Highways in Canada

[J-MAN]

Originally Posted by mbeaumont

At least going by Canada I don't have to worry about sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Thunder Bay or Kenora.

Except when a semi has collided with a car head on and the traffic is backed up real bad.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by vid

Yeah, but who wants to take an 1,100 trip up to Timmins on their way to Winnipeg? That is like a New Yorker saying "Let's top in Mexico City on our way to LA!"

Timmins isn't on highway 11......and highway 11 is about the same length as the shorter US route, and Shorter than the highway 17 route.

[vid]

Oh, that's right. No large cities exist on Highway 11 between North Bay and Thunder Bay.

Winnipeg to Toronto via US Interstate system: Approx. 24 hours
Winnipeg to Toronto via Ontario Highway 11: Approx. 28 hours
Winnipeg to Toronto via Ontario Highway 17: Approx. 27 hours

The knowledge that if your car breaks down you're 3 hours from a tow truck: Priceless.

Shorter physically doesn't count for much when the speed of traffic is disproportionately slow. It takes 24 hours to get to Toronto from Winnipeg via the Interstate. It takes 24 hours to get from Thunder Bay to North Bay via Highway 11. Interstates have services along them. Highway 11 has warning signs to let people know that between Longlac and Hearst, they're on their own.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

You're right... Windsor to Tilbury really is a luxury at six lanes. Really, they probably could have gotten away with just slapping a tall wall between the old existing lanes of the highway instead. But... (and I say this after having driven to Windsor from Toronto yesterday, and back to Toronto today), that the six lane stretch really breaks up the otherwise monotonous drive between Windsor and London.

Lets hope before 2020 they actually eight or ten lane the 401 between Milton and the 407.

I agree, it would have been reasonable there to just add a median barrier and leave it at 4 lanes (although with all the ramps designed to handle an easy upgrade to 6 lanes).

The general traffic counts for the 401 (approximate):

Quebec border to Cornwall - 20,000
Cornwall to Prescott - 18,000 (lowest)
Prescott to Kingston - 30,000
Kingston to Belleville - 37,000 (50,000 in Kingston)
Belleville to Trenton - 45,000
Trenton to Cobourg - 38,000
Cobourg to Bowmanville - 45,000

From there, it is over 100,000 all the way to Kitchener!

Kitchener to Woodstock - 50,000
Woodstock to London - 70,000
London to Chatham - 25,000
Chatham to Windsor - 28,000

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Andrewjm3D

Have you done the drives? There is so much more to look at south of the border through the midsection of the U.S along hwy 80,90, or even 94. The only truly flat and dull section of 94 would be through North Dakota. Everybody should do the Trans Canada at least once in their lifetime but for those that have done the drive several times dropping south through Detroit and going across the U.S gives you so many more options. Things to do, places to stay, eat, shop etc. The I-90 is worth it just to see The Devils Tower. Pictures don't do it any justice.

back at you.

Have you drove the Yellowhead from MB to Kamloops? Nothing dull there at all. time to volley!

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by mbeaumont

I really don't understand the fuss about going through the US. I drive back home to the Edmonton area every year, I've tried going by the US a few times but every time I always get stuck in some kind of traffic in Chicago or Minneapolis which makes me lose any time I would have gained going through that way anyway. At least going by Canada I don't have to worry about sitting in bumper to bumper traffic in Thunder Bay or Kenora. I much prefer going by my own country and supporting my own economy, and at the same time seeing new developments happening across the country at the same time. Yes, I agree some parts aren't too exciting, like Highway 17 around Ignace and Upsala, but other areas more than make up for it.

If you plan ahead like I do you can avoid the traffic by not hitting those areas during rush hour. Not to mention you can completely avoid those cities all together but as a skyscraper nerd it's tough to do that. Why drive an hour south of Chicago when you don't have to.

[jmt18325]

I prefer to drive through this country. Then, I don't have to worry about buying health insurance just to drive to another Canadian city.

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Have you drove the Yellowhead from MB to Kamloops? Nothing dull there at all. time to volley!

For the most part now I enter or exit Canada at SweetGrass Montana/Coutts Alberta tarveling up through Calgary to Kamloops, or Oroville Washignton / Osoyoos BC where I've taken a few different routes across to Vancouver. Once you've done the Trip one time from Southern Ontario around the great lakes and along that route you never really need to again. There really isn't much to look at between Winnepeg and Medicine Hat that makes it worthwhile trip to repeat .

But to answer your question, I've been on the Yellowhead but would never use it to get from point A-B unless I had time to kill. It's not really the best east west choice for anybody In B.C and eastern Canada to travel from one side of Canada to the other. Talk about going way off coarse to get from Toronto to Vancouver. Also last time I looked at a map Kamloops was nowhere near the Yellowhead trail. Have you driven it? Doesn't sound like it if you ended up in Kamloops.

It's all yours -

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

I prefer to drive through this country. Then, I don't have to worry about buying health insurance just to drive to another Canadian city.

Well from your location it really wouldn't make sense to drop stateside to travel east or west now would it?

[jmt18325]

It would make just as much sense as anyone else in Manitoba who is going east. West, no, east, possibly (although I don't think I'd pick dealing with border crossings twice per direction, and possible gridlock in 3 cities to save 3 - 5 hours).

Because of where I live though, the remoteness aspect of Northern Ontario isn't at all dissuading. I'm used to it.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Andrewjm3D

For the most part now I enter or exit Canada at SweetGrass Montana/Coutts Alberta tarveling up through Calgary to Kamloops, or Oroville Washignton / Osoyoos BC where I've taken a few different routes across to Vancouver. Once you've done the Trip one time from Southern Ontario around the great lakes and along that route you never really need to again. There really isn't much to look at between Winnepeg and Medicine Hat that makes it worthwhile trip to repeat .

