Roads/Bridges projects/issues

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

I am in my 30s and use both the Queensway and 417... Although more commonly "the highway" ������

Interesting. I more often use the term “freeway” for the 417. When I think of a highway I think of Highway 7 or 17 type roadways.

[Acajack]

I just checked with my kids who've lived in Gatineau all their lives and to them the highway that crosses Ottawa is the 417. They don't use Queensway.

There are still a few old faded Queensway signs out there.

For example, I picked up my kid at the VIA station recently and noticed when you exit the station ground there is a fairly large but very faded green guide sign that points to Queensway East and Queensway West.

I think there might still be one or two as well at the interchange that leads out of the Bayshore area.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

Interesting. I more often use the term “freeway” for the 417. When I think of a highway I think of Highway 7 or 17 type roadways.

I agree in terms of defining what types of roads these are, but simply referring to the 417 or Queensway as "the freeway" in the context of Ottawa sounds odd to me.

It sounds like something a person living in a mid-sized American city with a single Interstate would say: "just take the freeway, Burt!".

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I agree in terms of defining what types of roads these are, but simply referring to the 417 or Queensway as "the freeway" in the context of Ottawa sounds odd to me.

It sounds like something a person living in a mid-sized American city with a single Interstate would say: "just take the freeway, Burt!".

I have the same impression. "Freeway" has a vaguely American ring to it.

I'm not a lifelong resident of Ottawa, but I'm in the camp of using Queensway in the city and 417 outside of the city. For what it's worth, radio traffic reports still tend to use Queensway, so that's likely where I picked it up.

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I just checked with my kids who've lived in Gatineau all their lives and to them the highway that crosses Ottawa is the 417. They don't use Queensway.

There are still a few old faded Queensway signs out there.

For example, I picked up my kid at the VIA station recently and noticed when you exit the station ground there is a fairly large but very faded green guide sign that points to Queensway East and Queensway West.

I think there might still be one or two as well at the interchange that leads out of the Bayshore area.

You’re right. These relics must be 40-50 years old!

[harls]

^ I think the reason those signs haven't been changed is because that particular piece of infrastructure belongs to Bayshore, and they haven't bothered to update it.

I think the same thing happened at St. Laurent Centre too.. my memory is foggy but I do believe there was some Queensway signage there not long ago.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I just checked with my kids who've lived in Gatineau all their lives and to them the highway that crosses Ottawa is the 417. They don't use Queensway.

There are still a few old faded Queensway signs out there.

For example, I picked up my kid at the VIA station recently and noticed when you exit the station ground there is a fairly large but very faded green guide sign that points to Queensway East and Queensway West.

I think there might still be one or two as well at the interchange that leads out of the Bayshore area.

Hilarious this sign survived so long, especially with the LRT and 417 Expansion projects:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4180783,-...ZOxMZkwYTCUsWjm41e9Qg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hwy418

Hilarious this sign survived so long, especially with the LRT and 417 Expansion projects:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4180783,-...ZOxMZkwYTCUsWjm41e9Qg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Another thing is that going in either direction actually allows you to take the Queensway (417) either eastbound or westbound.

[GeoNerd]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Another thing is that going in either direction actually allows you to take the Queensway (417) either eastbound or westbound.

In the 70’s the setup of Belfast was very odd. Looked like you could almost get directly on/off the freeway/highway/queensway/417/autoroute from the train station.

[Kitchissippi]

I often wonder why the Trans-Canada aspect of the 417 isn't played up more. This is, after all, the Capital.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

In the 70’s the setup of Belfast was very odd. Looked like you could almost get directly on/off the freeway/highway/queensway/417/autoroute from the train station.

Nice find. That's a lotta ramps.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I often wonder why the Trans-Canada aspect of the 417 isn't played up more. This is, after all, the Capital.

As you likely know, that's an Ontario (MTO) thing, not an Ottawa thing.

Even Quebec, for all its... well.. you know... is a lot better about using the TCH shield.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

As you likely know, that's an Ontario (MTO) thing, not an Ottawa thing.

