Highways in Canada

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

^there is a small 4km gap in the Collectors Express system between the 409 and the 427, so unfortunately, its not 80 contiguous km. Once the Collectors Express system gets extended to the 412 in the east, you will have a 50km section and a 30km section. The 30km section will feature the worlds widest highway (18 through lanes), while the 50km section will feature the worlds busiest highway point (over half a million daily cars).

The longest Collector-Express system I know of its I-95 between New York and Philadelphia, which features 93km of contiguous collector express freeway.

I wonder if the gap of the collector-express system on the 401 will ever be rebuilt to join the two sections together. It is certainly possibly but would cost A LOT. The collector lanes through the 427 interchange would either have to be built up high or be tunnels.

[eemy]

The 401 through Milton is a regular nightmare now, but I wonder if they couldn't alleviate a lot of the problems by widening it by a lane or so around Trafalgar, which seems to be where the bulk of the problem is. Traffic usually eases up between Trafalgar and Winston Churchill.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

The 401 through Milton is a regular nightmare now, but I wonder if they couldn't alleviate a lot of the problems by widening it by a lane or so around Trafalgar, which seems to be where the bulk of the problem is. Traffic usually eases up between Trafalgar and Winston Churchill.

All those über-British names (which are totally normal to me of course - I spent many of my formative years in Ontario) are interesting as I have been in Quebec City since last weekend.

I've been here many times before and one thing I've noticed is how much stuff here is named for French royalty and colonial figures.

I mean, there is stuff named for French colonial figures all over Quebec and francophone Canada, but here you have a major highway named for a French king from the early 1600s: Autoroute Henri-IV.

And of course a bunch of other stuff named for French royals.

Elsewhere we aren't so big on French royalty, and it's more about colonial administrators, historical figures and of course all names religious.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

The 401 through Milton is a regular nightmare now, but I wonder if they couldn't alleviate a lot of the problems by widening it by a lane or so around Trafalgar, which seems to be where the bulk of the problem is. Traffic usually eases up between Trafalgar and Winston Churchill.

The problem is that drivers are drawn to the awe inspiring vistas of Milton and its breathtaking unique one of a kind, artisinal, non-diluted commercial offerings that they end up slowing down and causing traffic backlog.

[FrAnKs]

Originally Posted by Acajack

All those über-British names (which are totally normal to me of course - I spent many of my formative years in Ontario) are interesting as I have been in Quebec City since last weekend.

I've been here many times before and one thing I've noticed is how much stuff here is named for French royalty and colonial figures.

I mean, there is stuff named for French colonial figures all over Quebec and francophone Canada, but here you have a major highway named for a French king from the early 1600s: Autoroute Henri-IV.

And of course a bunch of other stuff named for French royals.

Elsewhere we aren't so big on French royalty, and it's more about colonial administrators, historical figures and of course all names religious.

I live in Quebec city and didn't really checked for that. Thanks for noticing !

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

The problem is that drivers are drawn to the awe inspiring vistas of Milton and its breathtaking commercial offerings that they end up slowing down and causing traffic backlog.

Indeed. Like experiencing Florence for the first time.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

The 401 through Milton is a regular nightmare now, but I wonder if they couldn't alleviate a lot of the problems by widening it by a lane or so around Trafalgar, which seems to be where the bulk of the problem is. Traffic usually eases up between Trafalgar and Winston Churchill.

Further down the road, the section of the 401 between Townline and Hwy 24 in Cambridge is to be widened from six lanes to ten, once the Hwy 8 to Hwy 24 section is completed.

[eemy]

That can definitely wait for awhile. The only time you see backups there is when there's an accident, even in bad weather.

[Innsertnamehere]

A lot of it has to do with not only meeting todays demand but the future as well, the 401 through milton may only need a lane or two as it appears today, but there is a lot of latent demand, and milton continues to grow like crazy. MTO doesn't want to add one lane just to have to come back and add another 10 years later.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I wonder if the gap of the collector-express system on the 401 will ever be rebuilt to join the two sections together. It is certainly possibly but would cost A LOT. The collector lanes through the 427 interchange would either have to be built up high or be tunnels.

There is no room to expand the 401 in that section - the ROW is maxed out. To add express lanes would require stacking them over the collectors through a double-deck highway.

[q12]

VIDEO LINK 0:12
Dartmouth-Halifax traffic, March 1 2016
Video: Paul Poirier/CBC twitter.com/CBCNS (@CBCNS)

Macdonald Bridge had another delayed opening this week.

[Horus]

This is interesting - an interactive schematic of the soon-to-be-constructed interchange of Highways 7 and 86 in Kitchener. This would be the western terminus of the upgraded Highway 7 between Guelph and Kitchener.

http://www.bingemans.com/hwy7/phase2.html

[Innsertnamehere]

I still think its crazy how a city the size of Halifax has an 8 lane section of highway like that.. Its massive for a city of 400k.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Acajack

All those über-British names (which are totally normal to me of course - I spent many of my formative years in Ontario) are interesting as I have been in Quebec City since last weekend.

I've been here many times before and one thing I've noticed is how much stuff here is named for French royalty and colonial figures.

Were they trying to balance off things in Quebec City that were named after British nobility and royalty in the 18th and 19th century?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I still think its crazy how a city the size of Halifax has an 8 lane section of highway like that.. Its massive for a city of 400k.

The geography and road network in the Halifax area are such that there are few major arteries crossing the city. This highway in Dartmouth crosses over a narrow point between two large lakes and then connects up with one of the harbour bridges. Halifax pretty much only has highways like this and then small city streets or old winding roads. It doesn't have many 4 or 6 lane arterial roads that cover any appreciable distance.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I still think its crazy how a city the size of Halifax has an 8 lane section of highway like that.. Its massive for a city of 400k.

Actually, if you look carefully at the image, this is a 10 lane section of the Circumferential Highway.

someone123 is quite right though, this highway quickly narrows down on the other side of the 118 to 6 lanes, and is only four lanes to the south of Cole Harbour Road (behind the observer).

[ghYHZ]

Originally Posted by someone123

.......Halifax pretty much only has highways like this and then small city streets or old winding roads. It doesn't have many 4 or 6 lane arterial roads that cover any appreciable distance.

Here’s narrow, one lane Upper Water Street....



But just walk around the corner and you are into the Cogswell Street Interchange. A short remnant of the Harbour Drive Freeway proposed in the ‘60s......

http://www.halifax.ca/archives/HarbourviewDriveProposal1963.php







.....and a wall that’s divided the city for years (hopefully soon to be demolished!!)

[Innsertnamehere]

its an 8 lane cross section with 2 additional merge lanes.. you don't usually count merge lanes.

[RueBulmer]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Were they trying to balance off things in Quebec City that were named after British nobility and royalty in the 18th and 19th century?

Who notices anymore. I think of Côte St. Luc as an Anglo name.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

There is no room to expand the 401 in that section - the ROW is maxed out. To add express lanes would require stacking them over the collectors through a double-deck highway.

That might have to happen. Mega expensive but it would look awesome.