Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club Connector | Phase 1 (Hunt Club to 417 Extension) Proposed

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by hwy418

I agree with someone above that the speed limit of 70 km/h is strange given there are no accesses between 417 and just east of Hawthorne. Then once you reach Hawthorne the speed limit goes to 80 km/h - should be to other way around.

I noticed on the weekend that the speed limit east of Hawthorne has now been changed to 80 km/hr.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I noticed on the weekend that the speed limit east of Hawthorne has now been changed to 80 km/hr.

Noticed this too. Glad the change was made since there would be zero compliance for that stretch of the road.

[MaxHeadroom]

Originally Posted by harls

..and that electronic sign is still blank.

There are also new traffic cameras at O'Connor, Innes, and Walkley that are not up and running yet. At least not via the public MTO website. I wonder if the delays are related.

[Acajack]

As far as I can see none of the overhead permanent electronic VMS signs in Ottawa are operational yet. Although they were installed quite some time ago.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by Acajack

As far as I can see none of the overhead permanent electronic VMS signs in Ottawa are operational yet. Although they were installed quite some time ago.

According to the Oct 12 Construction Summary on the Confederation Line main site (http://www.confederationline.ca/en/), operation is now "imminent".

Signage

The three message signs have been installed and are expected to be operational imminently.

Been "imminent" for several weekly updates now... after many months of "final construction".....

Coming up on a year for the blank VMS on the 417 just west of Downtown.

Looking forward to what verb the communications people will use next, once "imminent" gets old and tired...

[eternallyme]

Regarding a potential eastern extension, this might work:

* Generally northeast trajectory past Ramsayville Road to Anderson Road, just north of Dolman Ridge Road. The arm of the creek near Ridge Road would need to be overpassed.

* High level bridge over the western part of Mer Bleue next to the Hydro corridor to minimize environmental disruption.

* Follows the Hydro corridor to join Brian Coburn Boulevard at Mer Bleue Road, using a portion of the previously approved Blackburn Bypass Extension.

[MaxHeadroom]

So this new interchange has been such a success, that the 417EB off ramp is now overcapacity at rush hour and traffic backs up on to the highway at times during the afternoon. Of course, nobody saw that coming and put a stupid stop sign at the end of the ramp with no slip around lane. I wrote MTO about it and they said they are aware and are working with City of Ottawa to solve the problem, since the City is the one who designed the thing in the first place.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

So this new interchange has been such a success, that the 417EB off ramp is now overcapacity at rush hour and traffic backs up on to the highway at times during the afternoon. Of course, nobody saw that coming and put a stupid stop sign at the end of the ramp with no slip around lane. I wrote MTO about it and they said they are aware and are working with City of Ottawa to solve the problem, since the City is the one who designed the thing in the first place.

That's counterpeak direction, so it's not a huge deal. Background traffic in the area is always free flowing barring accidents.

Even with all the growth in this city over the past few decades, it's still the norm for the 417 east of the split to be free flowing at peak.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

So this new interchange has been such a success, that the 417EB off ramp is now overcapacity at rush hour and traffic backs up on to the highway at times during the afternoon. Of course, nobody saw that coming and put a stupid stop sign at the end of the ramp with no slip around lane. I wrote MTO about it and they said they are aware and are working with City of Ottawa to solve the problem, since the City is the one who designed the thing in the first place.

Makes sense. The MTO would have never designed it with a stop sign. Had to be the city.

I've always wondered, is it normally the MTO or the city that designs ramps?

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Makes sense. The MTO would have never designed it with a stop sign. Had to be the city.

I've always wondered, is it normally the MTO or the city that designs ramps?

MTO.

It's likely a traffic analysis didn't expect that much traffic to come from the westbound 417 to Hunt Club, rendering a stop sign the most efficient way of managing traffic until they continue the extension to Innes.

As for a turning slip, It's likely cost was a factor.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

That's counterpeak direction, so it's not a huge deal. Background traffic in the area is always free flowing barring accidents.

Even with all the growth in this city over the past few decades, it's still the norm for the 417 east of the split to be free flowing at peak.