But to answer your question, I've been on the Yellowhead but would never use it to get from point A-B unless I had time to kill. It's not really the best east west choice for anybody In B.C and eastern Canada to travel from one side of Canada to the other. Talk about going way off coarse to get from Toronto to Vancouver. Also last time I looked at a map Kamloops was nowhere near the Yellowhead trail. Have you driven it? Doesn't sound like it if you ended up in Kamlopps.




It's all yours -

Its Kamloops. And the Yellowhead included Highway 5 from Kamloops to where it joins 16 at Tete Jaune Cache.

http://www.yellowheadit.com/britishcolumbia/index.php

I can see beauty anywhere in Canada. As you pass between Medicine Hat and Swift Current you can see the Cypress Hills to the south, herds of cattle in their pastures, pronghorn antelope running through the prairie. Throughout the Prairies during the spring and summer the changing colours of canola, flax, wheat and barley bring a kaleidoscope of colours.
I rarely drive to Ontario east but I have driven north and south of Superior and have driven through Chicago and all areas have their boring parts but all areas have their beauty if you just get rid of your prejudice and learn to look.

[jmt18325]

That's right. The prairie provinces are very beautiful in many parts, and have a very diverse landscape. The TCH covers only some of those landscapes.

Also, the distance to Vancouver from Winnipeg via Edmonton and Jasper is only about 90 km more than going through Calgary.

[eemy]

Highway 17 between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie is a beautiful. Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (particularly Dryden to Thunder Bay) is rather dull, but the rest I find quite fascinating. Prairie is much more interesting than, say, London-Windsor; the dreariness of which is only eclipsed by I-75 in Ohio.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by J-MAN

I'm not sure if this has already been posted but I'll post it anyway.

• Video Link

This is what my drives from London to Toronto look like... in real time

Saw that video a while back, still love it for some reason.

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I rarely drive to Ontario east but I have driven north and south of Superior and have driven through Chicago and all areas have their boring parts but all areas have their beauty if you just get rid of your prejudice and learn to look.

Prejudice, LOL get off your high horse. If somebody asked me tomorrow to join them for a road trip across the country I'd do it in a heart beat. I Love driving across this country but from Toronto it makes no sense to go all the way through northern Ontario and across the prairies. If you can't see that the U.S has some great scenery to offer then you may be the one who should open their eyes. There are only so many canola fields one can look at with amazement. Just because I don't find long stretches of flat highways exciting doesn't mean I'm prejudice, it's just not my thing.

Distance through the U.S - Toronto - Vancouver - 4372km
Distance through Canada - Toronto - Vancouver - 4365km

The distance are the same but the speed limits are lower here. The trans-Canada through northern Ontario can be very slow and is not divided. A very dangerous stretch of road at night.

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

Highway 17 between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie is a beautiful. Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (particularly Dryden to Thunder Bay) is rather dull, but the rest I find quite fascinating. Prairie is much more interesting than, say, London-Windsor; the dreariness of which is only eclipsed by I-75 in Ohio.

London to Windsor is a flat snoozefest, I'm not a fan of seeing miles and miles ahead, it makes the drive feel that much longer. I'd rather cross in Niagara but I usually lose out to whatever google map was printed out for the trip.

[haljackey]

Taking Highway 402 to the US instead of the 401 is pretty much equally as fast.
-Border delays are generally lower
-Roughly an hour drive between London and Sarnia, scenery is better/less boring than the 401 between Windsor and London
-Your money doesn't go to Manuel Moroun
-You can bypass Detroit instead of traveling through the ghetto by the bridge. It can be a spooky experience.

If you're going Trans-continent through the USA, The 402 is better because Interstate 69 runs on a diagonal in Michigan.

Beware taking the 402 in the winter though. Snowsqualls can appear suddenly from the monster of Lake Huron and dump snow all over the highway and can reduce visibility to less than a metre. There was a disaster on the freeway during "The Great Snowsquall of December 2010" as well as a couple additional fatal accidents and deaths this month alone.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Andrewjm3D

Distance through the U.S - Toronto - Vancouver - 4372km
Distance through Canada - Toronto - Vancouver - 4365km

Honestly, it never even occurred to me to go through the US. Going through the US would involve 2 border crossings and more congestion, no? Besides the nothingness of northern Ontario, the most shocking part is that there's just that 1 two lane highway joining the country together. 1 road!

[Andrewjm3D]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Honestly, it never even occurred to me to go through the US. Going through the US would involve 2 border crossings and more congestion, no? Besides the nothingness of northern Ontario, the most shocking part is that there's just that 1 two lane highway joining the country together. 1 road!

The nothingness is pure rugged beauty though. I love driving through the Canadian Shield. As for congestion, aside from my side trips into Chicago I've never really had an issue with it. And the border crossing I use in Alberta and BC are a breeze. Also I never cross here in the evening on a Friday, the Lewiston Bridge rarely has traffic going stateside any other time.

[isaidso]

There certainly is a beauty to northern Ontario, but it's also quite humbling driving through it in -35C. You realize very quickly how much trouble you're in if you run out of gas or the car breaks down. We had the heat on full blast the whole time, but my feet never really warmed up. I had to massage them continuously to avoid frost bite. I ended up sitting cross legged on the seat and covered with blankets for about 3 days straight.

Don't do that trip in a VW during winter; the heater just isn't strong enough.