpongeG]

craZy

I guess they are trying to deter speeding

[Metro-One]

yes, because all divided highways should crawl along

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by nname

And this is what's after that roller coaster ride:

Yeah, it's unfortunate that BC MoT did not take the lead on the GEB project. The initial BC MoT study called for a "high speed" facility, IIRC. And BC MoT's standards would have been a minimum 90 km/hr design speed.

Unfortunately, Translink does not have much experience in designing a major highway connector and they went for something called "context sensitive design", which is not apropos in the industrial area of Port Kells, IMHO.

Typically traffic engineers call for "continuity" in design speed, otherwise traffic mishaps may happen.

Regarding the GEB, it has a design speed of 80 km/hr for the bridge (fine) but on the northern approaches that is reduced to 70 km/hr and on the southern approaches the design speed is 60 km/hr along the entire mainline (the above photo section).

I just can't see someone coming off Hwy 7 (with an 80 km/hr posted speed) in Maple Ridge, getting onto the northern approaches at a posted 70 km/hr, getting onto the bridge at a posted 80 km/hr and then heading toward Hwy 15 at a posted 60 km/hr. I'd bet that typical operating speed along that section will be a continuous 80 - 90 km/hr.

Silly and not very safe if you ask me.

As an aside, the above photo section would have standard 12-foot lanes as well as a wide paved median with a concrete median barrier under BC MoT design standards. In this case, it's just ~10 ft. lanes with a municipal road design.

Very shabby indeed. Doesn't mean that it can't be upgraded down the road though (if that will ever happen).

[Metro-One]

There is no reason that stretch could not be flat and straight

[SpongeG]

that pole looks to be in the way - they just had to build around it to avoid it

lol

the expense of moving a dumb old wood pole was too great

that must be it

[zivan56]

Ugh, I can only imagine the accidents that will cause. It's bad enough when people go 50 km/h and can't stay in their lane...now this at even faster speeds.

[officedweller]

Would it be upgraded as part of the South Fraser Perimeter Road?

The drawings for the areas west of the couplet look relatively straight:

http://goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/Barnston-unnamed%20creek%20area.pdf

http://goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/192%20Street%20north%20-%20Telegraph%20Trail.pdf

Very odd. Even the curbs are uneven in curvature, etc. in the pics.

[Metro-One]

99% of this project looks great, but that one stretch of road after the viaducts looks like it was built in a 3rd world country. 🞵🞵🞵 with that few hundred meter section.

[Stingray2004]

The SFPR will end at (continue along) Highway 15 although a spur will intersect the 60 km/hr posted GEB mainline at 96th Avenue, just east of the THC-1 underpass.

In a study undertaken on behalf of BC MoT in 1999, this tidbit was part of the conclusion on the GEB function:

Functionally, total probable traffic estimates indicate the need for a higher order facility. Within the context of the boundary conditions characterized by the TCH (Urban Freeway) and the Lougheed Highway (Urban Expressway/Arterial) the possible function of the additional Fraser River Crossing is framed.

Based on the anticipated travel demand characteristics and the boundary conditions, the desired role for an additional Fraser River Crossing should be for regional/provincial mobility (with emphasis on the regional aspect). The function of the additional Fraser River Crossing should be Urban Expressway.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/fraser_river_crossing_study/frc.htm

And expressway standard (no driveways, only access through interchanges/intersections as is the case with the GEB mainline) is typically 90 km/hr in BC MoT parlance.

The drawings for the environmental assessment process indicated 12 ft (3.7m) lanes would be utilized for the mainline albeit in a boulevard context. I've been at the mainline pic shown above and I can categorically state that those lanes are only ~10 footers. Similar to a municipal roadway in Surrey. Not appropriate for a higher standard regional connector.

http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/docu...325_bed779eb373f4bfca97afa56ac42a5ae.pdf

And here's a schematic for the proposed disconnected speed limit regime along the corridor connecting the 80 km/hr posted Hwy 7 and the 80 km/hr posted Hwy 15.

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/documents/geb_sl_map.pdf

Translink goofed big time on this project.

[Metro-One]

Now this house got the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 end of the deal!

Picture is from the bridge website. Anyways the majority of this project is tops in my books with all the use of viaducts and ramps (Maple Ridge has its first two interchanges) and i am sure this one section of curvy road could be replaced easily if needed.

[DKaz]

The road was designed to reduce trucker fatigue by keeping them on their toes.

This stretch of road doesn't look any worse than Griffiths Dr in Burnaby or United Blvd in Coquitlam which was designed as a regional truck route. It would've been better if they designed it to Mary Hill Bypass standards if they wanted to keep costs down.