Highway One Improvements: North Vancouver / Ironworkers Memorial Approach | Completed

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

http://www.nsnews.com/news/traffic-devel...-business-1.2164322#sthash.uDWi6yw4.dpuf

Leftover money in the conservative's Building Canada Fund for 2015-2016 Fiscal?

Liberal Infrastructure debt spending spree?

Certainly the funds are out there, and it sure would be nice to facilitate widening of highway one to 6-lanes through North Vancouver to connect with the 6-lane section from Westview Dr. to Lonsdale. Of course, one day... 3 travel lanes heading towards the current 6-lane Second Narrows Bridge today would make things worse, since the bridge is at capacity as is.

Still, very exciting to see this dated section of highway (no shoulders, narrow), tight interchanges, and poor cross-connectivity get some much-needed attention.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Certainly the funds are out there...

...and they're probably all going to be gobbled up by the new Massey tunnel replacement, which the province seemed to be determined to build even before all this new Federal government infrastructure spending was announced.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

...and they're probably all going to be gobbled up by the new Massey tunnel replacement, which the province seemed to be determined to build even before all this new Federal government infrastructure spending was announced.

I hear you. Despite the need for increased transit, reduced reliance on automobiles, etc. I am generally supportive of highway improvements in the lower mainland because I feel our highway network is 'incomplete' and 'antiquated' in parts to serve the population. Nowhere is this more evident than at the North End of the Second Narrows Bridge, and the GMT.

But I don't think I can fully get behind the idea of spending $3.5B on a huge bridge at the GMT...(I certainly like the interchanges as drawn). That's a thought for the GMT thread, but I really do want to see a proper improvement delivered to Hwy 1 in North Vancouver. Unfortunately, to do it properly, the second narrows needs to be widened, and at what cost.

Lets hope what IS being built there has an impact, and it will certainly improve east-west local traffic movement a lot. I doubt the Highway will see much improvement, but simply adding shoulders would make the highway feel a bit safer. It always feels liked a congested, squeeze through there (not as much of a squeeze as crossing the Patullo or the previous rendition of the Lions Gate Bridge though!)

[Pinion]

New article on Lynn Creek bridge

District awaits decision on Lynn Creek bridge

Basic design work and public consultation for a $50-million redesign of the Mountain Highway interchange is now largely complete, but we are still waiting to hear whether the preferred option involving a new bridge over Lynn Creek eastbound on-ramp for Lynn Valley residents will be funded.

“We’re in a stage right now where we’re trying to finalize the design – that whatever is built meets the needs of both North Vancouver district and those that are travelling on the freeway. It’s a very difficult section of the road because you’ve got all these on- and off-ramps,” said David Stuart, District of North Vancouver chief administrative officer.

The current design features a new four-lane Mountain Highway overpass connecting with Brooksbank Avenue, a southbound exit lane and off-ramp from the Cut, a new northbound on-ramp to the Cut from Mountain Highway and some painted bike lanes and controlled intersections.

What it doesn’t have, many residents pointed out at recent public meetings on the project, is an eastbound on-ramp for residents coming down Mountain Highway from Lynn Valley.

“That’s not the ideal situation but the challenge is the ministry cannot put that left-turn or eastbound access route in without widening the orange highway bridge because you’ll need a merge lane that runs several hundred metres,” said district Mayor Richard Walton.

That would mean installing a new, wider Highway 1 bridge over Lynn Creek. That’s something the province anticipates doing but not for 10 years, at least. Whether or not it can be included in the interchange project will depend on federal and provincial funding.

Walton said North Vancouver’s Liberal MPs have shown great interest in coming through with their portion of the money. “They’re in Ottawa, they’re still working on this, trying to co-ordinate things and asking us questions, trying to make sure they’re moving things forward at their end. It’s optimistic.”

At the request of district staff, the province is also now looking to move the bridge replacement up in the schedule, ahead of a proposed redesign of the Main Street/Dollarton Highway interchange, Stuart said.

Although not strictly part of this project, the district and province are now also looking to add a new southbound lane on Lynn Valley road under Highway 1 with an aim to better moving the flow of traffic during rush hour, Walton said.

One other group that’s not 100 per cent sold on the current design is cyclists. The ministry is scheduling an extra stakeholder meeting with them to see if the design can be improved, Walton said.

“That being said, I think there’s recognition that what’s being proposed now is a significant improvement to what is there right now,” Stuart added.

Walton urged patience while the blockbuster concrete and asphalt project rolls out over the next number of years.