I haven't seen the effects of the Hunt Club ramp but I remember there always being quite a backup on the eastbound Walkley exit during peak hours that the Hunt Club exit was supposed to help reduce.

[1overcosc]

That's gone now.

[MaxHeadroom]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

That's gone now.

Yes, because the queue has moved to the Hunt Club exit instead.

[1overcosc]

A turning slip would be easy to add. The design doesn't preclude it.. in fact, based on the layout I strongly suspect they've protected for one in the future with the current offramp T junction becoming a left turn lane. If this is a big enough problem they could always just build it now. I'd say it's not a big issue given how far east this is.

[eternallyme]

Has anyone at all considered the crosstown option - instead of reconnecting to Innes, running it to Brian Coburn Boulevard in Orleans, as someone mentioned here? The downside is that a large viaduct would be required between Anderson Road and Renaud Road over a corner of Mer Bleue due to the environmental sensitivity...

[1overcosc]

If it hugged the 417 to Walkley then stayed within the Hydro corridor at all times until it meets up with Brian Cobourn, with a high level bridge through the more sensitive areas, it could work.

[MaxHeadroom]

This afternoon at 4pm traffic was backed up from the Hunt Club off ramp back to the Walkely on ramp! It's getting ridiculous.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

This afternoon at 4pm traffic was backed up from the Hunt Club off ramp back to the Walkely on ramp! It's getting ridiculous.

Wow! I had no idea it was that bad. Talk about a design miscalculation. Traffic should not be backing up onto the highway for safety reasons.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Wow! I had no idea it was that bad. Talk about a design miscalculation. Traffic should not be backing up onto the highway for safety reasons.

I know a guy who was rear-ended 2 days ago on the eastbound Queensway while he was the last car in the lineup to exit at Bronson. The line was backed-up, as it often is, up onto the highway at the time.

[eternallyme]

As for a crosstown connection, the biggest challenge I could determine was at Ramsayville Road. A small local road, Ridge Road, also exists there, and the intersections of Hunt Club/Ramsayville and Hunt Club/Anderson farther east (which may be revised anyway) would need to be on dry ground, not on a viaduct over swampland.

What do I recommend?

* Hunt Club would run in a NNE trajectory up to Ramsayville/Ridge, then join the hydro corridor and remain in it until meeting Brian Coburn Boulevard in Orleans (by then it would likely be extended to Navan Road).

* Walkley Road would be extended diagonally from the 417 interchange to the same intersection previously mentioned. Walkley and Ramsayville would continue to connect, but in a 4-way intersection with Hunt Club. Local roads would be built to access Ridge Road and the recreation area at the end of Walkley. Walkley would be primarily on dry land, strategically avoiding the creek.

* Ramsayville Road north of Ridge Road, across Mer Bleue's northwest corner, would be graded out and reclaimed by nature. Since Hunt Club would be on a viaduct, it would be a net positive environmentally.

* Hunt Club between Ramsayville and Anderson Roads would be elevated on a viaduct, approximately 8 metres above Mer Bleue to line it up with the dry land on either end.

* Anderson Road may either need realignment or closure north of Hunt Club in order to ensure the intersection is on dry ground. Closing Anderson across Mer Bleue's northern arm does not affect any properties, which would be accessible via Renaud Road. If Anderson is maintained, it should be realigned approximately 400 metres farther west (with the existing alignment graded out and reclaimed by nature).

* Between Anderson and Renaud, Hunt Club would once again go on a high viaduct, again approximately 8 metres above Mer Bleue's northern arm.

* Renaud Road would also be realigned, in order to remove the two sharp corners and avoid any at-grade crossing of the old rail trail. It would instead sweep across, meeting Hunt Club at a 4-way intersection. If Anderson is disconnected, Renaud (which never crosses Mer Bleue) would become the primary connection to the west from Hunt Club and would need to be upgraded to rural arterial standards. The field access connection would remain at the northern end, while the rest of Renaud that is bypassed is graded out.

From there, it is an easy connection to Brian Coburn Boulevard.