Highways in Canada

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

I've been hearing about Halifax fixing/demo'ing the Cogswell Interchange for many, many years now. Is there actually movement happening on it? It'd definitely be a huge plus to downtown Halifax.

It's been talked about for years but Halifax regional council recently approved putting out tenders for demolition and reconstruction. They also approved a "90% plan" that specifies what the streets and land parcels will look like, but not the buildings or details of the public spaces. They've also planned out the construction phasing so that the area remains open while the interchange comes down.

Part of the impetus for this is that Cogswell is falling apart. If it's not torn down soon it will need expensive repairs. This is probably the main reason why this is happening in 2019 and didn't happen in 1999.

Another possible factor is that downtown land is worth a lot more now than it was in the 90's. It's expected to be a revenue neutral project, with the land paying off capital expenses (it's probably a big net win if you consider assessments and the expanded tax base).

[someone123]

Originally Posted by ghYHZ

In Halifax’s case….I think that’s a holdover from when there was only two entrance points onto the peninsula. Old Highways 2 and 3 looped through the downtown…then headed back out of the city towards St. Margaret’s Bay and Bedford. Now you also have the two bridges and highway102.

The highways and most of the roads there don't follow the cardinal directions or even go in a straight line. Highway 102 is a kind of "C" shape. Street addresses there are pretty useless for navigation too.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

MTO and the new Alberta urban freeways are built to American standards but Lack the network size, while Quebec and the Maritimes go for the “quantity over quality” approach. BC and MB have neither.

Semantics, but though the modern new build freeways in Alberta are high standard, I would't call them urban freeways, they are suburban at best and almost rural. Whenever a freeway in an urban area is upgraded, it is always of a smaller nature - not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Semantics, but though the modern new build freeways in Alberta are high standard, I would't call them urban freeways, they are suburban at best and almost rural. Whenever a freeway in an urban area is upgraded, it is always of a smaller nature - not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

Rural? Not even close.

[milomilo]

I said almost rural, and why not? They run through fields for much of their path.

[mcpish]

Originally Posted by Treplow

Montreal is really the only major Canadian city that has an American style freeway network, and even that has some coverage gaps (i.e. the surface section of the A20 through Vaudreuil).

Calgary is a pretty close 2nd.

[mcpish]

Here's a collection of some of the road videos I've made in the past few years. All footage was recorded and edited by myself:

Opening day on Winnipeg's largest interchange (The new PTH-59/101 interchange):
• Video Link

Checking out Winnipeg's airport:
• Video Link

Sunday morning drive around Calgary:
• Video Link

Winnipeg, The Forks and Kildonan Park
• Video Link

My Drive through Manchester, England
• Video Link

Me Leaving Glasgow, Scotland last summer:
• Video Link

Oxford, England drive
• Video Link

Kenora, Ontario bypass
• Video Link

[Dengler Avenue]

Oh yea let’s not forget that Edmonton has a full-fledge Ring Road aka Anthony Henday Drive.

I always find it funny that Albertans call their city freeways “drives” or “trails”. One’d initially think that those are residential backroads or even hiking trails when lo and behold, they’re full fledge freeways.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Oh yea let’s not forget that Edmonton has a full-fledge Ring Road aka Anthony Henday Drive.

I always find it funny that Albertans call their city freeways “drives” or “trails”. One’d initially think that those are residential backroads or even hiking trails when lo and behold, they’re full fledge freeways.

Heritage but I agree the names are stupid for freeways. Technically Henday is 216 and Stoney Trail in Calgary is 201. You'll see that signage as well on those roads.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Heritage but I agree the names are stupid for freeways. Technically Henday is 216 and Stoney Trail in Calgary is 201. You'll see that signage as well on those roads.

I’m aware of the numbers, but I’ve heard that Calgarians and Edmontonians know them by name instead.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by mcpish

Calgary is a pretty close 2nd.

How? We have one complete freeway running through the city, and it's shit.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’m aware of the numbers, but I’ve heard that Calgarians and Edmontonians know them by name instead.

Hopefully they know them by both if they use them. The media definitely uses the names but I'm pretty sure the province uses the numbers.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Semantics, but though the modern new build freeways in Alberta are high standard, I would't call them urban freeways, they are suburban at best and almost rural. Whenever a freeway in an urban area is upgraded, it is always of a smaller nature - not that that is necessarily a bad thing.

I totally agree with this. Calgary's ring roads have a pretty rural feel to them. (Not that I have driven them).

I'd also say that while I agree that Quebec's older roads are kind of poorly designed, aside from the super-2's, there isn't really anything substandard compared to an interstate or a 400-series or whatever about any of the autoroutes that have been built as new construction over the past two decades or so.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Treplow

Montreal is really the only major Canadian city that has an American style freeway network, and even that has some coverage gaps (i.e. the surface section of the A20 through Vaudreuil).

I think you have to cherry pick US cities for this to be true. While I agree that Montreal's freeway network is pretty similar to that of say Pittsburg or New York City, it's not really anything like that of Los Angeles or Phoenix for example.

I think that the 407 is the only road in Canada that feels like a big American freeway in one of the southern states, for example.

Though this does get into somewhat of a subjective argument.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by mcpish

H
My Drive through Manchester, England
• Video Link

Great use of Steve Coogan (a-ha) aka Alan Partridge in that M/CR video.

Did you enjoy the Mancunian way?

[mcpish]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

I totally agree with this. Calgary's ring roads have a pretty rural feel to them. (Not that I have driven them).

Here's my drive around Stoney Trail completely clockwise.
• Video Link

[mcpish]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Great use of Steve Coogan (a-ha) aka Alan Partridge in that M/CR video.

Did you enjoy the Mancunian way?

Thanks! Yes I'm a fan of Steve Coogan and watch a lot of us stuff too (Alan Partridge) from the UK "Catch up TV apps" on my Roku (BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, 5, ITV, etc).

Yup, England & Scotland's motorways are a blast to drive on! :-)

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by mcpish

Here's my drive around Stoney Trail completely clockwise.

You did a nice job on this video, although personally, I find the effects to be way too overdone for my taste. I'm sure someone else could say exactly the opposite of course.

I have to say though, sitting in the middle lane of a multi-lane freeway at exactly the speed limit and complaining about other drivers is pretty cringeworthy. Parking yourself in the centre lane going well below the average travel speed of any road is pretty awful driving behaviour in my opinion.

[TownGuy]

Cool video but Stoney Trail looks kind of dangerous to me. Little in the way of guardrails and the grass ditch is far too narrow to slow anything down. Also nothing to deflect cars from hitting things like bridge pillars, light posts, etc.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

I think you have to cherry pick US cities for this to be true. While I agree that Montreal's freeway network is pretty similar to that of say Pittsburg or New York City, it's not really anything like that of Los Angeles or Phoenix for example.

I think that the 407 is the only road in Canada that feels like a big American freeway in one of the southern states, for example.

I would agree with this.

The 400-series highways are good - better than the rest of Canada in design standards - but the 407 is a notch higher. And some of the newest freeways in places like Arizona and Texas really have to be experienced.

Something like this is a far cry from this*.


*The Montreal example shows a relatively recent freeway interchange built as a cloverleaf without separating the main lanes from the exit/entrance lanes with a slip road.