401 Interchanges

[CanadianTalk]

Meant to post this last week, but the city shared on their social media pages that utility relocations are taking place from now until April, in the area of Hwy 401 and Col Talbot Road in advance of the MTO's interchange reconstruction project

Hopefully this means that reconstruction on the interchange will start soon.

[haljackey]

Yep- here are the deets from bookface
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=570240801798181&set=a.239329301556001

Utility relocations are currently taking place at the following locations, requiring temporary sidewalk closures and restrictions until approximately April 9, 2023.

- Tempo Road between Burtwistle Lane and Glanworth Drive - https://bit.ly/3lyUJmu
- Glanworth Road between Tempo Road and Wonderland Road South - https://bit.ly/3K7g1ln
- Littlewood Road between Colonel Talbot Road and Glanworth Drive - https://bit.ly/3luH7sp
- Colonel Talbot Road between Decker Road and Glanworth Drive - https://bit.ly/3E8Oigp

������ Localized lane restrictions are also in effect at Colonel Talbot Road between Burtwistle Lane and Hwy 401. Details: https://bit.ly/3xpt2iN

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MTO website shows the 'expansion' project to begin in 2023
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-highway-programs

Contract Number 2022-3008
Program Type Expansion
Highway 401
Location Hwy 4 (Colonel Talbot Rd.), Hwy 4 underpass and Glanworth Dr. underpass, County of Middlesex
Program Year (Start Year) 2023
Target Completion Not available
Type of Work Bridge replacement, Interchange improvements
Project Status Planned
Funding Ministry MTO
Estimated Cost Range $40 – $100 million
Engineering Status Design complete
Delivery Method Design-Build
Region West
Project Length (km) 4.0

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Might just be some minor work in 2023 to prep for the main build

Question is if a new overpass will be built to the side, or will they just close the whole junction and build a new bridge in the same spot the current one is?

With Wonderland now interchanging the 401, it's a decent detour... can't see how they could fully shut it down if this junction wasn't built first.

[Djeffery]

They can actually maintain a pretty decent detour here while rebuilding the overpass, thanks to the proximity of the Glanworth Rd overpass. All 4 of the outer ramps to the highway can still be in use while the inner loops are closed. Coming from the north to the 401 east, you either go up to the 402 EB or across Decker to Wonderland to 401EB (which for those who don't know, is actually the quicker way to the 401EB instead of following Col Talbot all the way to the 401 anyway). Trucks coming to Amazon from the east would get off at Wonderland Southbound and enter Amazon on Cty Rd 11, which is where the truck entrance is anyway and even with Col Talbot open would be a quicker route.

Traffic wanting to cross the 401 in either direction on Col Talbot can just utilize Tempo Rd and Glanworth Dr. Then after the new overpass is built, Glanworth overpass can be demoed and the highway widened and the ramps rebuilt. Of course, this presumes that they don't knock down the Glanworth Dr old overpass first, which I wouldn't put past them. The could theoretically build the new Glanworth overpass first and redirect Glanworth onto its new alignment and utilize the old one strictly for Col Talbot detour to slightly reduce traffic congestion there.

[haljackey]

401/Highbury- staging work is underway. Get ready for a half decade of headaches.

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The project includes the following components:

Replacement of five structures:
• CNR Overhead (Site 19X-0371/B0)
• Pond Mills Road Overpass (Site 19X-0372/B0)
• Highbury Avenue Underpass (Site 19X-0373/B0)
• Tributary to Murray Drain Culvert (Site 19X-0650/C0)
• Elliot-Laidlaw Drain Culvert (Site 19X-0651/C0)
• Improvements to the Highway 401 corridor, including:
• Resurfacing/reconstruction of 5.5 km of Highway 401 from 675 m east of
Wellington Road easterly to 630 m west of Old Victoria Road
• Widening and grade raise of Highway 401 from the area of Pond Mills Overpass
to the CNR Overhead to accommodate construction of the new Pond Mills Road
Overpass and CNR Overhead
• Addition of continuous speed change lanes between the Highbury Avenue
westbound on-ramp and the Exeter Road westbound off-ramp, and between the
Wellington Road eastbound on-ramp and the Highbury Avenue eastbound off-
ramp
• Replacement of the Highway 401 median barrier
• Replacement of the Highway 401 median storm sewer between Wellington Road
and Highbury Avenue
• Construction of a storm water management facility along the south side of
Highway 401 between Pond Mills Road and the London-Port Stanley Railway
• Rehabilitation/replacement of five non-structural culverts crossing Highway 401
• Installation of high mast lighting on Highway 401 between Wellington Road and
Highbury Avenue
• Replacement of six overhead signs on Highway 401
• Drainage and roadside safety improvements (i.e., guiderail), as required.
• Improvements to the Highway 401/Highbury Avenue Interchange, including:
• Reconstruction of the interchange ramps
• Reconstruction and widening of Highbury Avenue from the north limit of the
interchange southerly to Wilton Grove Road
• Installation of three new overhead signs on Highbury Avenue
• Installation of high mast and conventional lighting at the interchange
• Replacement of traffic signals at the Highbury Avenue ramp intersections and on
Highbury Avenue at the Flying J Travel Plaza
• Drainage and roadside safety improvements (i.e., guiderail), as required

