Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvements | Completed

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Long weekend and return traffic both from the Interior and the US caused yesterday a constant stop-and-go bumper-to-bumper traffic jam all the way to Chilliwack. Between Chilliwack and Abbotsford both westbound lanes were full of cars and moving at bicycle speeds. Only after Abbotsford did the traffic flow increase, still stopping completely few times before 200 Street. From there onwards it was smooth sailing all the way to Vancouver.

I have never experienced such a congestion on such a long strecth of the highway. Highway 1 would badly need to be expanded to 3+3 lanes all the way to Chilliwack.

It's always like that. Whenever I go away for a long weekend, when I hit Chilliwack (or even before) I always get off and go through the farm lands back roads to get as close to Abbotsford as possible before either jetting back on or making my way to 200th.

In 10 years (or even less) they will definitely need to expand to 3 lanes out to Abbotsford. Given population though and given no chance for viable transit out those distances in the near future (WCE is not "transit"), the one thing I would like to borrow from the US is a healthy highway out to those populations. Should be 1 HOV + 1 extra lane (4 lanes) out to Abbotsford at some point, either Mission bridge area or before, then 3 lanes all the way to Chilliwack initially.

In 15 years it would make sense to 3 lane it all the way to Hope. From there HWY1 and 5 split so traffic tends to disperse, then on HWY5 you do eventually go back to 3 lanes for large swatches. I just find it always funny how much of HWY5 is 3 lanes and honestly handles 1/5th to 1/10th the traffic HWY1 does between Chilliwack and Vancouver yet HWY1 is 2 lanes until 200th.

[osirisboy]

It's like that even on normal middle of the week days. That stretch is terribly congested!

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by jlenko

Pic taken a few days ago from the gravel access road just north of the SFPR, under the old Port Mann bridge... where they're taking off the road surface:

http://www.bcjbody.org/jlenko/sfpr/photo.JPG

The debris falling from this area today (just north of the SFPR, onto the gravel area just south of where I took this shot) was crazy... I can't imagine how they're going to divert traffic around that falling debris in a few days when they get right over top of the SFPR...

They can probably shut it down at night for a night or two and sign the detour via 104 Ave & KGB through Surrey

[red-paladin]

^ A Beautiful shot of the disassembled bridge.

[trofirhen]

On a tangent, is there any concern about the volume of traffic entering / exiting the freeway at Grandview? The traffic flow will only increase in upcoming years, and I cannot understand how traffic flowing west, downtown and elsewhere, will be handled by the Grandview highway as it is now.

Surely some kind of expansion adaptation must be in the books somewhere. What about the Grandview Cut? Out of the question? Any info much appreciated.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by jlenko

Pic taken a few days ago from the gravel access road just north of the SFPR, under the old Port Mann bridge... where they're taking off the road surface:

http://www.bcjbody.org/jlenko/sfpr/photo.JPG

The debris falling from this area today (just north of the SFPR, onto the gravel area just south of where I took this shot) was crazy... I can't imagine how they're going to divert traffic around that falling debris in a few days when they get right over top of the SFPR...

Great shot!

Originally Posted by trofirhen

On a tangent, is there any concern about the volume of traffic entering / exiting the freeway at Grandview? The traffic flow will only increase in upcoming years, and I cannot understand how traffic flowing west, downtown and elsewhere, will be handled by the Grandview highway as it is now.

Traffic is dstributed among the Grandview, 1st Ave and Hastings exits.

[s211]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

On a tangent, is there any concern about the volume of traffic entering / exiting the freeway at Grandview? The traffic flow will only increase in upcoming years, and I cannot understand how traffic flowing west, downtown and elsewhere, will be handled by the Grandview highway as it is now.

Surely some kind of expansion adaptation must be in the books somewhere. What about the Grandview Cut? Out of the question? Any info much appreciated.

the cut was considered several years ago as a connector from Highway 1 to the core, but the Millenium line put a bullet in that one. Too bad, because think of all the stop and go through-traffic that would no longer inhabit the area.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

On a tangent, is there any concern about the volume of traffic entering / exiting the freeway at Grandview? The traffic flow will only increase in upcoming years, and I cannot understand how traffic flowing west, downtown and elsewhere, will be handled by the Grandview highway as it is now.

Surely some kind of expansion adaptation must be in the books somewhere. What about the Grandview Cut? Out of the question? Any info much appreciated.

Based on the City of Vancouver's present stance on new roadway capacity into the city, not a chance in hell. I still think we need to wait to see how these roadways function with the full 4-lanes westbound into Burnaby, as technically the 4th lane "ends" at Grandview, and the remaining 3 distribute traffic to 1st Avenue, Hastings, and beyond.

Will the intersection improvements at Boundary and Grandview be enough to compensate for an extra lane of traffic on the highway (not all of which will actually exit). Wait and see. But if there are problems, I'm guessing the City of Vancouver will smile and say "told ya so, not our problem."

[officedweller]

The bottleneck would be from Nanaimo to Clark Drive.
I think a good number of drivers exitting at Grandvuew filter over to Broadway via Rupert and Renfrew and then to Clark Drive and GNW, Terminal Ave. or the viaducts.

