Highways in Canada

[FrAnKs]

B.C. is just splendid.

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by craner

Lets hope this is the start of consistent funding and they can get at least the National Park sections twinned within 10 years. They will need to do more than 6 km sections to meet this timeframe.

This money was part of the $3 billion announced in 2014 for multiple national park projects. What specific national park sections are you talking about that require twinning? In Glacier NP?

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by khabibulin

This money was part of the $3 billion announced in 2014 for multiple national park projects. What specific national park sections are you talking about that require twinning? In Glacier NP?

I suspect that he is referring to Hwy 1 in BC, which runs through Yoho NP, Glacier NP, and Mount Revelstoke NP. I have seen cost estimates that suggest ~$5 billion price tag for same. And these sections are inter-connected by BC MoTI's jurisdiction of Hwy 1, with cost estimates of another ~$6 billion (inclusive of remaining sections east of Kamloops).

Very difficult/expensive terrain for twinning/divided hwy.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

I suspect that he is referring to Hwy 1 in BC, which runs through Yoho NP, Glacier NP, and Mount Revelstoke NP. I have seen cost estimates that suggest ~$5 billion price tag for same. And these sections are inter-connected by BC MoTI's jurisdiction of Hwy 1, with cost estimates of another ~$6 billion (inclusive of remaining sections east of Kamloops).

Very difficult/expensive terrain for twinning/divided hwy.

The mountains are the most expensive to build in.

Here in Ontario, they have different cost estimates per km depending on whether it is in Northern or Southern Ontario. Northern ON is more expensive due to the rock. BC is more expensive, not only due to the rock, but the fact that you cannot just flatten a cliff or mountain.

[red-paladin]

A map of the current BC Hwy 1 twinning projects, and the sections under Parks Canada jurisdiction, from the project site: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transp...ghway1-kamloops-alberta/current-projects


Completed sections:


Kicking horse canyon map, phase 4 is still to go:

From: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/kickinghorse/khc_maps.htm

[eternallyme]

Regarding the KHC, they could probably do the 95 interchange immediately as that isn't that big of a project. However, the canyon section is likely the most expensive project in Canada per kilometre.

[jmt18325]

I'm surprised they haven't done the interchange yet.

[MolsonExport]

Love HWY 3 in BC. Used to drive it regularly back in my Osoyoos days.

[craner]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

I suspect that he is referring to Hwy 1 in BC, which runs through Yoho NP, Glacier NP, and Mount Revelstoke NP. I have seen cost estimates that suggest ~$5 billion price tag for same. And these sections are inter-connected by BC MoTI's jurisdiction of Hwy 1, with cost estimates of another ~$6 billion (inclusive of remaining sections east of Kamloops).

Very difficult/expensive terrain for twinning/divided hwy.

Yes, that's what I was referring to. Metro-One mentioned there were roughly 80kms of TCH #1 left to twin through the NPs in BC.
Shameful the TCH has not been twinned yet - its 2016!!
And as you say, now that they (governments ) have dragged their feet for so long the costs are very high.
Only going to get more expensive as the years go by though.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by craner

Yes, that's what I was referring to. Metro-One mentioned there were roughly 80kms of TCH #1 left to twin through the NPs in BC.
Shameful the TCH has not been twinned yet - its 2016!!
And as you say, now that they (governments ) have dragged their feet for so long the costs are very high.
Only going to get more expensive as the years go by though.

There is well over 1900km of 2 lane TCH in Ontario still left to twin. Almost 3000km if you also count both Highway 11 and 17.

Most of it is through granite.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Highway 3 is the highway connecting the little town of Princeton with the Lower Mainland and Vancouver. It's a nice drive and there is quite a bit new road construction going on adding new passing lanes.

No center barrier dividing on coming lanes. Classic British Columbia highway design. I don't know if its value engineering or what the reason is. Baffling. And why why WHY for the love of god why doesn't BC ever install steel guard rails along the outside shoulders of its highways. They're safer and they allow debris from cars to pass by instead of bouncing back at cars like a pinball game. These are legitimate questions. You cannot honestly tell me that cement jersey barriers installed along the outside shoulder are practical 100% of the time. They're just not.

[Innsertnamehere]

No centre barrier because the highway doesn't need one. It's not a freeway, they are just adding passing lanes.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

No centre barrier because the highway doesn't need one. It's not a freeway, they are just adding passing lanes.

Exactly what I was going to point out.

It is not a freeway.

2 lane highways with periodic passing lanes look like this though out Canada, the US, and indeed the world.

[red-paladin]

Building highways, and expanding them, in that part of BC is the most expensive per km in the country.
Also, I don't understand the penchant some have for metal guard rails, just cause they use them in the US doesn't make them better?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Exactly what I was going to point out.

It is not a freeway.

2 lane highways with periodic passing lanes look like this though out Canada, the US, and indeed the world.

While this may be typical in many places I feel like a centre barrier does so much to protect drivers it's somewhat baffling how this is the design standard for some pretty busy stretches of road.

Every time I drive to whistler I'm amazed at some of the curved sections with 100 km/h limits which have room for a barrier that don't. I just feel so much safer when there is one there.

[ssiguy]

So when the areas thru the national parks are done, will the entire highway between Vancouver and Calgary be completely 4 laned?

[craner]

^Heck no - not even close.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

So when the areas thru the national parks are done, will the entire highway between Vancouver and Calgary be completely 4 laned?

Not quite. There will still be a stretch east of Golden towards Yoho Park and west of Golden towards Mt Relvelstoke Park that are two Lane. Also a stretch west of Revelstoke towards Salmon if I am not mistaken (it's been a long time since I have been on that stretch of the highway)

[craneSpotter]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

There is well over 1900km of 2 lane TCH in Ontario still left to twin. Almost 3000km if you also count both Highway 11 and 17.

Most of it is through granite.

What are volumes like through there?

BC #1 from the Alberta border to west of Revelstoke has pretty low traffic volumes. Only 3 to 4,000 vehicles daily during Jan/Feb to approx. 12 to 15,000 daily during the peak summer months. The absolute peak would be ~18k a day before and after the August long weekend. The current highway has a capacity for ~20-24,000 vehicles a day (based on other studies done on two/three-lane highways by the MoTI in BC), but could use some more passing lanes.

The only way to get it twinned within the next 30 years would be to TOLL it, which I would totally support! Maybe $30 each way for cars and $40 for RVs. User pay is a win/win! They could just set up TOLL booths before Golden.

[harls]

A couple of snaps near Grenville-sur-la-rouge on Autoroute 50 ouest, Quebec.

Shitty cell phone pics.





That concrete barrier on the right is bigger than my car.