South Fraser Perimeter Road/Highway 17 Extension | Completed

[go_leafs_go02]

and it begins...

https://twitter.com/news1130traffic/status/415538956185239553

News1130 Traffic

‏@news1130traffic

9:45 #SURREYBC watch for RADAR on South Fraser Perimeter Rd eastbound near Old Yale Rd

[WarrenC12]

Year end quota gold mine!

[TransitJack]

This barrier configuration seems so ill designed. I guess if they were trying to create a space for emergency vehicles to park, but then the cop car pictured seems to me to be in a precarious position.

If the lines are hard to see in the dark, rain, snow, fog, etc, we do tend to rely on the placement of barriers to 'guide' us along the road, yet this section doing so would be hazardous.

Also, shouldn't they have hashed out the entire section between yellow lines? I looks like an extra lane, and the barrier placement really would confuse me as I made my way down here.

[Flash604]

I had to pick up my stepson at YVR yesterday, which meant driving at least part of the SFPR as it is now the route to take from the valley. I took advantage of the opportunity and drove the entire length so I could get GPS traces to use to tweak the road in Google Maps. My route was the entire length westbound and then I turned around and came back to Highway 99 (didn't have time to make it back to the Alex Fraser); then after picking him up we came back down the 99 and drove the remainder eastbound.

Even with that detour after picking him up the trip home was extremely fast compared to what someone coming from the valley endured in the past. Driving a bit over the limit, from the YVR parking to the McCallum Road exit was exactly an hour. I could see the road as actually being a boon to businesses in Richmond and Delta; they will no longer automatically be off the list if I need something I can't get in the valley. I'll get a better idea when I return him to the airport in the middle of the day on Friday.

My observations for the road in general match what most people have already said. One thing that caught be by surprise, and since no one else mentioned it I wonder if I saw it wrong, but coming westbound and approaching the first intersection at 116 Street I suddenly saw a 50 km/h sign. Can anyone else confirm?

[jlenko]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

and it begins...

https://twitter.com/news1130traffic/status/415538956185239553

Oh, bang on! Did I call that one or what?

[jlenko]

Originally Posted by Flash604

One thing that caught be by surprise, and since no one else mentioned it I wonder if I saw it wrong, but coming westbound and approaching the first intersection at 116 Street I suddenly saw a 50 km/h sign. Can anyone else confirm?

Yup. Left over from the time when the 136th street intersection was turned off. There's still a "reduce speed" construction sign before that as well.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by Flash604

One thing that caught be by surprise, and since no one else mentioned it I wonder if I saw it wrong, but coming westbound and approaching the first intersection at 116 Street I suddenly saw a 50 km/h sign. Can anyone else confirm?

Skip to about 7:20. My video.

• Video Link

[Spork]

Can the thread title be changed to "Completed"?

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by Spork

Can the thread title be changed to "Completed"?

No. Only when the interchanges are built and in service
By that standard, we need a threat for Hwy 91 U/C too.

Re: Speed Trap: Wow, that didn't take long AT ALL.
The holiday season is about to ruined for the unlucky few who miss the 50 sign (or ignore it!).
I'll remember to take this section seriously when I drive it!

[theKB]

isn't it 70-80 on lougheed where it is separated and has various intersections?

50 there is completely mind boggling.

80 is even LOW in my opinion.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Flash604

My observations for the road in general match what most people have already said. One thing that caught be by surprise, and since no one else mentioned it I wonder if I saw it wrong, but coming westbound and approaching the first intersection at 116 Street I suddenly saw a 50 km/h sign. Can anyone else confirm?

You are correct. They have a 50kph limit sign still there headed westbound just before the intersection. Then when you pass it there is an 80kph sign. Not sure if that is on purpose or they never removed the 50kph sign which is what was posted there during construction. I didn't see one eastbound.

Guess we'll see over the next month or 2 if it stays there.

[Flash604]

It appears the other site was taken down as it was a construction website, and it has been replaced with http://www.sfprhighway17.ca.

[ssiguy]

Curious............is there any other city on the planet that builds a 4 lane road with lights and intersections and then calls it an "expressway"?

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Curious............is there any other city on the planet that builds a 4 lane road with lights and intersections and then calls it an "expressway"?

Took more than 20 years for them to remove the stoplights from HWY91.

Even the upper level HWY1 had stoplights when it was introduced!

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Curious............is there any other city on the planet that builds a 4 lane road with lights and intersections and then calls it an "expressway"?

It can be an expressway as set up. According to Wikipedia at least: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressway? If the SFPR is turned into Highway 91 type freeway I would be mad. It is supposed to be a bike route. Are they going to add overpasses for all of the cycling crossings of the ramps? Are they going to add separated bike paths? Probably not. The Gateway program is supposed to be for cycling as well. It has helped a bit but it has failed to improve cycling in many areas, especially Coquitlam where it remains pathetic.

My view from the bike lane by the Alex Fraser Bridge:



I biked between Nordel and Grace Road, which is for officially authorized vehicles only but I wanted to cut off the distance to get to the Scott Road bike path.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Curious............is there any other city on the planet that builds a 4 lane road with lights and intersections and then calls it an "expressway"?

Funny you should say that. I've often wondered much the same thing about "expressways" in Vancouver.
Until they put the real intersections in North Van Highway 1, it still had lights at Lonsdale and Westview, but was listed as an expressway.

Futher, why, (with exception of Cape Horn, of course,) can't they seem to count above 4 for real expressways.
The Richmond Freeway is 4 lanes, and I recall, years back, being in a jam on it that lasted an hour or more. Underbuilt the day it opened.

[osirisboy]

Why people want to cycle on the shoulders of highways is beyond me. It should be illegal. Like in ontario, no biking on 400 highways.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Why people want to cycle on the shoulders of highways is beyond me. It should be illegal. Like in ontario, no biking on 400 highways.

I agree, what with all of the well-maintained, properly-lit, and direct cycling paths that we have parallel to our regional highway network.

[osirisboy]

Yes Its unfortunate we dont have more cycling paths... So risk your life biking beside 100km/hr trucks instead lol. Personally, I just think it's dumb. Drive or take transit.. There's going to be people hell bent on biking everywhere that's their choice

[DKaz]

I cycle because raising kids I don't have time to exercise alone, I have to integrate it into my commute.