“I think what folks would like is some instant improvement but because there are so many connected pieces … you really need to be finished Phase 2, which is the Fern Street overpass realignment, which is still very much in the design phase, before you’re going to see the kind of fluidity that all the residents in the area would like,” he said. “But the train has left the station right now. That’s the critical thing.”

Click here for the B.C. government information about the project.

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/district-awai...ek-bridge-1.2177802#sthash.eDhcoBOs.dpuf

[SOSS]

A new Lynn Valley road southbound lane would help. But without associated lights to allow traffic onto northbound Hwy 99/westbound Hwy 1 it will only create a more dangerous left.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by SOSS

A new Lynn Valley road southbound lane would help. But without associated lights to allow traffic onto northbound Hwy 99/westbound Hwy 1 it will only create a more dangerous left.

Are you sure you're thinking about the right area? Lynn Valley road goes southwest towards Grand Blvd, under Hwy 1, which is only one lane at the moment. All traffic gets blocked when the highway backs up, including traffic going to Lonsdale/western north shore. The extra lane in the underpass would allow western north shore-bound traffic to squeeze by, it wouldn't be for the highway traffic.

I thought adding a lane was already part of Bosa's bribe (see, not just for first nations ) for Lynn Valley Centre.

[carlos_danger]

I think SOSS is referring to drivers going north on Grand Blvd looking to take Hwy 1 westbound. It's currently a left turn across one lane with no lights. After the upgrade it will be across two lanes.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by carlos_danger

I think SOSS is referring to drivers going north on Grand Blvd looking to take Hwy 1 westbound. It's currently a left turn across one lane with no lights. After the upgrade it will be across two lanes.

Correct. Do many people use that crossing? Because that looks like a major headache once they cut into the island to make room for the second southbound lane.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by carlos_danger

I think SOSS is referring to drivers going north on Grand Blvd looking to take Hwy 1 westbound. It's currently a left turn across one lane with no lights. After the upgrade it will be across two lanes.

Ah that makes sense. Although I don't think it would be an issue.

[Pinion]

So does the lack of mention of the Lynn Creek bridge and general anti-car/highway tone in the budget mean Trudeau broke his promise to replace it?

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by Pinion

So does the lack of mention of the Lynn Creek bridge and general anti-car/highway tone in the budget mean Trudeau broke his promise to replace it?

Not necessarily, since they are still alluding to some $9B left in the building Canada Fund, which they seem happy to spend out.

However, you are right... new infrastructure funding coming from the Liberals is being touted as 'green infrastructure' funding, which would seem to put highway improvements lower on the list. Transit will (and should) be big winners, but hopefully it doesn't all get gobbled up by two or three (very) expensive subway lines in the biggest cities. That said, rural highway projects (e.g. 4-laning of the TCH) will probably get some funding. There was mention of $87M for this in the budget, no? Of course I doubt we'll see the Billions needed to finish 4-laning in BC... and I doubt very little will go to Urban Highway Projects (Alberta's endless spending on urban ring roads anyone?). Who knows, they might... but I expect that $9B will get spent out too, and fully consider highway projects like the Lynn Creek Bridge.

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Not necessarily, since they are still alluding to some $9B left in the building Canada Fund, which they seem happy to spend out.

However, you are right... new infrastructure funding coming from the Liberals is being touted as 'green infrastructure' funding, which would seem to put highway improvements lower on the list. Transit will (and should) be big winners, but hopefully it doesn't all get gobbled up by two or three (very) expensive subway lines in the biggest cities. That said, rural highway projects (e.g. 4-laning of the TCH) will probably get some funding. There was mention of $87M for this in the budget, no? Of course I doubt we'll see the Billions needed to finish 4-laning in BC... and I doubt very little will go to Urban Highway Projects (Alberta's endless spending on urban ring roads anyone?). Who knows, they might... but I expect that $9B will get spent out too, and fully consider highway projects like the Lynn Creek Bridge.

I believe the Calgary ring road was mentioned in the budget, no?

[SOSS]

Doug Larlee, superintendent of B&B Heavy Civil Construction, works in the shadow of the old iron bridge to put the finishing touches on the southern lanes of the new Keith Road bridge Monday afternoon.

If the weather holds, traffic lines will be added and the bridge could open by 10 p.m. tonight. If it rains, the switch from the old bridge to the new bridge will be postponed until the line painting can be completed under good weather.

After the southern lanes open, the old Keith Road bridge will be dismantled and building will start on the north side of the new bridge.

The project should be completed in the fall.

