Official Fredericton, NB projects thread

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by BradMacD

Oooooh~
Thassa biggie.

edit-
Anyone know what the bananapants is going on with the Westmorland Street Bridge?!
A whole bunch of flashing lights and sirens and stuff and a massive traffic jam on both bridges...
Big accident?
Anyone hurt? D':

Hard to say.

What I'd like to know is why there were four police cars and a paddy-wagon parked out front of the Regent st. Blockbuster about a week ago.

[kirjtc2]

Both bridges had accidents last night.

Sometimes when there's a big jam I say crossing at Mactaquac would be quicker...it probably was last night.

[cl812]

City to break record
Published Friday November 28th, 2008

Growth | Economy strong but council remains wary
A1By
SHAWN BERRY
[email protected]


Enlarge Photo The Daily Gleaner/James West PhoCITY IS GROWING: Mayor Brad Woodside gives his state of the city address Thursday night. Development work has already exceeded $154 million this year, he said, shattering the previous record of $132 million that was set in 2006.

Fredericton is enjoying its best development year ever, but Mayor Brad Woodside says the city needs to be ready to face the challenges of global financial turmoil.

"Guess what, this year, by the time we finish, we're probably going to be somewhere around $155 million," Woodside said Thursday during his annual state of the city address.

It was a bright spot in a speech that put plenty of focus on the challenges Fredericton's economy is likely to face as many brace for a global economic crisis.

This is the third year in a row that development in the city has broken the $100-million mark.

Coun. Dan Keenan, who chairs the city's development committee, said the numbers are encouraging for Fredericton.

"It shows that there is great confidence in our economy. It's what we wanted to see. It shows a good, balanced mix between all the kinds of development we want to see in the city," said Keenan, who was unable to attend the address on account of traffic tie ups after a collision that closed the Westmorland Street Bridge.

But, as successful as the city has been in 2008, Woodside said he has little doubt that 2009 will rear its head with plenty of challenges.

"We have businesses in this city - believe me - that are going to be impacted in 2009. It's going to impact some people in this room. We have to be ready; we have to be prudent," he said.

As tough times loom, the mayor also appealed to the charitable side of Frederictonians to be prepared to help those in need.

"Now's not a time not to be giving.''

But Woodside said Fredericton has the know-how and the gusto to face those challenges head-on.

He said the city's population growth in the 2006 census was 6.2 per cent, while the national average was 5.8 per cent, and that the average age of a Frederictonian is 38 years, again better than the national average.

"We have to create the right kinds of jobs that will keep our young people here. I think we're on the right road," he said, pointing to information technology and other innovative sectors.

Fredericton has to keep attracting those jobs, he said.

"We cannot have young people leaving here, going down the road and telling us they are doing it because they cannot find work."

Woodside also made it clear city council isn't backing off building the Harvey * Grant Centre.

"This city, this council, is going to build the Harvey * Grant Centre," Woodside said, earning loud applause.

He made it clear council is anything but divided.

"We have some good people asking hard questions at the table.''

He also said he regretted the fact Coun. Mike O'Brien has taken some of the flack from critics worried the city is backpedalling.

Woodside said he was the one who thought it was prudent to ask what the city could afford.

"I don't want to be guy to say, 'The sky is falling, the sky is falling,' but you just have to look down to our neighbours in the United States to see what is going on there," he said.

Woodside made it clear there's no place but Fredericton that he would rather be.

"If I didn't live here, I'd move here," he said.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by cl812

The new costco will also have a gas bar and will be approx 139,000 sq ft (including gas bar, Store 136,000 sq ft + gas bar 3,000 sf ft)

Any word or your end when construction will begin? I hear rumours of May 2009 but nothing concrete yet.

[kirjtc2]

Does Fredericton need a third bridge?
Published Saturday November 29th, 2008
River | Thursday's traffic chaos shows need, councillors say
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
[email protected]

Two city councillors say the traffic turmoil that ensued after both of Fredericton's bridges were shut down Thursday night points to the growing need for a third span.

"Personally, I feel there is a need for another bridge," said Coun. Bruce Grandy, chairman of the city's transportation committee.

A third bridge would have come in handy Thursday night. Collisions on the city's two bridges left some motorists in snarled traffic for hours.

The city has identified the need for another bridge some time in the next 10-25 years.

"We have to keep discussing this. At some point we are going to need a third bridge," Grandy said.

He said the incidents cast a spotlight on the bridge situation and that tens of thousands of people use them every day to get from one side of the city to the other.

Fredericton, a city of 50,500, becomes a city of 85,000 during the workday. The vast majority of them use the Westmorland Street Bridge.

Coun. Mike O'Brien is among those who cross the bridge every day.

