Highways in Canada

[sonysnob]

A video of Hwy 3 and 401 in Southwestern Ontario:

• Video Link

[MonctonRad]

Plan for a new $13M interchange project to replace the currently very congested Harrisville/Dieppe Blvd overpass on Highway 15 in the eastern part of Moncton.



This interchange is the main connector between two large industrial parks (Caledonia & Dieppe), and is the main access point to uptown Dieppe from Highway 15. In addition, the Romeo LeBlanc Greater Moncton International Airport is immediately adjacent. Finally, there is a developing commercial corridor on Harrisville Blvd, and it seems very likely that the Moncton Costco store will relocate here within the next several years.

For all these reasons, replacement of the current overpass is absolutely necessary. It will be interesting to see how the populace reacts to the roundabouts at the on/off ramps though. This will be a new experience for Monctonians. They are getting more popular in NS, but to my knowledge, this will be the first time they will be used in this capacity in NB.

The city of Moncton has installed several roundabouts elsewhere in the city over the last 4-5 years, and there are two high speed traffic rotaries on Highway 15, so it's not as if we are complete neophytes to this type of traffic device, but I'm willing to predict there will be some resistance to this in any event.

[speedog]

Two roundabouts and an overpass? Pfft, how about three roundabouts and an overpass, Calgary recently completed such...



And of course there's another special two lane roundabout in Calgary with four roads into it, one alley and two railroad tracks that run right through the middle of the roundabout.

Roundabouts are becoming quite commonplace in Calgary and I quite like them. The biggest problem though is that almost all drivers don't even bother to signal or properly signal their intentions when entering, in or exiting a roundabout - there are two roundabouts in close proximity near my current work site and I would say that 95% of the drivers using them have absolutely no clue how to use their signals in the roundabouts. Some are so clued out that they actually stop and yield to entering drivers while in the roundabout themselves - can't fix stupid I suppose.

[sonysnob]

Video of Autoroute 50 through Gatineau. This was was taken just after the sun went down, so it's a little different than the typical road video:

• Video Link

[GreaterMontréal]

del

[Innsertnamehere]

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1020591/routes-185-20-quebec-matapedia-lac-saumon

The first part of the Autoroute 85 upgrade begins this year with tree clearing. Full construction starts next year. When complete in 2021, The Maritimes freeway network will be connected to Canada's central freeway network, and you will be able to drive from Halifax to Windsor on freeways.

[craner]

^Nice!
Then we "just" need to get through Ontario, a tiny leg of eastern Manitoba, and BC and then we can drive coast to cost on a divided highway.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by craner

^Nice!
Then we "just" need to get through Ontario, a tiny leg of eastern Manitoba, and BC and then we can drive coast to cost on a divided highway.

Most of Highway 17 is 2 laned. And it is over 2000km.

Anyone out there just have a baby? They likely wont see that all 4 laned in their lifetime.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Video of Autoroute 50 through Gatineau. This was was taken just after the sun went down, so it's a little different than the typical road video:

As an update, there was an announcement last week that a small section of A-50 is planned to be widened to 4 lanes to get it completely past Buckingham (Gatineau). A 7km widening will take place from the current end of the 4 lane section in Buckingham to past Chemin Doherty. It's a start anyway.

LINK from La Presse

For the most part, the Super-2 sections of A-50 are future-proofed with every overpass having been built wide enough to accommodate a divided highway.

Like this one, aka the "Let's Make a Deal" overpass: https://goo.gl/maps/Noq1DKsUn7S2


I still maintain that the part that needs widening the most urgently is the section between Lachute and Mirabel airport. That segment also has 2 level railway crossings that should be addressed.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by craner

^Nice!
Then we "just" need to get through Ontario, a tiny leg of eastern Manitoba, and BC and then we can drive coast to cost on a divided highway.

There are still parts of Highway 1 east of Calgary that need to be fixed up to proper freeway standards. Even ignoring the countless access road intersections, there is a set of signals immediately east of Calgary, then lights through Strathmore, then lights through Medicine Hat, then in Sask there's lights in Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Regina (for now)...

There's a lot of work to do.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Horus

As an update, there was an announcement last week that a small section of A-50 is planned to be widened to 4 lanes to get it completely past Buckingham (Gatineau). A 7km widening will take place from the current end of the 4 lane section in Buckingham to past Chemin Doherty. It's a start anyway.

LINK from La Presse

For the most part, the Super-2 sections of A-50 are future-proofed with every overpass having been built wide enough to accommodate a divided highway.

Like this one, aka the "Let's Make a Deal" overpass: https://goo.gl/maps/Noq1DKsUn7S2


I still maintain that the part that needs widening the most urgently is the section between Lachute and Mirabel airport. That segment also has 2 level railway crossings that should be addressed.

