BC Highway Construction

[stvfishy]

Clanwilliam Bridge Replacement page added to "Trans-Canada Highway 1
- Kamloops to Golden Project" B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure page
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...liam/index.htm

[Stingray2004]

Some fresh construction pics of the new divided highway 97 alignment between Winfield and Oyama:







Source: Flickr/TranBC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/...th/6501717917/

[Metro-One]

Thanks for posting! Things are moving along there.

When complete you can go from metro-Vancouver to Vernon with no 2 lane highway stretches anymore.

[Calebb]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

Some fresh construction pics of the new divided highway 97 alignment between Winfield and Oyama:

Cool housing development up on the ridge there. Anyone know where they would be on google maps?

[bulliver]

Originally Posted by Calebb

Cool housing development up on the ridge there. Anyone know where they would be on google maps?

Guessing...but I think it is this: http://g.co/maps/d4rfk

The development has grown considerably since the last google maps update. You can see it better here: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/okanaganvall...infield-oyama/

Open the one called "Highway Design- South". It's centre right.

[craner]

^ Yeah - now we just need to be able to say that between Vancouver & Calgary, and Calgary & Vernon. Maybe in 30 years if we're lucky.

[nname]

Monte Creek to Pritchard map:

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje..._Lidar_Map.pdf

Warning: Long pdf...

I wonder if they're going to number the at-grade intersections like what they've done with Highway 17 and 19 on the island... If that's the case, Bostock Road would be exit 403 and Martin Prairie Road (Pritchard) would be exit 410...

[Metro-One]

Bostock road is fine being at grade, but why is Pritchard not being built as an interchange, especially with how the new highway is being built to bow outwards.

[Stingray2004]

Would have been nice if the entire section had a depressed grass median. Only two sections within have same. In addition, back in September, MoT agreed to a Hwy 1 overpass at Pritchard with on/off ramps:

Province agrees to Pritchard underpass
September 27, 2011

By Cam Fortems
Daily News Staff Reporter

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom committed Tuesday to building improvements at Pritchard that will allow residents to safely enter and cross the Trans-Canada Highway.

Ron Anderson, a village councillor from Chase, was one of a number of local politicians who met with Minister Blair Lekstrom at the Union of B.C. Municipalities annual meeting in Vancouver. The goal was to pressure the province to design safety improvements at Pritchard, as part of four-laning of the Trans-Canada Highway, so that residents no longer have to cross without an underpass or overpass.

"This will solve problems with people trying to get across the highway," said Anderson.

Pritchard residents warned four-laning the highway without provision for safe crossing will make an already unsafe situation worse.

http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/2...hard-underpass









Source: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...reek/index.htm

[nname]

The eastern section got a glass median because its actually split-grade.

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by nname

Monte Creek to Pritchard map:

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje..._Lidar_Map.pdf

Warning: Long pdf...

I wonder if they're going to number the at-grade intersections like what they've done with Highway 17 and 19 on the island... If that's the case, Bostock Road would be exit 403 and Martin Prairie Road (Pritchard) would be exit 410...

This is option 3, do you have links to the other options? which option did they go with?

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

This is option 3, do you have links to the other options? which option did they go with?

This is the only one posted on the ministry website so I'd assume it is the one they've selected. Does anyone know if the interchange at Pritchard is going to be built during phase 2 construction, or is it planned for a later date?

[Daguy]

It seems that design of Monte Creek to Pritchard Phase 2 has changed somewhat, as seen in the new maps posted in the "Open House Presentation" section of the webpage. (http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayproje...reek/index.htm)

Sheet 2 of 3 shows that the alignment is no longer split grade west of Pritchard, and now has a paved centre median like the rest of the alignment. Sheet 3 shows that the planned interchange is now part of the design. I guess that concerns expressed from locals were heard, and reducing the needed ROW will help control the increased costs of providing the interchange earlier.

I don't have a problem with the paved median, but it's rediculous that a median barrier is not being put in place right away. Increased capacity can't be the only priority of the ministry. Complete controlled access is not necessary along this segment, but dividing the highway to reduce the risk of head on collisions is a no brainer imo.

[go_leafs_go02]

The MOT is widening about 3.5km of Highway 3 approximately 15-20 km south of Princeton towards Manning Park.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/BCHighways/c...23159-0002.htm

Quite surprised by this, as I thought the Ministry had no plans to ever upgrade Highway 3 minus some safety improvements in a few of the tight corners and stuff.

