BC Highway Construction

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by libtard

There really is no excuse for BC's horrible highway designs

There really is no excuse for you to be here, either.

[Yahoo]

Looks like the Clanwilliam project has stopped for the winter. Too bad - it was supposed to wrap up in November. All you can see from the construction cam is that it snowed and that they haven't opened two way traffic in both directions. Oh well, hopefully it'll be opened up in the early spring.
http://wcs.pbaeng.com/projects/R2-Hwy1-Rev

Too bad they removed the construction cam on the Donald bridge. I liked watching them take down the old bridge. I guess it'll be a few years now until we see another project underway.

[kev_427]

New Highway 1 4-laning website: www.bchwy1.ca

[craner]

^Yes, just noticed that myself. Came to post it here but you beat me to it.

[Daguy]

Haha yeah I wanted to post it too. There's been so little action on this thread lately, I got all excited! I'm interested in the Salmon Arm West project (obv cause I live there), I imagine it's gonna have a lot of traffic lights.

[Metro-One]

I really wish they would just do a mega project in Salmon Arm and create a tolled freeway by=pass with the before mentioned bridge of the lake.

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I really wish they would just do a mega project in Salmon Arm and create a tolled freeway by=pass with the before mentioned bridge of the lake.

Most locals I've talked to in Tappen and Sunnybrae are very opposed to the idea cause it's cottage country and a very quiet rural area. Generally I think it's a good idea in the long term, but it's a solid 25 to 30 years away from necessary. I'd be most interested in seeing the Turtle Valley bypass first, but it looks like that's never going to happen anyway.

[LeftCoaster]

It's an awfully expensive project for a net savings of maybe 15 minutes.

[Metro-One]

Yes, I know, but it would be nice to have a full freeway crossing BC. We should honestly toll it like they do in Japan. I don't know why we don't follow Asian and European examples of cross nation highways.

At the very least, I would the #1 to be upgraded to full freeway standards from Kamloops to Salmon Arm. It honestly would not require to much more investment than they are currently putting in the stretch currently.

Another expressway I would love to see built is between Victoria and Nanaimo, linking up to the #1 on both ends respectively. This could be a tolled route as well.

[LeftCoaster]

I fully agree, I think it should be the long term goal (it might already be) of the MOT to have the TCH be a full freeway from Van to Banff, however I think money could be better spent than by building a huge bridge to save 15 minutes of drive time on what are usually multi hour trips.

It would almost be better to upgrade the current TCH to full freeway standards through salmon arm, thereby achieving the goal of full freeway to banff and giving the citizens of salmon arm a freeway to speed their commutes through the town.

And as for not following Japanese/Euro freeway systems, well just look at the pop served by this route compared to similar routes in those areas. I'm sure people at the MOT/fed govt would love for that kind of system but we have to work with what we have.

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

It would almost be better to upgrade the current TCH to full freeway standards through salmon arm, thereby achieving the goal of full freeway to banff and giving the citizens of salmon arm a freeway to speed their commutes through the town.

There's not a lot of room to work with, the original area for a southern bypass has housing now. I wonder if it would be possible to upgrade the current alignment to a freeway west of Shuswap rd, and build a short tunnel through downtown that emerges near the hospital.

As for speeding up the "commutes" lol, I suppose for people who say live south of town and commute to Tappen maybe, but in general few places take more than 15 minutes to get to. My house is about 5 minutes from work.

[Daguy]

Economy, Families, Transportation Tuesday, February 26, 2013 9:00 AM

KAMLOOPS - Work to improve the safety of Highway 1 east of Pritchard will get underway this year, with the first phase of the Highway 1 Pritchard to Hoffman's Bluff project going to tender this week.

Phase 1 of the Pritchard to Hoffman's Bluff project, located approximately 42 kilometres east of Kamloops, will widen three kilometres of a 6.1-kilometre segment of the Trans-Canada Highway from two lanes to four lanes, and upgrade an intersection at Stoney Flats Road.

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2013/02/highway-1-improvements-east-of-pritchard-move-to-tender.html


This is exactly what I thought would happen, that this would go to tender before phase II of Monte Creek. I went to the public info session on the 20th in Salmon Arm, and I was told the burial site can't be moved, but a retaining wall will likely be built between the highway and the site as a solution.

[crazytown]

Does anyone know if there is any appetite by the province and feds for the Kicking Horse Canyon project in the near future?

[craner]

^ I sure hope so.

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by crazytown

Does anyone know if there is any appetite by the province and feds for the Kicking Horse Canyon project in the near future?

I can't imagine it will be that big right now. With the estimated cost at $630 million several years ago, the bang for buck isn't that great to fix 4 or 5 km of highway. Safety is a major issue, but it always seems partly a PR cover for the bigger issue, moving goods and people more quickly.

I'd guess they'll build one of the bridge structures within the next round of highway twinning; I'd be surprized if they do much more.

[Stingray2004]

Due to the high cost of the shorter West Portal to Yoho Bridge section, I foresee Phase 4 broken down into several stages with the tunnel being the last portion constructed.

Since the KHC has been ongoing for years, I suspect once the current section is finished that another section will be announced - perhaps this year sometime.

[crazytown]

That would be great if that was the case. They haven't had any real lapse in time between each phase and it would make sense for them to push forward.

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

Due to the high cost of the shorter West Portal to Yoho Bridge section, I foresee Phase 4 broken down into several stages with the tunnel being the last portion constructed.

Since the KHC has been ongoing for years, I suspect once the current section is finished that another section will be announced - perhaps this year sometime.

Likewise I can see the feds announcing twinning of a segment of Yoho after Banff is completed as a continuation of that project. It'd be nice to see Donald to the border twinned in the next 10 years (cept maybe the tunnel as you mentioned).

[Daguy]

From the ministry's website (http://www.gov.bc.ca/tran/):


Major investments to improve Highway 97 at South Taylor Hill

The governments of Canada and British Columbia announced a funding commitment of $26 million to expand and upgrade Highway 97 at South Taylor Hill, just south of Taylor, between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.


Highway 97 improvements to bring better road conditions for Kelowna drivers

The governments of Canada and British Columbia announced new funding for the expansion and upgrade of over 4.5 kilometres of Highway 97 through Kelowna.


Highway 11 upgrade benefits border and commercial traffic

A major upgrade to Highway 11 south of Highway 1 will relieve congestion and support cross-border travel and trade, while improving safety along this important road and rail corridor.


I kinda have to laugh at the 4 laning at South Taylor Hill. Alberta widens most of highway 43, and we get a sweet 2 kms of undivided 4 lane highway with a paved median on our side of the border lol. Especially considering most of that highway is in areas where it is relatively flat land and less expensive to widen.

[craner]

Drove Calgary to Penticton and back over the weekend - what a national embarrassment the TCH is for a large portion of this journey. Long stretches through Yoho, Rogers Pass don't even have any lines and the state of the road surface is third world. Pleeeaaase put some Federal/Provincial money into our national highway.
On the bright side, the highway could realistically be twinned from Calgary to Golden in 10 years with a concerted effort.