Highways in Canada - Page 13

flar · #**241** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 2:31 AM**

This isn't a highway, but it felt like I was pretty much right vertical the first time I drove on this road just outside Dundas, ON:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=hamilton&hl...79.889075&sspn=0.35563,0.615921&t=h&z=18

vid · #**242** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 2:36 AM**

In both of those cases you'd think they could find a way to make it less steep.

There are probably a few grades in Thunder Bay that are over 20%. I know some hills in downtown Port Arthur that poorly maintained cars simply cannot climb. In a couple cases, the second floor of one house is at the same height as the basement of its neighbour.

freeweed · #**243** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 2:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljackey

Here's the sign for the 18% grade on Highway 17:

http://maps.google.ca/?ll=45.743803,-77....Bi15umGAGn2iQ&cbp=12,210.34,,2,2.37&z=19

Wow. Not on the north shore, so I wouldn't have seen it. I do wonder if it's a typo - the road doesn't look anything close to 18% although Streetview isn't the best way to gauge that. I also was under the impression that 8% or thereabouts was the max allowed - maybe someone just added a "1" for fun?

I've driven a few in the 10-12% range, and they ain't fun. Anything steeper than that is generally a backwater gravel road with hairpin turns, etc.

freeweed · #**244** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 2:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

There are probably a few grades in Thunder Bay that are over 20%. I know some hills in downtown Port Arthur that poorly maintained cars simply cannot climb. In a couple cases, the second floor of one house is at the same height as the basement of its neighbour.

There are definitely *streets* at 20% and more. California has some that I swear are close to 40% (my usual comment is "wow, you sure can tell who doesn't get snow!!". Highways though - I've never seen a high speed route with anything close to 20%.

freeweed · #**245** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 2:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Unless there's fog or rain, how would the visibility after dark be any different on Highway 17 than anywhere else? It's dark. There isn't any light from buildings and it can be very lonely but, come on, this is Canada. I suppose that as we turn into an urban culture, and as people no longer grow up going on long family car trips across the country, the vast dark emptiness of much of Canada's open road is no longer as familiar as it once was.

The visibility might be the same, but the hazards are not (this is one way to tell a good driver from a careless one, by the way - smart drivers recognize that night hazards are not just about visibility).

Corners are much worse in the dark. Animals are much worse in the dark. Grade changes are much worse in the dark. Cars pulled not quite onto the shoulder are much worse in the dark. Reaction times for all of these are atrocious in the dark. Trust me, there are a lot more nighttime accidents (in terms of vehicle miles) on a narrow, winding road through moose country than there are in the middle of Saskatchewan where the road is straight and flat for 50km at a time.

eternallyme · #**246** Posted **Jun 23, 2011, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljackey

Here's the sign for the 18% grade on Highway 17:

http://maps.google.ca/?ll=45.743803,-77....Bi15umGAGn2iQ&cbp=12,210.34,,2,2.37&z=19

And here's a 18% grade sign for Highway 65:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8...gojxStyDf1x9OBPkGV8Q&cbp=12,18.61,,1,1.4

Crazy!

The Highway 17 one is definitely a typo. I travel that many times and that is nowhere near 18%. Maybe 7-8%.

Wharn · #**247** Posted **Jun 24, 2011, 1:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

There are definitely *streets* at 20% and more. California has some that I swear are close to 40% (my usual comment is "wow, you sure can tell who doesn't get snow!!". Highways though - I've never seen a high speed route with anything close to 20%.

Baldwin Street in New Zealand is between a 35% and a 38% grade, I believe, which is apparently the steepest residential street in the world. I'm sure the ones in California were not quite that steep. There are some streets in South Scarberia (Toronto) that seem to have grades approaching 20%. Given how difficult it is to clear snow from them in the winter, I could not imagine a King's Highway with an incline anywhere near that.

GORDBO · #**248** Posted **Jun 24, 2011, 5:45 AM**

In BC. most hills max out at 8%. On a stretch of any considerable distance, loaded semi's slow to a crawl. I can't imagine a loaded semi going up an 18% grade, Even if the length were short.

haljackey · #**249** Posted **Jun 25, 2011, 2:30 PM**

The 401/Hurontario overpass comes down today! The old structure allows 6 lanes to pass under while the new one will accommodate a road about 3x as wide.

Here's an interesting slideshow of the continuing construction:

• Video Link

Expect more news, pics and video to appear in the press once this relic comes crumbling down.

haljackey · #**250** Posted **Jun 27, 2011, 4:19 AM**

There she goes!

• Video Link

One last look before the demolition started:

(Via Urban Toronto: http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread....o-Reconstruction-Starts-Sept-2009/page10)

canadaonstrike · #**251** Posted **Jun 27, 2011, 4:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljackey

The 401/Hurontario overpass comes down today! The old structure allows 6 lanes to pass under while the new one will accommodate a road about 3x as wide.

Here's an interesting slideshow of the continuing construction:

• Video Link

Expect more news, pics and video to appear in the press once this relic comes crumbling down.

Can we has more — highway construction videos?

espalorius · #**252** Posted **Jun 27, 2011, 10:10 AM**

^^^we can has more, look on youtube, search "—, highway, mississauga" droool

haljackey · #**253** Posted **Jul 1, 2011, 1:52 PM**

Wikipedia's picture of the day: empty 401 during the Toronto Propane explosion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Evacuated_Highway_401_Color.jpg

You don't see that every day!

Dwils01 · #**254** Posted **Jul 1, 2011, 5:28 PM**

I remember that day. I was still living up in Northern Ontario and went to Mississauga with my parents to visit some friends.
We were suppose to go to the zoo that day but since the 401 was closed, we decided to reschedule for another day.

vid · #**255** Posted **Jul 1, 2011, 6:22 PM**

—, those buildings are hideous.

Metro-One · #**256** Posted **Jul 1, 2011, 9:11 PM**

What is that one car doing on there??? hehe, some nice open road!

haljackey · #**257** Posted **Jul 2, 2011, 8:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro-One

What is that one car doing on there??? hehe, some nice open road!

Yeah, I wish it was this empty all the time.

North Korea has roads like this.

Wharn · #**258** Posted **Jul 4, 2011, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

—, those buildings are hideous.

I sure hope you're referring to the brown low-rises. The ones at Bayview Village are actually quite tasteful as far as tower blocks go; I wish we had a few that looked like those in London. You have not seen hideous until you've seen the concrete jungle at Oxford and Wonderland.

Regardless, fantastic picture. If I was in that car, with no cops and no other vehicles, I'd be doing about 190 down the highway for sure

bulliver · #**259** Posted **Jul 4, 2011, 2:43 AM**

^ I assumed he was talking about the hideous buildings...those tacky towers in the upper middle left...

Wharn · #**260** Posted **Jul 4, 2011, 3:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulliver

^ I assumed he was talking about the hideous buildings...those tacky towers in the upper middle left...

Yeah those are the ones I'm talking about. I still like them better than commieblocks, which is what most new development in London seems to be.