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2023, subject to approvals, and will carry over for
five years. It is anticipated that the improvements will be completed in 2027.

https://hwy401highbury.ca/resources/rpt_2022-3004_Hwy401Highbury_dcr_final_toMTO.pdf

[MolsonExport]

^what does all that cost, aggregated? Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions? More?

It blows me away how many major and minor upgrades/repairs are required for just a few highways.

But there is no money for decent rapid transit system. Instead we get....some shitty 'rapid bus' without grade separation, on (yup, you guessed it) stroads.

Then again, every second person in this city seems to drive a pickup truck. How do people afford $900-$1000 monthly car payments when they only make $70k a year on a regular basis? Not to mention, fuel, insurance and maintenance? And still have money for Rim Whoreton's (any Timmie's drive through is mostly filled with Ford F-150($K)s, Dodgey Rams, and Hi-Ho Silverados).

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

^what does all that cost, aggregated? Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions? More?

It blows me away how many major and minor upgrades/repairs are required for just a few highways.

Estimated Cost Range "Over $80 million"
Via https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-highway-programs

And luckily just have one freeway to maintain. Imagine living in the US where you may have 3 or 4 interstates coming into a city the size of London.

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Originally Posted by MolsonExport

But there is no money for decent rapid transit system. Instead we get....some shitty 'rapid bus' without grade separation, on (yup, you guessed it) stroads.

This is a provincial project, and the BRT is a municipal project. Cities are getting more and more cash strapped but as we've discussed many times here we left a ton of federal / provincial money on the table by deciding to go half-assed BRT instead of full BRT, hybrid or full LRT.

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Originally Posted by MolsonExport

n, on (yup, you guessed it) stroads.

Then again, every second person in this city seems to drive a pickup truck. How do people afford $900-$1000 monthly car payments when they only make $70k a year on a regular basis? Not to mention, fuel, insurance and maintenance? And still have money for Rim Whoreton's (any Timmie's drive through is mostly filled with Ford F-150($K)s, Dodgey Rams, and Hi-Ho Silverados).

...And these heavier vehicles degrade roads faster too, meaning we need to spend more cash to maintain them. Their larger size also means less of them get through a traffic light cycle, making congestion worse.

[Djeffery]

When they say "Over $80 million, I wonder how much over 80. All of that for around that price, and what is the Adelaide underpass ballooned to? Knowing this project was coming was one of the reasons I decided to sell my house when I did (moved yesterday actually). The other being the Colonel Talbot roundabout. I already drive 45 minutes each way to work without those hassles at either end of the drive.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

When they say "Over $80 million, I wonder how much over 80. All of that for around that price, and what is the Adelaide underpass ballooned to? Knowing this project was coming was one of the reasons I decided to sell my house when I did (moved yesterday actually). The other being the Colonel Talbot roundabout. I already drive 45 minutes each way to work without those hassles at either end of the drive.

Since this is a provincial project, they probably calculate it another way vs what the city would for municipal projects. This figure was form a 2022 report so I'm sure it is well over 80 mil now.

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Once it's all done, having a continuous aux lane between Wellington and Highbury will be a nice addition. There are a decent number of users that just travel between these two exits, and now they won't need to actually merge into the 401. This also gives trucks some more space too, as they can be pretty slow getting on with the incline to go over the rail line and Pond Mills, especially going eastbound.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Once it's all done, having a continuous aux lane between Wellington and Highbury will be a nice addition. There are a decent number of users that just travel between these two exits, and now they won't need to actually merge into the 401.

Me being one of them! lol

Whenever I need to go to the Exeter / Wellington area from my home, I usually just end up taking the 401 for that short stretch, and I always feel so silly merging on to the 401, then literally getting off in a few seconds, but it really is so much faster than taking a nearby parallel road from Highbury like Bradley (especially since it gets so backed up at rush hour).

Having the continuous lanes will be nice.

[Djeffery]

I think the ultimate goal for the westbound side should be a collector type system from east of Highbury to west of Wellington. With the Highbury, Exeter and Wellington off and on ramps in such close proximity, it would make the through flow a lot better if everyone bound for those 3 exits just got in the same couple lanes east of Highbury. Have the current 3 lanes act as an Express, shoot 2 lanes off to right of the highway that continue to Exeter where the right most lane exits and a single lane joins past Exeter to the current Wellington WB off and on ramps and traffic merges again as it does now to the west.

