Ontario Highways

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The ramp from the eastbound 401 to Highway 8 West will have its own Grand River Bridge on a unique alignment that is not connected to the existing 401 bridge.

It will be rally impressive if and when it ever gets built.

Is it feasible to build the 401E-8 bridge first and use it as the temporary east bound lanes while the actual 401 bridge is being replaced? In effect, both sides of the 401 would be diverted and both bridges could be built together (or even one really wide bridge). Speaking of, would the 8-401W ramp be part of the westbound bridge or a separate structure altogether? I know you said widen the westbound bridge on the north side, but if they are replacing the bridge, what it's involved in widening it and then removing the old part?

[Dengler Avenue]

I think you’ve got it flipped. From what I understand of sonysnob, 8 Hamilton-Bound to 401 W will be the same bridge. On the other hand, 401 E to 8 Kitchener-Bound will be a bridge on its own.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I think you’ve got it flipped. From what I understand of sonysnob, 8 Hamilton-Bound to 401 W will be the same bridge. On the other hand, 401 E to 8 Kitchener-Bound will be a bridge on its own.

That sounds like what I said. He said widening the westbound bridge, I was just wondering if it would be widened for the temporary lanes or an entirely new bridge being built on the north side of the current structure, which would temporarily serve as the westbound lane and eventually be the new onramp from highway 8. Only asking because I'm not sure how you widen a bridge and then rip half of the resulting new structure down. But in reading the website that Haljackey posted, the top link doesn't even say anything about new ramps. The bottom link, the 2009 plan, shows the ramps, so I'm not sure if the highway 8 part of it isn't happening as part of this plan or even at all now.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Is it feasible to build the 401E-8 bridge first and use it as the temporary east bound lanes while the actual 401 bridge is being replaced? In effect, both sides of the 401 would be diverted and both bridges could be built together (or even one really wide bridge). Speaking of, would the 8-401W ramp be part of the westbound bridge or a separate structure altogether? I know you said widen the westbound bridge on the north side, but if they are replacing the bridge, what it's involved in widening it and then removing the old part?

It probably wouldn't have been impossible to build it that way, but the vertical alignment of the eastbound to westbound ramp won't be the same as the 401 (the eastern end will be a lot higher to clear the flyover ramp that carries Highway 8 East to the 401 East), so it would probably be more expensive than what they are proposing.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

That sounds like what I said. He said widening the westbound bridge, I was just wondering if it would be widened for the temporary lanes or an entirely new bridge being built on the north side of the current structure, which would temporarily serve as the westbound lane and eventually be the new onramp from highway 8. Only asking because I'm not sure how you widen a bridge and then rip half of the resulting new structure down. But in reading the website that Haljackey posted, the top link doesn't even say anything about new ramps. The bottom link, the 2009 plan, shows the ramps, so I'm not sure if the highway 8 part of it isn't happening as part of this plan or even at all now.

If you look at the link that Haljacky posted (which I actually hadn't seen before), you can see in the final configuration that a fair amount of space on the right side of the future westbound structure will be initially blocked off by a temporary concrete barrier. This is where the ramp from Highway 8 will be once they finally build that connection.

The purple highlighted section in the photo below is for the speed change lane for the future ramp from Highway 8:

[Dengler Avenue]

You're right. It actually doesn't include the flyover to Highway 8 Kitchener-Bound. This doesn't look good...

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

If you look at the link that Haljacky posted (which I actually hadn't seen before), you can see in the final configuration that a fair amount of space on the right side of the future westbound structure will be initially blocked off by a temporary concrete barrier. This is where the ramp from Highway 8 will be once they finally build that connection.

It's too bad the MTO/Ontario website doesn't have a directory somewhere listing all these project pages. This would be a easy way to find out what's going on.

Another neat takeaway from the project is that HOV lanes are proposed to go to Homer Watson. Probably won't happen, but if they build the bridge deck wide enough for the buffer zone or whatever it's called than it could be put in later.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

You're right. It actually doesn't include the flyover to Highway 8 Kitchener-Bound. This doesn't look good...

Once the bridge replacement project is done, I would assume the next project would be to build a new bridge for the flyover. One thing at a time...

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by haljackey

It's too bad the MTO/Ontario website doesn't have a directory somewhere listing all these project pages. This would be a easy way to find out what's going on.

The Ontario government website has certain accessibility and readability requirements. Third party websites don't have to meet the same requirements, that's why nothing is every posted to Ontario.ca for these projects.

Originally Posted by haljackey

Another neat takeaway from the project is that HOV lanes are proposed to go to Homer Watson. Probably won't happen, but if they build the bridge deck wide enough for the buffer zone or whatever it's called than it could be put in later.

I don't know if the HOV lanes will be extended westerly or not. There isn't very much space beneath the eastbound Highway 8 to eastbound 401 flyover. One could probably shoehorn a general purpose lane by compromising shoulder width, but they definitely couldn't fit an HOV lane and a buffer beneath the current bridge. The current bridge was built in 1987, so I don't see there being a lot of demand to prematurely replace it.

