BC Highway Construction

[craneSpotter]

Well, this seems like the place to add this. The Massey tunnel on the BC99 corridor (connects to I-5 in US) will be replaced with a 10 lane bridge. Construction should start in 2017.

Budget in the 1.5 billion range (including demo of tunnel & highway/interchange improvements)

Project website: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/masseytunnel/

Conception:





img source - BC Ministry of Transportation

[craneSpotter]

Some of the types of Dynamic Message (advanced traveller information) signs that have been installed on provincial highways. These signs are in conjunction with mobile DriveBC (http://www.drivebc.ca/mobile/).







Image source: BC Ministry of Transportation

I understand the BC Ministry is also studying the possibility of installing an Active Traffic Management corridor for BC99 from the I-5 to BC17. Similar to what WSDOT has done (report - http://www.oregonite.org/technicalworkshop/VSL%20-%20Dang.pdf) :

WSDOT pLan:


In place actual w/dynamic enforceable speed limits:


Img source: WSDOT

[craner]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Well, this seems like the place to add this. The Massey tunnel on the BC99 corridor (connects to I-5 in US) will be replaced with a 10 lane bridge. Construction should start in 2017.

Budget in the 1.5 billion range (including demo of tunnel & highway/interchange improvements)

Project website: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/masseytunnel/

Conception:






img source - BC Ministry of Transportation

Wow - very impressive.
How is BC paying for all these massively expensive transportation projects in the Vancouver area?

[SpongeG]

quite a bit of hwy 97 has been doubled just south of 100 mile house, its quite a lot better getting through, was nothing worse than being stuck behind a truck for miles and miles

also a large section of double laning is done just south of prince george

the highway will be great when it is finally completed from cache creek to prince george, but i wonder how long it will take and how some of it will get done seeing how narrow some areas are

[Daguy]

Originally Posted by craner

Wow - very impressive.
How is BC paying for all these massively expensive transportation projects in the Vancouver area?

Tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges. People are speculating on this project too. I think a toll is likely, these projects are, as you say, massively expensive.

[splashflash]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

quite a bit of hwy 97 has been doubled just south of 100 mile house, its quite a lot better getting through, was nothing worse than being stuck behind a truck for miles and miles

also a large section of double laning is done just south of prince george

the highway will be great when it is finally completed from cache creek to prince george, but i wonder how long it will take and how some of it will get done seeing how narrow some areas are

Phase 2 projects include short portions around Williams Lake (2 projects), one south of Quesnel, one just north of the 70 Mile four-laning. The 70 Mile area projects are still having paving being done. One section might be done by Thanksgiving.

I doubt you'll see the four laning completed in 20 years. The most dangerous sections have already been done and the population is declining.

One project that might be done in 10 years is a Quesnel bypass, worth about $110 million. A project I would like to see is a true Cariboo connector, a link between Pavilion and Kelly Lake paralleling the railway. That would cut 30 minutes travel time between Lillooet and Clinton.

[SpongeG]

a quesnel bypass would be awesome, it's so confusing and a slow down when you are trying to get past/through that part

[DKaz]

Not sure if there's been any mention of a roundabout on Hwy 5 in Clearwater, but there's a roundabout on Hwy 5 in Clearwater. It was still under construction when I drove through last weekend. It appears to allow for two through lanes on Hwy 5, and then single lane across.

[240glt]

^ I saw that the last time I was through in the summer. Interesting choice of location for a roundabout to say the least.

Am headed for Bridge Lake area this weekend to go shut down the cabin for the winter.. Hopefully most of the construction projects along Hwy 5 are complete. Would really like to see some more passing lanes on that stretch from Tete Jaune to the Sun Peaks turnoff. With the staggering amount of freight moving up that highway, and increasing tourist traffic it's getting quite congested over the summer months

[craner]

It's been disturbingly quiet on the announcement front for Kicking Horse Canyon for too long.
Is there any work going on right now?
Anything scheduled for the next phase?

[Daguy]

I noticed that several minor projects have been added to the Okanagan Valley Corridor section of the Ministry's website:

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/OkanaganValley/index.html


They mainly consist of adding passing lanes to Highway 33 and 97.

[splashflash]

The construction between 70 Mile House and 100 Mile House has been completed. It is pretty smooth travelling on the Cariboo Highway now.

[SteveK]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

a quesnel bypass would be awesome, it's so confusing and a slow down when you are trying to get past/through that part

Just for fun, in our opinions, which are the top 5 cities/towns in BC that could use by-passes?