[jammer139]

MTO has a nice project status webpage for the Highbury-401 project.


https://www.hwy401highbury.ca/construction.html

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by jammer139

MTO has a nice project status webpage for the Highbury-401 project.


https://www.hwy401highbury.ca/construction.html

From some of the linked documents I came across this image, which shows the rebuild config.

I find it disappointing how Highbury SB to 401 EB still has a traffic light in the way. These are two 100km/h roads. If the ramp began before the intersection and then ran alongside Highbury you could at least avoid a light on one ramp movement.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Yeah it's big time disappointing, would have been great to have an exit on Highbury that allowed SB traffic on Highbury to cross on a separate median portion of the overpass. The only reason I could think is that it would be very close to the Bradley SB on ramp to Highbury and would create a lot of weaving if all 401 bound traffic were to exit immediately on the right lanes and traffic continuing on Highbury SB would have to go to the left lanes.

Originally Posted by haljackey

From some of the linked documents I came across this image, which shows the rebuild config.

I find it disappointing how Highbury SB to 401 EB still has a traffic light in the way. These are two 100km/h roads. If the ramp began before the intersection and then ran alongside Highbury you could at least avoid a light on one ramp movement.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

Yeah it's big time disappointing, would have been great to have an exit on Highbury that allowed SB traffic on Highbury to cross on a separate median portion of the overpass. The only reason I could think is that it would be very close to the Bradley SB on ramp to Highbury and would create a lot of weaving if all 401 bound traffic were to exit and on the right lanes and traffic continuing on ivory would have to go to the left lanes.

I think that's exactly the problem. It's bad enough currently to go Bradley to southbound Highbury through 401WB traffic coming down Highbury from the north. I like the concept but I don't think it would be very safe

[jammer139]

Activity on the 401-Highbury rebuild has picked up the pace.


MTO web cameras view.


https://511on.ca/cctv?start=0&length=10&...London&order%5Bi%5D=1&order%5Bdir%5D=asc

[CanadianTalk]

The Highway 401 and Dorchester Road interchange/bridge rebuild is scheduled to start next year.

The existing diamond interchange will be reconstructed as a parclo A-2 interchange, so it will be pretty much identical to the recently constructed interchange at Westchester Brne.

https://www.hwy401dorchester.com/project-information

[jammer139]

Their proposed construction timings:
Highway 401 and Dorchester Road interchange/bridge rebuild

As documented in the approved TESR, construction duration is anticipated to take place over 1 year to 1.5 years. Highlights are detailed below:

• Construction start: Spring 2024
• Short-term overnight closure of Highway 401: Spring and Summer 2024
• Complete closure of Dorchester Road at Highway 401: seven months in 2024
• Highway 401 eastbound on/off ramp closure: four months in 2024
• Highway 401 westbound on/off ramp closure: seven months in 2024 at the same time as the Dorchester Road closure​
• Construction complete: June 2025.

[ericmacm]

Glad to finally see a date for this interchange work. Between this and the Colonel Talbot interchange project, it will be nice to finally have modern overpasses all the way through London.

[CanadianTalk]

The project website for the Highway 401 and Highway 4 (Colonel Talbot Road) Interchange Reconfiguration has been set-up as well.

www.hwy401coltalbot.com

• The interchange will be reconstructed as a parclo A4 (good riddance to the cloverleaf)
• The Highway 4 (Colonel Talbot Road) Bridge will be replaced on a slight alignment shift to the east of the existing underpass;
• The existing Glanworth Drive Bridge will be replaced on a new alignment to the east over Highway 401;

Construction will start in 2024.

There will be a public information session on September 20th and the info presented there will be uploaded online on the same day.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

The project website for the Highway 401 and Highway 4 (Colonel Talbot Road) Interchange Reconfiguration has been set-up as well.

www.hwy401coltalbot.com

• The interchange will be reconstructed as a parclo A4 (good riddance to the cloverleaf)
• The Highway 4 (Colonel Talbot Road) Bridge will be replaced on a slight alignment shift to the east of the existing underpass;
• The existing Glanworth Drive Bridge will be replaced on a new alignment to the east over Highway 401;

Construction will start in 2024.

There will be a public information session on September 20th and the info presented there will be uploaded online on the same day.

Looks like they had the presentation yesterday. They decided to go with a design from 2018 with a couple modifications. Construction to start in March.

One of the overpasses will be rebuilt way to the east of the current structure. Usually replacements are made right next to the existing bridges.

https://www.hwy401coltalbot.com/_files/ugd/dd7750_13994b8c81f54fd0a5832b1910b7d735.pdf