[Daguy]

Wow I'm very surprised by this as well. I was one of the first to quickly shoot down any four laning on highway 3 for at least 20 years, so maybe the thought is the area needs passing lanes, so might as well four lane it. In any case more 4 lane highway is never a bad thing.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by Daguy

Wow I'm very surprised by this as well. I was one of the first to quickly shoot down any four laning on highway 3 for at least 20 years, so maybe the thought is the area needs passing lanes, so might as well four lane it. In any case more 4 lane highway is never a bad thing.

Yep - I travel the Hope-Princeton several times a year for recreational purposes, and never seen any traffic problems through there (and I do most travelling on summer holiday weekends)

It involves some minor realignment of the highway, and increasing the design speed and speed limit up to 100 km/h.

Wonder if they'll ever tackle any major bridge crossings over some creeks and rivers to remove some tight corners...

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

Yep - I travel the Hope-Princeton several times a year for recreational purposes, and never seen any traffic problems through there (and I do most travelling on summer holiday weekends)

It involves some minor realignment of the highway, and increasing the design speed and speed limit up to 100 km/h.

Wonder if they'll ever tackle any major bridge crossings over some creeks and rivers to remove some tight corners...

Yeah there are some spots that could definitely use realignment, but as for traffic I think the same. I drove through Manning Park during the summer a couple years ago and it was very quiet. The four lane sections seemed overkill, though they would have been built before the connector when it was the main route to Kelowna.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

The MOT is widening about 3.5km of Highway 3 approximately 15-20 km south of Princeton towards Manning Park.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/BCHighways/c...23159-0002.htm

Quite surprised by this, as I thought the Ministry had no plans to ever upgrade Highway 3 minus some safety improvements in a few of the tight corners and stuff.

That section looks like it's just west of the Princeton copper mine and isn't that expensive to upgrade to a 100 km/hr design standard.

The winding Whipsaw Creek section, further west of there, has been identified for major upgrades since as early as 1988. Again, last year, mayors representing 23 communities along Hwy 3 identified their highest priority to be a Hwy 3 realignment from Sunday Summit to Whipsaw Creek.

That section is highly substandard late 1940's engineering. And I've been stuck crawling behind a slow-moving tractor trailer there too oft to mention. To bring that up to a 100 km/hr design speed would require big, big bucks and numerous bridges as well as massive earthworks.

With so many other expensive priorities, I can't see that happening for a long, long time.

[Daguy]

I'm surprized there havn't been any new HWY 1 tenders for four laning announced this summer. After the government announced $200 million for HWY 97, I thought they would pretty quickly. I know that there have been problems dealing with the Niskonlith between Monte Creek and Chase, but there are plenty of other areas which could use immediate widening as well.

On a great note though paving has started today on Phase 1 of the Monte Creek to Pritchard 4 laning project:

http://wcs.pbaeng.com/projects/R2-Hwy1-Monte

I drive through every week so I'm excited!

[Yahoo]

Originally Posted by Daguy

I'm surprized there havn't been any new HWY 1 tenders for four laning announced this summer. After the government announced $200 million for HWY 97, I thought they would pretty quickly. I know that there have been problems dealing with the Niskonlith between Monte Creek and Chase, but there are plenty of other areas which could use immediate widening as well.

On a great note though paving has started today on Phase 1 of the Monte Creek to Pritchard 4 laning project:

http://wcs.pbaeng.com/projects/R2-Hwy1-Monte

I drive through every week so I'm excited!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets excited when new roads open.

It's pretty frustrating trying to find information about future projects or timelines for the #1 upgrade in BC. There seems to be no information.

With twinning something like 12km over 5 years it is hardly going to get that road twinned in our lifetimes. Or in the lifetime of a newborn! The road needs serious attention all the way from Kamloops to Alberta. The newest sections (and they're all way too short) just highlight how bad the current road is.

I always chuckle crossing the border and seeing the arrogant "Best place on earth" welcome to BC sign. The road in Banff is being doubled, yet the "best place" is a crumbling narrow 1 lane road. And unfortunately they're fixing the narrow bridges in Yoho park - which is a pretty good indication there are no plans to actually twin the road like the BC government says they will. I mean - you don't fix an old bridge if you're going to replace it or if you're about to expand it.