[DKaz]

There are four ways to get from downtown Vancouver to Hwy 1, Grandview Hwy, 1st Ave, Hastings, and McGill. I'm sure we're fine. In time, the curb lanes will become a rush hour direction HOV lane to Renfrew at least. I always turn up Rupert and then fly down Broadway which is three lanes. Even in the PM rush, it's way better than any of the other routes. PM rush, I never take Hwy 1 unless I'm HOV. For SOVs, Lougheed is WAY faster.

Definitely nice that Grandview and Boundary is now a full movements intersection, with double left turn lanes from Hwy 1 if I recall correctly?

I think Grandview Cut is off limits for vehicular traffic.

[libtard]

"grandview cut"??

A tunnel under New West from the Patullo??

Where do all these wild impractical tunnel ideas come from?? This is BC remember

[s211]

Originally Posted by libtard

"grandview cut"??

A tunnel under New West from the Patullo??

Where do all these wild impractical tunnel ideas come from?? This is BC remember

Sigh... why am I teaching millenials (sic?) how to use Google?

https://www.google.ca/search?source=ig&r...2.0...0.0...1ac.1.12.igoogle.UeOHCJ2DXlQ

[Infrequent Poster]

Originally Posted by jhausner

It's always like that. Whenever I go away for a long weekend, when I hit Chilliwack (or even before) I always get off and go through the farm lands back roads to get as close to Abbotsford as possible before either jetting back on or making my way to 200th.

In 10 years (or even less) they will definitely need to expand to 3 lanes out to Abbotsford. Given population though and given no chance for viable transit out those distances in the near future (WCE is not "transit"), the one thing I would like to borrow from the US is a healthy highway out to those populations. Should be 1 HOV + 1 extra lane (4 lanes) out to Abbotsford at some point, either Mission bridge area or before, then 3 lanes all the way to Chilliwack initially.

In 15 years it would make sense to 3 lane it all the way to Hope. From there HWY1 and 5 split so traffic tends to disperse, then on HWY5 you do eventually go back to 3 lanes for large swatches. I just find it always funny how much of HWY5 is 3 lanes and honestly handles 1/5th to 1/10th the traffic HWY1 does between Chilliwack and Vancouver yet HWY1 is 2 lanes until 200th.

What you described there (future highway expansion) is the way things should have been 10 years ago, maybe longer. In my opinion of course.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by s211

the cut was considered several years ago as a connector from Highway 1 to the core, but the Millenium line put a bullet in that one. Too bad, because think of all the stop and go through-traffic that would no longer inhabit the area.

Yes. Exactly. Getting rid of all that stop-and-go traffic, not to mention the spillover onto residential streets, is what I was hoping for.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

It's like that even on normal middle of the week days. That stretch is terribly congested!

I drive there only on weekends, but if that is really the case, then it's no wonder TomTom stats claimed Vancouver being the 2nd most congested city in North America. The traffic jam was longer than 30 kilometers!

Very interesting by the way that traffic was stop-and-go between Chilliwack and Abbotsford and after Abbotsford the flow picked up more speed despite there being no more lanes. I was expecting the opposite as Sumas and Aldergrove border stations start feeding more border traffic on Highway 1.

What is by the way the reason there is no off-ramp at Broadway? Like many have said, that is perhaps the most efficient road in and out of Downtown.

[troublemaker]

Even after 6 weeks of drought, there's still standing water at the north approach to the bridge. Is it a waste product from an ongoing process, or is that how high the water table is?

[East Van]

The water table is that high and like that in several spots between Brunette and the bridge. Part of the reason so much EPS was used aka styrofoam. It also a holding pond for the system of water ways/creeks that pass under the highway.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by libtard

"grandview cut"??

Where do all these wild impractical tunnel ideas come from?? This is BC remember

The "Grandview Cut" was built 100 years ago (literally - it was started in 1913) for the dual purposes of providing fill material to create rail yards on the False Creek tidal flats and to provide rail access to False Creek from the east. Running a road down it would have required minimal construction effort, at least before the available space was co-opted by the Skytrain Millenium line.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

The "Grandview Cut" was built 100 years ago (literally - it was started in 1913) for the dual purposes of providing fill material to create rail yards on the False Creek tidal flats and to provide rail access to False Creek from the east. Running a road down it would have required minimal construction effort, at least before the available space was co-opted by the Skytrain Millenium line.

Kind of a shame that the planning didn't have the foresight to include a possible roadway.
At any rate, one day, that Grandview exit is going to expand like a balloon and choke on itself. Something's gotta give.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

The "Grandview Cut" was built 100 years ago (literally - it was started in 1913) for the dual purposes of providing fill material to create rail yards on the False Creek tidal flats and to provide rail access to False Creek from the east. Running a road down it would have required minimal construction effort, at least before the available space was co-opted by the Skytrain Millenium line.

I'm hoping that the Grandview Cut can be double tracked someday and become part of a Downtown Vancouver to SoF express line with a half-hour (quarter hour peak) frequency.

Waterfront -> Broadway-Commercial -> Brentwood -> Surrey -> Langley -> Abbotsford -> Potential expansion to Chilliwack