Highways in Canada

[eemy]

401 in Mississauga before it splits into the express & collector system.

[1overcosc]

Checked my cache. Nope, nada, nothing.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

by nothing new I meant no new expansion projects on the list. There is usually some sort of announcement of a newly funded project of some sort. The rumours seem to be that the next big one will be the 417 extension to Renfrew, but there was nothing.

It appears the new projects added on were mostly (entirely?) rehabilitation and repair projects, and minor expansions like interchange improvements. 4 new bridge rehabs/replacements, about 10 lane-kms of resurfacing, and a major offramp expansion/realignment were added in the 2014 plan for the Ottawa area, for example.

The MTO always prioritizes maintainance and rehabilitation on its existing infrastructure over new expansions.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

At one point, provincial jurisdiction over Hwy 420 extended right the way east of Stanley Street to the foot of the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, but the 420 has never been a full-fledged freeway. In fact, prior to its most recent reconstruction in 2003 or so, east of Stanley Street, Hwy 420 was fronted by quite a number of both residential and commercial properties.

Niagara Falls has seemed to have reserved some land for a Hwy 420 extension through the western boundaries of its city, so the extension of the 420 west of Niagara Falls must exist in either its or the Region of Niagara's Official Plan.



The most up-to-date conceptual alignments for the Welland to QEW section of the MidPen seem to favour a more southerly alignment than tying into the 420 interchange. If the MidPen is indeed built on a more southern alignment, I can't see the need to do both that and extend the 420 to the west.

For how tiny Highway 420 is, I have always been quite impressed by the scale of its interchange with the QEW. There are 400 to 400 series interchanges in the GTA that aren't even of this magnitude.

[ssiguy]

It would be great if someday the 420/402 become one long route serving the old HWY#3 corridor.

[FrAnKs]

• Video Link

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

It would be great if someday the 420/402 become one long route serving the old HWY#3 corridor.

So like this?



Red is your 402/420 project, which I had never thought or heard of but makes sense, blue is a theoretical Mid-Pen alignment, green is a freeway from the Hanlon Pkwy, numbered 411. The 411 numbering could extend along the Lincoln Alexander and Red Hill Valley Parkways (provided they can be designated 400-Series) and the Hanlon (once a freeway), as well as the Highway 7 freeway towards K-W. Also included an extension of the 406.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Franco401

Red is your 402/420 project, which I had never thought or heard of but makes sense, blue is a theoretical Mid-Pen alignment, green is a freeway from the Hanlon Pkwy, numbered 411. The 411 numbering could extend along the Lincoln Alexander and Red Hill Valley Parkways (provided they can be designated 400-Series) and the Hanlon (once a freeway), as well as the Highway 7 freeway towards K-W. Also included an extension of the 406.

I think the 411 designation will be reserved for any freeway upgrade to Highway 11.

[Klazu]

Driving from Kamloops through Whistler is a spectacular drive back to Vancouver even in the worst of weather. Photos from Highway 99 between north of Lillooet and Pemberton. Part of our Family Day trip to Sun Peaks.

Fraser River deep in the canyon.


Some fresh glacier water joining Fraser.


Arriving to Lillooet.


Beginning of Sea to Sky Highway.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by Franco401

So like this?



Red is your 402/420 project, which I had never thought or heard of but makes sense, blue is a theoretical Mid-Pen alignment, green is a freeway from the Hanlon Pkwy, numbered 411. The 411 numbering could extend along the Lincoln Alexander and Red Hill Valley Parkways (provided they can be designated 400-Series) and the Hanlon (once a freeway), as well as the Highway 7 freeway towards K-W. Also included an extension of the 406.

Basically ya.

An extension of the 402 East connecting with Niagara Region at either NFs or FE/Buf. It's an area of the province that get's zero attention but is still fairly populated and would divert traffic from the 401/402 off the busy 401 London/Woodstock, would divert traffic from Hamilton, and get a lot of those heavy transports off the 401. It would be a far direct connection and would serve a population that has no current freeways.

[haljackey]

A lot of truckers and travelers from the USA use the 402/401, 403 and QEW to bypass Lake Erie. Interstate 90 travels south of Lake Erie and is a longer, tolled route.

An extension of the 402 to Niagara Falls or Fort Erie would better serve these people, but due to the fact that they are simply using it as a bypass, I doubt it would be very practical. Also Americans don't pay taxes to fund a project like this. Maybe the USA could fund like 50% of the project since it would be a big benefit to them?

Living in London, this would be a great route to get to the Falls, which I visit a few times a year.

Politically though this is impossible. The route simply isn't cost effective, and most of the voters in this area are conservative. The municipalities are broke due to stagnant population growth and I doubt the Ontario Liberals (also broke) would ever give them this, and who knows if the federal conservatives will stay in power.

Nice idea though!

[MolsonExport]

I'd much rather see a northern bypass of London from 402 around Westdel Bourne, Eastbound towards St. Mary's, Stratford and then down into KWC from the northwest.

[MolsonExport]

Klazu, simply stunning shots. I loved my BC highway driving days of old. The mist, the mountains...the hairpin turns.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I'd much rather see a northern bypass of London from 402 around Westdel Bourne, Eastbound towards St. Mary's, Stratford and then down into KWC from the northwest.

You mean not via 7/8 between Stratford and KW?

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

You mean not via 7/8 between Stratford and KW?

I'm not convinced traffic volumes justify a second freeway from K-W to near London. I think what would be a better idea is building a new alignment of Highway 7/8 and a bypass of Stratford, and building a new super-2 highway from St. Mary's to Highway 402 near Strathoy, which could incorporate parts of Highways 7 and 4 and old Highway 22, but bypassing London to the northwest. That said I would also extend Veterans Memorial Parkway northward and have it meet this highway north of London.

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I think the 411 designation will be reserved for any freeway upgrade to Highway 11.

I had heard that, it just slipped my mind. Let's say my proposed 411 will be numbered 415, if that's available.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Franco401

I had heard that, it just slipped my mind. Let's say my proposed 411 will be numbered 415, if that's available.

I suspect 415 would be a possible future number for Highway 115 - something I would support from a purely marketing point of view for Peterborough, which is probably the largest city in Southern Ontario that is not served by a 400-series highway.

[sonysnob]

I was up in Sudbury over the weekend. I took some photos of the ongoing highway twinning en route there and back:

Two views looking northerly approaching the Hwy 64 overpass:




Northerly view approaching the Crooked Lake Road overpass:


Northerly view across the twin Murdock River bridges. The old highway crossed the Murdock River via a low level culvert:


Southbound view approaching the Hwy 64 overpass:


The completed wildlife overpass north of Hwy 637


Hwy 69 approaching Crown Ridge. One day, Hwy 69 will be blasted through this ridge with a 30m (100ft) cut in order to straighten the highway's alignment.

[FrAnKs]

Very nice pictures. When is the Highway 400 supposed to be totally twinned to Sudbury ?
I really liked that wildlife overpass btw !

I plan to make a road video this spring between MacTier and Parry Sound and another one of Route 6 between Little Current and Espanola.

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I suspect 415 would be a possible future number for Highway 115 - something I would support from a purely marketing point of view for Peterborough, which is probably the largest city in Southern Ontario that is not served by a 400-series highway.

That may be the case, but it sounds like a dumb idea to me. IMO the 115 should be part of the 407 after 407E and renovations to the RI/RO are complete.

[Innsertnamehere]

The 400 extension is still technically scheduled for completion in 2017, but that is looking all but impossible currently. a better guess would probably be 2020.