Roads/Bridges projects/issues

[zzptichka]

Meanwhile...

Toll roads could be beneficial for Edmonton, administration report says
A 'white paper' says road user fees can help commuters make 'more prudent' choices
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/t...ton-administration-report-says-1.3519852

[rocketphish]

Elgin Street under Highway 417 closed for investigation into overpass wall

Paula McCooey, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 13, 2016 | Last Updated: April 13, 2016 10:03 PM EDT

Traffic remained closed on a stretch of Elgin Street on Wednesday night as Ministry of Transportation engineers worked on a barrier wall on the westbound Highway 417 off-ramp at Metcalfe Street.

Police closed Elgin between Catherine and Isabella streets around noon as the MTO began investigating the possibility of a segment of the concrete wall of the overpass shifting.

The bridge is safe with an inspection finding no problem with the deck or supports, an MTO spokeswoman said.

The site is secured and temporary repairs, which are expected to take several days, are underway, she said. Both lanes of the Metcalfe off ramp will be closed until the work is complete.

The cause of the situation is under investigation.

[email protected]

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...sed-for-investigation-into-overpass-wall

[rocketphish]

Yikes!



From: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...sed-for-investigation-into-overpass-wall

[OttawaSteve]

In the last of couple weeks or so some really big icicles had begun to form over the portal here (much bigger than the ones in that photo), suggesting that water was flowing down through somewhere that it hadn't previously. In retrospect, perhaps an early indication that something was awry.

[Catenary]

Elgin street remains closed tonight, and the old barrier has been removed. Temporary barriers were being unloaded earlier today. Workers were also attaching a metal strip to the side of the bridge, though I'm not sure why.

[MoreTrains]

Look fine to me!

[rocketphish]

Stretch of Elgin Street reopens after overpass fears

Megan Gillis, Postmedia
Published on: April 15, 2016 | Last Updated: April 15, 2016 8:21 PM EDT



A stretch of Elgin Street reopened to traffic early Friday morning but one lane on the westbound off-ramp at Metcalfe remains closed as Ministry of Transportation crews complete repairs which have included removing concrete edging.

The MTO closed Elgin underneath the highway overpass around noon Wednesday when it appeared that a segment of concrete wall had shifted.

A spokeswoman said that engineers were working to wrap up temporary repairs as quickly and safely as possible. She said the bridge was last inspected by structural engineers in 2015 and they would be inspecting all other bridges of the same vintage in the corridor as a precaution.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/stretch-of-elgin-street-reopens-after-overpass-fears

[Cre47]

Must be slated for replacement soon, right? Chunks undereath already fell off well before (at least September 2015) this scare.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4120343,-...64-mOzH6HAA8j3qt5X4kw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[MoreTrains]

Slated for replacement? I dont think it was in the 417 scope of refurb/replacements. I think those stopped at Metcalfe and Nicholas.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Must be slated for replacement soon, right? Chunks undereath already fell off well before (at least September 2015) this scare.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4120343,-...64-mOzH6HAA8j3qt5X4kw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Latest BCI rating of this bridge is 66.

A score between 70 and 100 is considered good (maintenance isn't usually required within five years), between 60 and 70 is fair (maintenance usually scheduled within five years to get the most out of bridge spending) and less than 60 is considered poor (maintenance work is usually scheduled within a year).

[acottawa]

Weirdly, that seems to be the only bridge on the whole highway not slated for replacement or rehabilitation.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highway-bridges/pdfs/southern-highways-program-2015-2019.pdf

[eltodesukane]

I went north on Island Park Dr., to turn westward on Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
But a left turn is not allowed there. (??)
Quite inconvenient.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4022707,-75.75179,16.07z?hl=en&hl=en

Google maps suggest a way but...
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/45.397234...641,16.47z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en&hl=en

[Cre47]

Lot of people were turning right on the Parkway during rush hour and than do an illegal U-Turn at the access to the parking lot beside the bridge. Sometimes police was blocking the turnaround to prevent that. Maybe an intersection reconfiguration could be needed, although adding a left turn lane, might actually slow down even more traffic due to the advanced left green period. And pretty sure, there will be lots of grumbling from residents if the road would be widen even if it's just adding reversible lane like on the bridge.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Lot of people were turning right on the Parkway during rush hour and than do an illegal U-Turn at the access to the parking lot beside the bridge. Sometimes police was blocking the turnaround to prevent that. Maybe an intersection reconfiguration could be needed, although adding a left turn lane, might actually slow down even more traffic due to the advanced left green period. And pretty sure, there will be lots of grumbling from residents if the road would be widen even if it's just adding reversible lane like on the bridge.