This segment will be getting a median barrier sometime this year, and will likely be four-laned within a couple of years as well. The four-laning will likely begin at the Gatineau and Mirabel ends and move towards the middle. (Though parts of the middle are already four-laned. Like around Montebello.)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Video of Autoroute 50 through Gatineau. This was was taken just after the sun went down, so it's a little different than the typical road video:

• Video Link

Thanks for posting this video and all the others you post.

Minor nitpick - it doesn't actually show the highway through Gatineau, and stops just before the city limits.

A-50 through Gatineau is four to six lanes divided.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by milomilo

There are still parts of Highway 1 east of Calgary that need to be fixed up to proper freeway standards. Even ignoring the countless access road intersections, there is a set of signals immediately east of Calgary, then lights through Strathmore, then lights through Medicine Hat, then in Sask there's lights in Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Regina (for now)...

There's a lot of work to do.

There are no lights in Swift Current nor Moose Jaw. Once the Regina Bypass is complete the TCH in Saskatchewan will be light free. In Manitoba there are lights in Brandon, Yellowhead/TCH intersection and several points between Portage La Prairie and Winnipeg. There is uncontrolled access throughout the prairies as well.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

There are no lights in Swift Current nor Moose Jaw. Once the Regina Bypass is complete the TCH in Saskatchewan will be light free. In Manitoba there are lights in Brandon, Yellowhead/TCH intersection and several points between Portage La Prairie and Winnipeg. There is uncontrolled access throughout the prairies as well.

It will literally be decades before the last lights on the TCH through Manitoba are removed. The Headingley bypass west of Winnipeg will eliminate arguably the slowest, most light-ridden part of the TCH whenever it gets built.

Apart from that, the TCH/Yellowhead interchange was planned and then stalled, and there has been some talk regarding improvements through Brandon. Those could happen in the near to mid term, but I wouldn't hold my breath. But I'm sure that the rural intersections with secondary highways will remain signalled for a long time to come.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Thanks for posting this video and all the others you post.

Minor nitpick - it doesn't actually show the highway through Gatineau, and stops just before the city limits.

A-50 through Gatineau is four to six lanes divided.

Fair point. I'm actually not sure why I captioned it as such here, I was more clear when I titled the video on Youtube.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Fair point. I'm actually not sure why I captioned it as such here, I was more clear when I titled the video on Youtube.

Oh, this is a video you did?

Cool!

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Oh, this is a video you did?

Cool!

Yeah, there are a couple of other people who post here who also do road vids (I'd say they generally do a better job with them than I do), but this is one I put together.

[speedog]

Uncontrolled, level intersections on the TCH in Alberta will remain for quite a while- here's a 41km or so section between Suffield and the Tilley intersection (Google Maps link). No homes on either side of the TCH for miles, just prairie, pastures and oil/gas installation. The amount of monies that would need to be spent to bring this 41km section up to freeway standards and still provide access to the areas that the secondary and gravel roads lead to would be quite huge compared to whatever gains might be realized from such. It's a very safe section of highway and is straights as an arrow for 41km and is quite flat as well - visibility ahead or behind is never an issue unless it's foggy (rare) or there's a winter snow storm/blizzard. Spend the saved monies elsewhere like a bypasses around Medicine Hat or Strathmore or a couple of interchanges where more major highways meet/cross the TCH.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by speedog

Uncontrolled, level intersections on the TCH in Alberta will remain for quite a while- here's a 41km or so section between Suffield and the Tilley intersection (Google Maps link). No homes on either side of the TCH for miles, just prairie, pastures and oil/gas installation. The amount of monies that would need to be spent to bring this 41km section up to freeway standards and still provide access to the areas that the secondary and gravel roads lead to would be quite huge compared to whatever gains might be realized from such. It's a very safe section of highway and is straights as an arrow for 41km and is quite flat as well - visibility ahead or behind is never an issue unless it's foggy (rare) or there's a winter snow storm/blizzard. Spend the saved monies elsewhere like a bypasses around Medicine Hat or Strathmore or a couple of interchanges where more major highways meet/cross the TCH.

Is there a plan for that light between Chestemere and the start of Stoney Trail?

Bypasses through the Hat and Strathmore would be nice but didn't Medicine Hat already spend a ton of money updating the bridge and building a couple of overpasses on the east side of the city?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Yeah, there are a couple of other people who post here who also do road vids (I'd say they generally do a better job with them than I do), but this is one I put together.

Ahh... so the editorial comments are yours. Like the one about the 417 being a boring drive. I agree BTW!