BC Highway Construction

[craner]

240glt
HVAC guru
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: EDM ->->-> Okanagan
Posts: 10,050

As a frequent traveller to BC I'd love for the whole section to Kamloops be improved, it's such a beautiful drive but such an awful road. So much nicer than the Yellowhead, but the last time we drove it traffic was a nightmare

Hence the need to upgrade the TCH #1 to a proper modern highway.
Should have been done 30 years ago IMO.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by craner

Hence the need to upgrade the TCH #1 to a proper modern highway.
Should have been done 30 years ago IMO.

Or right from the beginning... (I think I've said this before.)

[flipper316]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgFOIca2B8Q

[flipper316]

https://globalnews.ca/news/4000785/b-c-w...on-bruhn-bridge-replacement-in-sicamous/

Oh jeez another at grade intersection on a supposed to be freeway highway in BC. Shocker.

[240glt]

It' too bad they couldn't have extended the bridge and flown over the intersection, and put an interchange underneath the highway but the railway tracks on the other side of the highway are in the way.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by 240glt

It' too bad they couldn't have extended the bridge and flown over the intersection, and put an interchange underneath the highway but the railway tracks on the other side of the highway are in the way.

unless people are okay with exiting and entering the highway from the left

Since the railway's in the way, that means the highway needs to be expanded on the other side, hopefully leaving enough room to have an interchange where people get on and off from the left. But who knows, maybe it's even less safe that way.

[craner]

Originally Posted by flipper316

https://globalnews.ca/news/4000785/b-c-w...on-bruhn-bridge-replacement-in-sicamous/

Oh jeez another at grade intersection on a supposed to be freeway highway in BC. Shocker.

Why don't they consider these things?
Now is the chance to get tis right and eliminate an at grade intersection.

So frustrating.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by craner

Why don't they consider these things?
Now is the chance to get tis right and eliminate an at grade intersection.

So frustrating.

Who's suggested such design to begin with? (Not a rhetorical question.)

[lubicon]

$215 million? For a small bridge like that?

[240glt]

Why did I think that was in Chase ?

At that location, I don't really have a problem with the at-grade crossing. The highway cuts right through Sicamous there and there are numerous turn-offs on that stretch of highway, including the exceptionally busy 97A turnoff to the Okanagan.

In all reality what they should be doing is bypassing Sicamous alltogether

[Bobert]

Originally Posted by lubicon

$215 million? For a small bridge like that?

The cost likely includes the roadway improvements on either side of the bridge as well.

I regards to the at-grade intersection, you're going to find this sort of scenario all across the twinning project. Many communities have wrapped themselves around the highway to the point its a local 'main st'. No other way around this than to bypass the communities or continue building well-designed intersections.

[ClaytonA]

For Hwy 1, they should really replicate the Inland Island Hwy on Vancouver Island with a completely separate, new highway. Just imagine what the Island Hwy would be like if they'd done it just like they're doing Hwy 1... It used to take 2.75-3.0 hours Campbell River to Nanaimo BC Ferry Terminal, now it takes 80-90 minutes.

One example is Sicamous, more specifically the traffic light for southbound turns to the Okanagan, was massively over capacity last August long weekend. Westbound traffic backed up km's. Eastbound traffic trying to make left hand turns to businesses, etc. backed up eastbound traffic to just past the end of the four lane that starts at Bernie Rd. The locals trying to get to Tim's or whatever can still use the old highway, it will still be a main road connecting communities and business districts to residential areas. A completely new limited access highway is the step change required. Getting most of the tractor trailers shipments to Calgary, etc. onto rail would help dramatically too.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by lubicon

$215 million? For a small bridge like that?

Things aren't cheap in BC due to challenging terrain. This is why it's going to take 40 years and billions of dollars to four lane Hwy 1. This photo says it all. I was doing a motorcycle ride across Canada and was very much looking forward to this section but was stuck behind semis doing 20 km/h.

[flipper316]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Things aren't cheap in BC due to challenging terrain. This is why it's going to take 40 years and billions of dollars to four lane Hwy 1. This photo says it all. I was doing a motorcycle ride across Canada and was very much looking forward to this section but was stuck behind semis doing 20 km/h.

The particular section that I linked is easy to re-do. It's in Sicamous nice and flat.

[craner]

Originally Posted by ClaytonA

For Hwy 1, they should really replicate the Inland Island Hwy on Vancouver Island with a completely separate, new highway. Just imagine what the Island Hwy would be like if they'd done it just like they're doing Hwy 1... It used to take 2.75-3.0 hours Campbell River to Nanaimo BC Ferry Terminal, now it takes 80-90 minutes.

One example is Sicamous, more specifically the traffic light for southbound turns to the Okanagan, was massively over capacity last August long weekend. Westbound traffic backed up km's. Eastbound traffic trying to make left hand turns to businesses, etc. backed up eastbound traffic to just past the end of the four lane that starts at Bernie Rd. The locals trying to get to Tim's or whatever can still use the old highway, it will still be a main road connecting communities and business districts to residential areas. A completely new limited access highway is the step change required. Getting most of the tractor trailers shipments to Calgary, etc. onto rail would help dramatically too.

We can dream - a new separate freeway would be fabulous but I can't even conceive it being possible given the cost & the politics.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by craner

We can dream - a new separate freeway would be fabulous but I can't even conceive it being possible given the cost & the politics.

It's the politics, or more accurately the lack of will by politicians to spend the money to do it. One need only look at I 70 in the US and the route through the Rockies in Colorado. The Glenwood Canyon in particular is equally challenging and the road is four lane through the entire section. With the economic importance of the TCH (and Yellowhead) there is ample reason to spend the money as the payback would be there.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by lubicon

It's the politics, or more accurately the lack of will by politicians to spend the money to do it. One need only look at I 70 in the US and the route through the Rockies in Colorado. The Glenwood Canyon in particular is equally challenging and the road is four lane through the entire section. With the economic importance of the TCH (and Yellowhead) there is ample reason to spend the money as the payback would be there.

Problem is, US is rich and Canada isn't.
Remember how the states got a lot of money from WWII? IMO that's why they afforded to build all those fabulous interstates.
Also, for going through the Rockies, don't forget about I-90.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Problem is, US is rich and Canada isn't.
Remember how the states got a lot of money from WWII? IMO that's why they afforded to build all those fabulous interstates.
Also, for going through the Rockies, don't forget about I-90.

Huh?

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Problem is, US is rich and Canada isn't.
Remember how the states got a lot of money from WWII? IMO that's why they afforded to build all those fabulous interstates.
Also, for going through the Rockies, don't forget about I-90.

Not so much rich but more densely populated. Fact is, the TCH through interior BC just isn't that highly travelled and cannot justify interstate levels of spending at the current time, as much as I'd like.

[Metro-One]

Also, most importantly, for some strange region we don’t have a true federal highway program. This severely limits our ability to build through such regions.