My 5 in no real order:
1. Duncan
2. Kelowna
3. Vernon
4. Quesnel
5. Salmon Arm

[kev_427]

Quesnel
Duncan
Salmon Arm
Vernon
Sicamous

Also Revelstoke unless they can use the current alignment.

[craner]

I'm not very familiar with all the highways in BC but I sure wish Kelowna would get a by-pass. I don't find Vernon all that bad but I wouldn't complain if they built one.

[Canadian Mind]

Just with the way Kelowna is laid out, any bypass would just add time to the commute of someone trying to pass through. They need to find a way to fully isolate the highway along the current RoW with standard freeway style exits.

Vernon you could build a bypass around. But which way around the city would be more efficient? Considering the convergence of 4 different highways on vernon, would it be better to have a ring-road?

Quesnel, as much of a fist-🞵🞵🞵🞵 as it is to drive through, doesn't really have the traffic to warrant a bypass yet.

Duncan??? How about the Inland Island highway needs to be continued all the way from Parksville to Victoria, by-passing everything?

Salmon Arm could use a bypass, but where would you put it? a bridge over the lake?

Sicamous isn't that terrible to drive through. Just upgrade the 97c intersection.

Revelstoke doesn't need a bypass. Just a new bridge when they 4-lane it.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Just with the way Kelowna is laid out, any bypass would just add time to the commute of someone trying to pass through. They need to find a way to fully isolate the highway along the current RoW with standard freeway style exits.

Agreeably, all of the communities you have mentioned deserve bypasses in this day and age and bypass studies have actually been previously completed for all. I will just post the proposed Kelowna bypass, which has partially been completed (first small segment) and will connect to a future 3rd crossing of OK Lake:

http://www.kelowna.ca/CityPage/Docs/PDFs...vision/COMC/CentralOkBypass-Ultimate.pdf

[kev_427]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Just with the way Kelowna is laid out, any bypass would just add time to the commute of someone trying to pass through. They need to find a way to fully isolate the highway along the current RoW with standard freeway style exits.

Pretty sure the route currently planned won't add extra time. However I would rather see a south bypass, ie an extension of 97C.Like this.

Vernon you could build a bypass around. But which way around the city would be more efficient? Considering the convergence of 4 different highways on vernon, would it be better to have a ring-road?

The City of Vernon chose an eastern bypass over a western route. I've also wondered which would be the better option. You can find both routes on pages 58 and 59 of this document.

Quesnel, as much of a fist-🞵🞵🞵🞵 as it is to drive through, doesn't really have the traffic to warrant a bypass yet.

The idea is probably to take trucks away from downtown. More of a safety issue than congestion.

Duncan??? How about the Inland Island highway needs to be continued all the way from Parksville to Victoria, by-passing everything?

Parksville is already bypassed, Nanaimo has a bypass, interchanges can be added when necessary, so that leaves Ladysmith, Duncan, and the Malahat without freeway sections. Not sure when they will be needed though.

Salmon Arm could use a bypass, but where would you put it? a bridge over the lake?

Sicamous isn't that terrible to drive through. Just upgrade the 97c intersection.

A bridge over Shuswap Lake has been discussed, obviously long term. I've only seen options for bypassing Salmon Arm, I think they could build it farther north and bypass SA and Sicamous.

Revelstoke doesn't need a bypass. Just a new bridge when they 4-lane it.

I'm expecting a replacement bridge to come soon, the province seems to be in bridge replacing mode right now. Was just in Revelstoke last week and it's a tad scary when trucks pass on the other side.

[kev_427]

Another bypass that is currently being discussed is Peachland. the MOT hasn't decided between a bypass or four-laning the current alignment. In my opinion, they should start with the four-laning, at the rate Peachland is growing, it will need to be four-laned with or without a bypass for local traffic flow. a bypass should be long term, as in 60+ years. A freeway down to Penticton is a long way off. Build a Kelowna bypass, Vernon bypass, freeway through Winfield, then a Peachland bypass.

[splashflash]

Originally Posted by kev_427

Another bypass that is currently being discussed is Peachland. the MOT hasn't decided between a bypass or four-laning the current alignment. In my opinion, they should start with the four-laning, at the rate Peachland is growing, it will need to be four-laned with or without a bypass for local traffic flow. a bypass should be long term, as in 60+ years. A freeway down to Penticton is a long way off. Build a Kelowna bypass, Vernon bypass, freeway through Winfield, then a Peachland bypass.

A lot of Peachland people don't want the highway expanded to 4 lanes through their town. The cost of expropriating the land would be high to 4 lane in town. Build the bypass off of 97C. As 97C parallels 97 for quite a way anyway, the distance wouldn't be that far to connect back to 97.

A study is being requested.

http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/219931611.html