Highways in Canada

[craner]

Interesting - thanks for the info.

[1overcosc]

Here's a map from Wikipedia that shows the extent of Toronto's planned and never built highway network.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

I think the Gardiner is actually pretty badass. The condos have definitely helped it. That area isn't so much of a wasteland anymore. It almost blends in seamlessly with the urban fabric. I think you could make an argument for it being the most urban stretch of highway in Canada nowadays.


http://www.torontosnaps.com/Downtown/Condominiums-along-Gardiner-Expressway-13776.html


http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/04/get_ready_for_an_even_more_awful_gardiner_commute/


http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2013/10/photo-day-weave


gardiner expressway | toronto. by alyssaBLACK., on Flick

I've always loved the urban highway drive into Montreal via Autoroute Décarie (A-15) and then Autoroute Ville-Marie (A-720), but the Gardiner in recent years has become really awesome too (though in a different way). As has been said it almost has an "Asian metropolis" feel to it.

Probably a tie for me between those two drives.

[caltrane74]

There are still more towers being construed around the Gardiner. It will eventually feel more tightly hemmed in by towers.

Off the top of my head:

Sunlife Tower - 174 meters
Harbour Plaza - 236 meters
Harbour Plaza - 223 meters
Ten York - 224 meters
(You can actually see all 4 towers under construction
in the photo directly above this post)
Countless number of condos being built in Liberty Village,
Cityplace and Don Valley East Lands

If you think the drive into Toronto is badass, you ain't seen nothing yet!

[MolsonExport]

^parts of the Gardiner remind me of some of the elevated highways crisscrossing Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul. Not on the scale of the latter but still, unlike very few places outside of the Asian behemoth cities.

[eternallyme]

One thing I think: the 400 should be extended south to downtown, but as a 4-lane route with HOV restrictions (usable only by buses and carpools). It could be HOV-4 (in order to maintain flow) during peak periods and HOV-2 at other times. Commercial vehicles, other than buses, would always be prohibited. Existing Black Creek Drive would become part of it, upgraded to a freeway but with no additional lanes.

[Innsertnamehere]

photos I found of the 404 extension to Keswick:







https://twitter.com/JeremyGlobalTV

[caltrane74]

Lol! Why do they need a 400 series highway in Keswick?

Joking aside, I almost bust my gut with laugher for a second there,....major klan rally, of course.

[Innsertnamehere]

its largely supporting sprawl. you can already see them clearing some fields for subdivisions in the middle image. There is a large new urbanist community planned around Queensville.

[caltrane74]

Well, that's funny, I never heard of a suburb (Newmarket) needing a suburb before.

[FrAnKs]

Hey guys!! Talking about roads and because I don't want to open a thread just for that...
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[Metro-One]

Nice, thanks for the heads up on that!

In Canada, Montreal by far has the most urban feeling highway network, with all of its bridges, tunnels, cuts, viaducts, etc... So for me, its highways are also the most interesting in the country.

Toronto has the most massive freeways by far, which are very impressive, and it does have the gardner, but outside of that they are largely built like typical American suburban highways, with large grass embankments and a limited use of viaducts, bridges, tunnels, etc... Many of the interchanges sprawl out over a lot of green space and many of the fly overs are again built up on dirt mounds for much of their length.

The interchange / set up near the airport is by far Toronto's most impressive piece of highway infrastructure IMO, real fly overs and staked roadway.

As for western Canada.

Calgary and Edmonton are tied IMO for how impressive their highway networks are, but again they are mostly very suburban in feel with large grass embankments and dirt mound fly overs with sprawling interchanges.

The most impressive highway in western Canada now is the #1 from the Iron Workers bridge to 200th st. in Langley. I know everyone loves to bitch about highways in BC and Vancouver, but this stretch of the #1 is indeed quite impressive now (two massive bridges, an urban tunnel, and a couple impressive interchanges and fly overs). The Port Mann Bridge and Cape Horn interchange is by far the most impressive piece of highway in western Canada now IMO.

Other highways in Vancouver though really need some work (and son it looks like the 99 will get it!)

The most impressive fly over in western Canada though is definitely the GEW to 200 St. south on the GEB viaduct. That fly over soars up super high and looks like it is out of Japan.

[caltrane74]

Well the Gardiner is basically the only highway in the downtown core, so that's about as urban as its gonna get in Toronto. The rest of the highways were built in areas which were largely farmland at the time of their construction, similar to the Keswick photo above. Thankfully, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the government protected easements allowed for the massive expansion of the 400 series roads as the population increased around them.

[Metro-One]

Yeah, I understand that about the highways around Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary are similar. Not saying they are good or bad, but they don't give the cool urban vibe IMO.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Yeah, I understand that about the highways around Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary are similar. Not saying they are good or bad, but they don't give the cool urban vibe IMO.

Most US cities were developed based on an extensive highway system, contrary to Montréal where they had to integrate a complex highway system into an already well developed city. Décarie is the best example.

[ssiguy]

Ya, Montreal freeways are great with all the turns, viaducts, bridges, all right up against an older urban scene.

What's this about hwy#99 being upgraded?

[craner]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

photos I found of the 404 extension to Keswick:







https://twitter.com/JeremyGlobalTV

Looks like black painted lines on white concrete - kind of a negative image of the typical asphalt highway.

[Metro-One]

It is the MoT's worst kept secret that the Massey Tunnel replacement is likely going to be Gateway Part 2, and it will involve a major highway upgrade for much of the route (maybe the entire route) similar to what happened with the #1 and the new Port Mann.

This is one of the reasons why the design phase is taking so much time, it is going tobe much more than just the tunnel.

[Trans Canada]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

photos I found of the 404 extension to Keswick:







https://twitter.com/JeremyGlobalTV

Is the white colour concrete or just a different formula of asphalt?

[Innsertnamehere]

concrete.

I think the bBlack markings are to make the white line markings on top of them easier to see on the white concrete. May be wrong on that one though, it isn't consistent throughout the MTO highway network. (410 and 401 outside of windsor are both concrete and don't have them, as well as the 407)