Even Quebec, for all its... well.. you know... is a lot better about using the TCH shield.

I disagree. At least we put route names in the maple leaves, i.e. Upper Ottawa Valley Route, Lake Superior Route. In Quebec it’s just a blank maple leaf, nothing more.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm not a lifelong resident of Ottawa, but I'm in the camp of using Queensway in the city and 417 outside of the city. For what it's worth, radio traffic reports still tend to use Queensway, so that's likely where I picked it up.

Same: moved here and picked up the nomenclature from radio traffic reports: "Queensway" = segment in town (mentally I picture the portion between the 416 and the 174, mainly); "417" = everything else. I will also talk about it like this to my kids who were born here, so that's what they'll learn!

I also exclusively refer to roads in town by their street names, even though they could also be called by their regional road numbers. My GPS uses the numbers but they never stick with me.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

Same: moved here and picked up the nomenclature from radio traffic reports: "Queensway" = segment in town (mentally I picture the portion between the 416 and the 174, mainly); "417" = everything else. I will also talk about it like this to my kids who were born here, so that's what they'll learn!

I also exclusively refer to roads in town by their street names, even though they could also be called by their regional road numbers. My GPS uses the numbers but they never stick with me.

That is another thing. We see the regional numbers on map but the city never posts them.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

In the 70’s the setup of Belfast was very odd. Looked like you could almost get directly on/off the freeway/highway/queensway/417/autoroute from the train station.

Who knew the area was once even more pedestrian hostile than it is now!

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I often wonder why the Trans-Canada aspect of the 417 isn't played up more. This is, after all, the Capital.

Although the 417 is part of the Trans-Canada, Ottawa's kind of a detour, so it doesn't "count", sort of.

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

I also exclusively refer to roads in town by their street names, even though they could also be called by their regional road numbers. My GPS uses the numbers but they never stick with me.

Really annoying when a GPS refers to the number. Like who the heck knows the numbers?

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Acajack

As you likely know, that's an Ontario (MTO) thing, not an Ottawa thing.

Even Quebec, for all its... well.. you know... is a lot better about using the TCH shield.

Yeah, MTO is horrible with signage. Ontario has the worst highway graphic standards of any province in my opinion. Inconsistent typography, bad spacing and composition, just plain amateurish design. New Brunswick is impressive by comparison.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

That is another thing. We see the regional numbers on map but the city never posts them.

Google Street View often has the RR number and not the street name.

So you have a view of "Ottawa Road 56" and then you're like: wait a minute, that's Bank Street.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Although the 417 is part of the Trans-Canada, Ottawa's kind of a detour, so it doesn't "count", sort of.

Ottawa is actually fully on the TCH "main line", if you can call it that.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Yeah, MTO is horrible with signage. Ontario has the worst highway graphic standards of any province in my opinion. Inconsistent typography, bad spacing and composition, just plain amateurish design. New Brunswick is impressive by comparison.

I find the look of the signs has gotten a lot better in recent years, but there are still a lot of old — signs out there.

The biggest problem with MTO remains the choice of information they put on the signs.

For example, there is no destination city ("control city" for road geeks) westbound out of Ottawa on the 417.

All it says is "416 to 401". No Toronto. Or even Kingston.

Now if you miss that exit and continue on the 417W you actually do end up seeing a Toronto exit - for the two lane Highway 7 through podunk east-central Ontario.

There is also AFAIK not a single destination sign with a city for the eastbound or westbound 401 in the city of Toronto.

Not to mention how destination cities are generally always smallish nearby cities instead of big ones.

When you come off the 416 at the southern end there is no mention of Toronto.

And the 401 eastbound has almost no mentions of Montreal until you're almost at the Quebec border east of Cornwall.

(The 417 eastbound does use Montreal as a destination city though. Guess we should be happy they didn't use Hawkesbury or Vankleek Hill.)

I agree about New Brunswick, Their signage is both clear and attractive. They also deal with bilingualism quite skillfully. Something that most places struggle with.