Thursday night's traffic woes highlight the benefits of a third bridge, he said.

While the city has a role in identifying the need for a bridge and possible locations for the structure, the decision to build one rests with the province.

"We would have responsibility for aligning roads to a bridge, but a bridge is 100 per cent a provincial responsibility," O'Brien said.

The city is revising the capital city traffic study. That will put the need for a new bridge into a current context, O'Brien said.

A section in Fredericton's 2007 municipal plan calls for the city to recognize the need for a third river crossing "to accommodate vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic."

O'Brien said the city is working to identify land upriver for a new crossing.

The crossing would be somewhere west of the city and would probably span at least one of the islands.

The bridge would connect Clements Drive in the Douglas ward and Woodstock Road near Springhill.

"The thinking so far is that it would be out there somewhere," said Murray Jamer, director of public works for the city.

No land has yet been bought for the project, Jamer said.

Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Holland said the province isn't looking at the possibility of a third bridge for Fredericton.

"There have been no active discussions. We are engaged in maintaining and modernizing existing infrastructure," he said.

Jamer said Thursday's traffic jams were unusual occurrences.

"That's fairly rare. While it was a major inconvenience, there are other pressing issues out there every day," he said.

Jamer suggested the top priorities would be an overpass linking the southbound lanes of Ring Road to Two Nations Crossing and reconfiguring the northside exits of the Princess Margaret Bridge, to name a few.

Police say the Westmorland Street Bridge collision that sent a man in his 20s to hospital involved three vehicles. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

McKenzie wouldn't offer any more details on the cause of the incident.

"The investigation continues," he said.

[cl812]

Originally Posted by Freddypop

Any word or your end when construction will begin? I hear rumours of May 2009 but nothing concrete yet.

Im not sure about a construction start, but i know they have initiated the work for the water course alteration permitts, so i would assume spring would be a likely start date.

[cl812]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

Does Fredericton need a third bridge?
Published Saturday November 29th, 2008
River | Thursday's traffic chaos shows need, councillors say
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
[email protected]

Two city councillors say the traffic turmoil that ensued after both of Fredericton's bridges were shut down Thursday night points to the growing need for a third span.

"Personally, I feel there is a need for another bridge," said Coun. Bruce Grandy, chairman of the city's transportation committee.

A third bridge would have come in handy Thursday night. Collisions on the city's two bridges left some motorists in snarled traffic for hours.

The city has identified the need for another bridge some time in the next 10-25 years.

"We have to keep discussing this. At some point we are going to need a third bridge," Grandy said.

He said the incidents cast a spotlight on the bridge situation and that tens of thousands of people use them every day to get from one side of the city to the other.

Fredericton, a city of 50,500, becomes a city of 85,000 during the workday. The vast majority of them use the Westmorland Street Bridge.

Coun. Mike O'Brien is among those who cross the bridge every day.

Thursday night's traffic woes highlight the benefits of a third bridge, he said.

While the city has a role in identifying the need for a bridge and possible locations for the structure, the decision to build one rests with the province.

"We would have responsibility for aligning roads to a bridge, but a bridge is 100 per cent a provincial responsibility," O'Brien said.

The city is revising the capital city traffic study. That will put the need for a new bridge into a current context, O'Brien said.

A section in Fredericton's 2007 municipal plan calls for the city to recognize the need for a third river crossing "to accommodate vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic."

O'Brien said the city is working to identify land upriver for a new crossing.

The crossing would be somewhere west of the city and would probably span at least one of the islands.

The bridge would connect Clements Drive in the Douglas ward and Woodstock Road near Springhill.

"The thinking so far is that it would be out there somewhere," said Murray Jamer, director of public works for the city.

No land has yet been bought for the project, Jamer said.

Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Holland said the province isn't looking at the possibility of a third bridge for Fredericton.

"There have been no active discussions. We are engaged in maintaining and modernizing existing infrastructure," he said.

Jamer said Thursday's traffic jams were unusual occurrences.

"That's fairly rare. While it was a major inconvenience, there are other pressing issues out there every day," he said.

Jamer suggested the top priorities would be an overpass linking the southbound lanes of Ring Road to Two Nations Crossing and reconfiguring the northside exits of the Princess Margaret Bridge, to name a few.

Police say the Westmorland Street Bridge collision that sent a man in his 20s to hospital involved three vehicles. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

McKenzie wouldn't offer any more details on the cause of the incident.

"The investigation continues," he said.

I find it hard to believe they are considering a third bridge in the near future. Traffic is not that bad, and the only time it is, is when there is an accident or the roads are slippery. I think it is ridiculous.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by cl812

I find it hard to believe they are considering a third bridge in the near future. Traffic is not that bad, and the only time it is, is when there is an accident or the roads are slippery. I think it is ridiculous.