NS News

[jollyburger]

On DNV Twitter

Last night's rain = no #krbridge opening today (need a dry day to paint lines). Still happening this week, so watch for updates! #NorthVan

[Pinion]

Keith road bridge is still not Hwy 1. It won't even be "Ironworkers approach" after the interchange is moved to Brooksbank.

[SKYSTHELIMIT]

New bridge is open(just drove across), they managed to paint the solid yellow down the middle at some point. Now on on with the other span.

[Alex Mackinnon]

I'm not sure why that was an issue they would bother mentioning to the public. Temporary lines can be placed with foil stickers. They're a little annoying to peel up as a line painter, but it's not a big deal.

[Cypherus]

Originally Posted by SOSS

Doug Larlee, superintendent of B&B Heavy Civil Construction, works in the shadow of the old iron bridge to put the finishing touches on the southern lanes of the new Keith Road bridge Monday afternoon.

If the weather holds, traffic lines will be added and the bridge could open by 10 p.m. tonight. If it rains, the switch from the old bridge to the new bridge will be postponed until the line painting can be completed under good weather.

After the southern lanes open, the old Keith Road bridge will be dismantled and building will start on the north side of the new bridge.

The project should be completed in the fall.

NS News

Is that how lane markings in BC, which are always faded, painted? With an aerosol can of paint?

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

Is that how lane markings in BC, which are always faded, painted? With an aerosol can of paint?

That's the guide line. He's just doing layout for the painters.

There's a bunch of different ways of painting lines. There are truck mounted paint guns, cart mounted ones, stencils, thermoplastic extruders, etc....

[Pinion]

I was not expecting this for the cut... at least it's looking like a new Lynn Creek bridge is an inevitability

Ministry investigating new design for the Cut

Transportation planners from the District of North Vancouver and province are floating a new idea aimed at easing traffic on the Cut.

District council members got their first look Monday night at a new design for a “collector distribution system” – a concrete barrier dividing traffic bound for the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing from traffic headed for local exits.

“The weaving and merging that happens on the highway would then happen on a separated road system,” said Tegan Smith, transportation planner for the district. “Staff believe this option provides significant capacity to separate the local and the highway traffic and starts to get at the heart of the issues that have been facing the district’s transportation network.”

Similar dividers are used on highways running around Surrey, Montreal and Toronto. For drivers coming down the cut, the “decision point” would be just before the Mountain Highway overpass. The idea would be contingent on the province and feds coming up with grants to help pay the cost of installing a new eight-lane Highway 1 bridge over Lynn Creek.

The staff presentation did not include a cost estimate for the collector distribution idea, but it would be on top of the $150-million price tag for the already-in-the-works revamp of all three interchanges at the bridgehead. The Ministry of Transportation has hired a consultant to model traffic flows on the Highway 1 corridor, looking to see if the collector distribution system will have a real-life impact on travel times. Those results are due in June.

While much of council was eager to see anything that might ease congestion, there was debate over whether the costs would prove worthwhile, particularly from Coun. Mathew Bond, who is a transportation systems engineer with the ministry.

Big-ticket road widening projects have been shown to have counterproductive results, Bond said. He pointed to Texas spending $2.3 billion widening the Katy Freeway in Houston up to 23 lanes only to have travel times for commuters increase by 51 per cent in the following three years.

“I’m worried we might be doing the popular thing and not necessarily the good thing or the right thing,” he said.

The issue ought to be of particular significance for young people, who tend to have less car-reliant lifestyles, Bond said, but rarely participate in council’s consultation processes.

“I question these (assumptions). I want to see the data. Show me that it’s going to work. Show me that it makes sense for the long term because for the next 20 or 30 years of debt financing it takes to pay for this, we’re going to be paying the bill,” he said.

But the point of the project isn’t just to clear-up notorious Cut traffic for commuters headed over the Ironworkers, others on council argued, but rather to separate our own local east-west traffic.

“Is it going to solve everything? No. Is it going to be expensive? Yup. Do we have to do it? I think we do,” Coun. Lisa Muri said. “Think good thoughts that this will happen before we all retire.”

And with driverless vehicles coming on the market soon and fundamentally changing commuter patterns, the highway projects may prove to have lots of capacity for the future, Coun. Roger Bassam added.

“We don’t know where this is going but we do know the engineering we have right now is not very good. It’s not very efficient,” he said.

Detailed design work for the Mountain Highway interchange, meanwhile, is nearly 90 per cent done and contracts for the work will be tendered over the summer, with construction coming this fall.

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/ministry-inve...r-the-cut-1.2237906#sthash.b11L7JYH.dpuf

What's up with Bond?? Even Lisa "no to everything" Muri is on board. This is a no-brainer.