That, and the Grand River bridge study seems to insinuate that the highway doesn't meet the HOV warrants west of Highway 8.

Originally Posted by haljackey

Once the bridge replacement project is done, I would assume the next project would be to build a new bridge for the flyover. One thing at a time...

indeed. Replacing the Grand River bridge is itself a huge project. Combining that project with others would severely limit the number of companies that could bid to construct such a job.

[Dengler Avenue]

https://twitter.com/opp_hsd/status/1219715430123802625?s=21

What’s with all these ice-smashing-window incidents? There are so many of those.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

https://twitter.com/opp_hsd/status/1219715430123802625?s=21

What’s with all these ice-smashing-window incidents? There are so many of those.

I call it poetic justice for those that tailgate. Driving too close is why this happens.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

I call it poetic justice for those that tailgate. Driving too close is why this happens.

I disagree. I was on the innermost lane of 407 one morning. A stupid pickup in the middle lane was tossing snow and it fell into the innermost lane. Had I been going any faster, I would have been toast. I wasn’t even tailing the truck.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I disagree. I was on the innermost lane of 407 one morning. A stupid pickup in the middle lane was tossing snow and it fell into the innermost lane. Had I been going any faster, I would have been toast. I wasn’t even tailing the truck.

Funny, I thought the middle lane was for passing.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Funny, I thought the middle lane was for passing.

Oh I remember now. I was at first in the second inner lane. Then I went into the passing lane to avoid the truck. It clearly didn’t work. In the end I passed it at slightly below 150 km/h. Seriously it was a big wager though. If it threw more snow towards my direction with me going at that speed, I wouldn’t be alive talking with you right now. I was shouting in my head, “Damn you piece of work. Clear your snow!”

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Oh I remember now. I was at first in the second inner lane. Then I went into the passing lane to avoid the truck. It clearly didn’t work. In the end I passed it at slightly below 150 km/h. Seriously it was a big wager though. If it threw more snow towards my direction with me going at that speed, I wouldn’t be alive talking with you right now. I was shouting in my head, “Damn you piece of work. Clear your snow!”

... typical southerner.

[Djeffery]

If it took you going 150 to get by the guy, maybe you just needed to slow down a bit for a few minutes and let the guy go, then he won't be your problem anymore. I hear too many times, people saying they needed to go so fast to be rid of an annoying whoever on the roads, not realizing they can also slow down for a few minutes and be just as rid of them. Because odds are, when you slow down, you aren't going to catch up to them again, but if you speed up to go around them, you will no doubt be dealing with that person a lot until one or the other of you gets off the highway. But, testosterone gets in the way on the road sometimes.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

If it took you going 150 to get by the guy, maybe you just needed to slow down a bit for a few minutes and let the guy go, then he won't be your problem anymore.

I was contemplating that too. I will (hopefully...?) do that next time.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

but if you speed up to go around them, you will no doubt be dealing with that person a lot until one or the other of you gets off the highway. But, testosterone gets in the way on the road sometimes.

I thought the only time that I would deal with the truck would be the period in which I was trying to pass him...? Granted, though, those few seconds were painful...

In general though, I'm surprised to see so many incidents of roof ice smashing through the windshield. A reddit user from Ottawa offered this insight though: "Sometimes, a layer of transparent ice was simply formed on your roof, so you would think that you have cleared all the ice and snow off your car when that was totally not the case"...

[Djeffery]

Even that tweet from Kerry Schmidt that you posted had someone post a pic of an OPP SUV in McDonalds drive thru with the roof totally covered in snow. There really isn't a good reason for vehicles up to SUV size to have snow on the roof, it's just laziness. But if it's just snow, it's also not really a problem. Annoyance to people behind, but that's about it, until it blows off. Trucks are another problem and there isn't really a good solution. Our company has 16 foot snow rakes and it clears the roof off of the major piles that can build up, but it won't clean it down to bare surface. Our larger centres have drive through units, basically a snow plow blade mounted on a structure, you drive the truck through and it pulls the snow off. Still not perfect and with a layer of ice like we had this week, it might just loosen the ice that's caked on the roof and make it fly off easier than if nothing was done.

[Dengler Avenue]

Thanks for the photos. I’ve always wondered how truckers clear their roof.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

https://twitter.com/opp_hsd/status/1219715430123802625?s=21

What’s with all these ice-smashing-window incidents? There are so many of those.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

I call it poetic justice for those that tailgate. Driving too close is why this happens.

That's ridiculous. Blame the victim? Blame the guy not cleaning his vehicle.
There is no not driving close on the 401

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Horus

That's ridiculous. Blame the victim? Blame the guy not cleaning his vehicle.
There is no not driving close on the 401

Which is my point. I am one of a few people that tries to leave a good distance between me and the car ahead of me, and what happens? Someone pulls in. Maybe a few smashed windshields and some scared drivers will have people back off.

I am old enough to remember seeing the "keep 2 chevrons apart". Now a days people are not even keeping 1 Smart car length apart.