Same here. There are 6 lanes of traffic going from the North to South sides. That should be more than enough for a city this size.

[cl812]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Same here. There are 6 lanes of traffic going from the North to South sides. That should be more than enough for a city this size.

could not agree more

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by cl812

could not agree more

I should add that Moncton only has seven. Riverview is much more of a bedroom community than the North Side is. You would think that traffic would be a lot worse because of that.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I should add that Moncton only has seven. Riverview is much more of a bedroom community than the North Side is. You would think that traffic would be a lot worse because of that.

Thats debateable, The North Side is mostly a bedroom community, not to the degree of Riverview...but close, only businesses there I can think of are some small offices along main, the Devon Lumber Mill, a few car repair shops and retail...not much different in Riverview. In Moncton with the new bridge being 4 lanes, and the causeway being 70km/h (most people go 80) and the lack of a light at the end of the it, keeps things moving better in I find. Before the new bridge though it was INSANE trying to get across the old bridge duing the morning or 5:00 pm traffic.

I think Freddy could consider adding a lane to Westmorland or something before building a whole new bridge, if thats possible...I got into an accident on there a year or so back in November (as a passenger) and it really slowed down traffic a lot.

Or perhaps junk the Princess Margret and make a new 4 lane bridge there, and better connect it to the North Side...that bridge has seen better days.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by cl812

I find it hard to believe they are considering a third bridge in the near future. Traffic is not that bad, and the only time it is, is when there is an accident or the roads are slippery. I think it is ridiculous.

I think there needs to be a broader look at this issue. I like the idea that the city is placing the idea of a new bridge on the radar now because finding the $$ and commitment from the provice and the feds will take a serious amount of time. I think this is in keeping with the 10-25 year range as mentioned in the news piece. The Westmorland Street Bridge should never have been built where it is. You move traffic at 70-90 km/h just to put them downtown. A new bridge further west should integrate nicely with the new Tran Canada and Vanier Highway creating much better traffic flow.

The Princess Maragaret is nearing the end of its pratical life so I would bet that we see a replacement for that sooner than the so called 3rd option. Especially in light of the fact that weight limitations have recently been placed on the PM.

[kirjtc2]

I think whatever traffic problems on the bridges in this city can be solved with just 2 improvements:

* a reversible lane on the Westmorland
* better connections from the Princess Margaret to the northside

That said, the Princess Margaret has started to outlive its usefulness - when it was built in the 1960s it was strictly a highway bridge, which explains the weird connection on the northside. When the new TCH was built and all that traffic was moved off of it, the dominant traffic movement from the north now comes from Riverside Dr and the highway 8 bypass, and it's all squeezed onto that tight ramp. That interchange desperately needs to be reconfigured.

[Lamespotting]

I finally got around to getting a good shot of the rendering.


One of these days, I'll remember to bring my real camera so I don't have to use the camera on the phone.

[Lamespotting]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

That said, the Princess Margaret has started to outlive its usefulness - when it was built in the 1960s it was strictly a highway bridge, which explains the weird connection on the northside. When the new TCH was built and all that traffic was moved off of it, the dominant traffic movement from the north now comes from Riverside Dr and the highway 8 bypass, and it's all squeezed onto that tight ramp. That interchange desperately needs to be reconfigured.

I think now would be a good time to just tear the whole bridge down and start over. It's structurally unsound (they have a weight limit on it now), only two lanes, and the access on both sides is difficult. They need to build a nice 4 or 6 lane cable-stayed bridge and have proper connections at each end.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by Lamespotting

I finally got around to getting a good shot of the rendering.


One of these days, I'll remember to bring my real camera so I don't have to use the camera on the phone.

Not too bad at all. I love the glass part in front, but it seems to suffer from the same "random window placement" problem as Monctons new courthouse inside the "yellow" parts. Good overall though, a fine addition to downtown...its filling a huge gap too, so even if it wasn't super nice, Id still be happy haha.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by stu_pendousmat2

Not too bad at all. I love the glass part in front, but it seems to suffer from the same "random window placement" problem as Monctons new courthouse inside the "yellow" parts. Good overall though, a fine addition to downtown...its filling a huge gap too, so even if it wasn't super nice, Id still be happy haha.

Must be the new style?

[BradMacD]

UNGH
That...
Disappointment XD
To me, at least.

It looks super 70's.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by BradMacD

UNGH
That...
Disappointment XD
To me, at least.

It looks super 70's.

So does most of Fredericton

jk

[BradMacD]

Ngh.
Which is exactly why this shouldn't.
hghjghjg.