That U-turn manoeuvre is only illegal during the afternoon rush hour:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4038614,-...I1uruTw-7jteDJ_9g5psQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

During that period, many law-abiding drivers continue eastward to the Tunney's Pasture entrance where they make a legal U-turn, wasting 2.2km worth of fuel and contributing extra unnecessary pollution to our atmosphere. All because there's no left turn from northbound Island Park to the Western Parkway.

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

I went north on Island Park Dr., to turn westward on Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
But a left turn is not allowed there. (??)
Quite inconvenient.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4022707,-75.75179,16.07z?hl=en&hl=en

Google maps suggest a way but...
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/45.397234...641,16.47z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en&hl=en

It has been like that for a very long time. There is a sign prior to Scott Street advising that there is No Left onto the Parkway.
No Left Turn Sign

Were you trying to go to Westboro Beach? Coming from the 417 you would have to exit Parkdale to access the parkway instead of Island Park. Otherwise you would have to access the parkway via Woodroffe.

[Cre47]

In turn this turnaround also slows down quite a bit the exit from the Tunney's complex. Remember sometimes it took like over 15 minutes or even more at times to exit the complex at that traffic light, some of that due to the queue of people from the west U-Turn there and thus adding to the delays on exiting the Tunney's complex. The parking lot exits to the access road did not help too. Maybe time for an interchange and move the entrance to that other lot a bit further east or west. As for our U-Turners, I think it will come to a time that widening will have to be done even if just a reversible lane so to remove the left turn ban on the Parkway.

Of note also lately, did noticed per a video that the speed limit on Eagleson Road through Katimavik has jumped to 80 km/h not too long ago adding to the long list of arteries with too many frequent speed limit changes in short distances (I think the stretch across the P & R and the 417 is still 60). Going the opposite way to York Region. If they wanted to increase the speed to 80, they should have at least have added a bike lane or at least make the stretch more safer for bikes.

[AndyMEng]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

That U-turn manoeuvre is only illegal during the afternoon rush hour:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4038614,-...I1uruTw-7jteDJ_9g5psQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

During that period, many law-abiding drivers continue eastward to the Tunney's Pasture entrance where they make a legal U-turn, wasting 2.2km worth of fuel and contributing extra unnecessary pollution to our atmosphere. All because there's no left turn from northbound Island Park to the Western Parkway.

Uh, those people are just trying to beat the crazy lineups to get across the bridge, 99% are travelling east on SJAM, the wait to turn left onto the bridge is 30 minutes, so they continue through the intersection without waiting for the light, and try the u-turn.

Travelling north on the parkway also requires a 1/2 hour wait, so you jump in the right hand turn lane to skip everyone, travelling east on SJAM to the nearest u-turn.

What's needed is a better way to funnel traffic onto the bridge from all directions... although the bridge would be overwhelmed pretty fast.

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by AndyMEng

Uh, those people are just trying to beat the crazy lineups to get across the bridge, 99% are travelling east on SJAM, the wait to turn left onto the bridge is 30 minutes, so they continue through the intersection without waiting for the light, and try the u-turn.

Travelling north on the parkway also requires a 1/2 hour wait, so you jump in the right hand turn lane to skip everyone, travelling east on SJAM to the nearest u-turn.

What's needed is a better way to funnel traffic onto the bridge from all directions... although the bridge would be overwhelmed pretty fast.

Traffic circle.

[The Conductor]

The Prince of Wales Rail Crossing needs to be high on the list so that the expansion plans into Gatineau move quickly

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by AndyMEng

Uh, those people are just trying to beat the crazy lineups to get across the bridge, 99% are travelling east on SJAM, the wait to turn left onto the bridge is 30 minutes, so they continue through the intersection without waiting for the light, and try the u-turn.

Travelling north on the parkway also requires a 1/2 hour wait, so you jump in the right hand turn lane to skip everyone, travelling east on SJAM to the nearest u-turn.

What's needed is a better way to funnel traffic onto the bridge from all directions... although the bridge would be overwhelmed pretty fast.

I'm curious, has anyone ever done/proposed a survey on the final destination of gatineau commuters and which bridge they take? I think it would be worthwhile to study the daily dispersal of traffic from each bridge. Might help both cities build a better mass transit plan in the future.