South Fraser Perimeter Road/Highway 17 Extension | Completed

Stingray2004 · #10 Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 7:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cypherus

The SFPR is not the first highway in BC to have a big rig flip on its side. We have seen this on other BC highways built with higher speed specifications and more gentle curves. Rollovers are mainly due to driver failure to negotiate a turn at a reasonable speed that is suitable for the load and weather condition.

Well, I grew up and have lived in Tsawwassen a good chunk of my life and still have my old bedroom extant there. During that entire time the only other truck rollover(s) that I recall, with my relatively sharp memory, was along the old Hwy 17 SB exit from Hwy 99.

Great curvature for a vehicle with a lower centre of gravity... but not nearly so much with the higher centre of gravity of major trucks - improper super-elevation (banking) on that exit for 80 km/hr+ in a big rig. And only ONCE in my lifetime do I recollect a flipped rig on that exit.

Just one month into the opening of the SFPR or NEW Hwy 17 west of Hwy 99 and we see this happen. Believe me, many more similar events will occur just during 2014 alone as that old Hwy 17 exit has much better geometry/curvature than most new tight curves/exits along the NEW Hwy 17. I basically posted same here on opening day that this section of highway will def be accident-prone - due to major traffic volumes, port trucks, numerous tight curves, and the major variation in driver speeds thereto along the alignment.

Personally, I am not used to driving 80 km/hr in the left-lane along "Hwy 17" following other drivers doing same - and then even slowing down along the several curves. Very frustrating and therein lies another major accident-prone matter.

Avg. driver speeds along the existing Hwy 17A have regularly been 110 - 120 km/hr in the left-lane over the past couple of decades in my personal experience.

PS. Hell, I travel from White Rock to Tsawwassen and from Tsawwassen to Vancouver quite a bit. I now avoid the new SFPR from Hwy 99 like a plague. Still much quicker time-wise for me to take the Hwy 99 exit to the old Hwy 17 even with the light at Ladner Trunk Rd.