Highways in Canada

[Innsertnamehere]

only all flyover interchange in Toronto is the 400 - 407 interchange.

all flyover interchanges are really, really, really expensive, so I don't blame them.

[thegx]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

You think that's bad, try Vancouver.

The Massey Tunnel northbound in rush hour has 5 lanes merging into just 1!

Also, when I was referring to HWY#2 in Alberta, I didn't mean Edmonton but the entire stretch from Airdrie to Leduc. It still has some level crossings doesn't it? I know most maps don't show it as a complete freeway but rather mostly freeway and the other sections shown as just a 4 lane road.

Is that the case still or have they brought the entire road up to freeway standards?

They've removed all the crossings from Edmonton to Red Deer. There are still a few from Red Deer to Calgary.

[Trans Canada]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

You think that's bad, try Vancouver.

The Massey Tunnel northbound in rush hour has 5 lanes merging into just 1!

Also, when I was referring to HWY#2 in Alberta, I didn't mean Edmonton but the entire stretch from Airdrie to Leduc. It still has some level crossings doesn't it? I know most maps don't show it as a complete freeway but rather mostly freeway and the other sections shown as just a 4 lane road.

Is that the case still or have they brought the entire road up to freeway standards?

Having scanned over the satellite map, it looks like the labels on Google Maps are pretty accurate - the darker orange sections are freeway and the yellow sections have level crossings (generally a country road with stop signs). Speed limit is 110 throughout.


Source Google Maps https://www.google.ca/maps/@52.2417258,-113.7548107,8z

I don't think it's a priority to get rid of these crossings - besides one or two they are mostly on a long straight flat stretch of highway; you can see vehicles coming from miles away. Only major risk would be in extreme weather conditions.

[haljackey]

Isn't there also high speed rail proposed between Calgary and Edmonton? That would reduce the need to upgrade the QE2 highway to full controlled-access status.

Originally Posted by libtard

Canada's largest interchange is about to get a little larger.

2 new connecting ramps going in at the 401-403-410 interchange in Mississauga.
-EB 401 to SB 403
-NB 410 to WB 401

http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2014/09/improvements-begin-on-highway-410.html



Nice interchange. Shame they're going to ruin it with a loop. It should be all flyovers

These new ramps will not handle a lot of volume, as they are more or less a WB to WB and EB to EB connection (the 403 curves from north-south to east-west just below the image I posted).

The loop will be pretty tight, especially by highway-highway interchange standards.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by Trans Canada

Having scanned over the satellite map, it looks like the labels on Google Maps are pretty accurate - the darker orange sections are freeway and the yellow sections have level crossings (generally a country road with stop signs). Speed limit is 110 throughout.


Source Google Maps https://www.google.ca/maps/@52.2417258,-113.7548107,8z

I don't think it's a priority to get rid of these crossings - besides one or two they are mostly on a long straight flat stretch of highway; you can see vehicles coming from miles away. Only major risk would be in extreme weather conditions.

Yeah, you can see vehicles coming (not necessarily from miles away though) but crossing one direction (or worse both) of highway 2's lanes at one of these level intersections is a daunting task. Yeah, the speed limit is 110kph but many are doing 120-130 - sight lines are also restricted because often there is a fair amount of traffic on this highway.

I didn't think it would be a big deal either until I had to get onto SB highway 2 from WB township road 322 up by Olds-Didsbury and trust me, the first challenge was just getting a large enough break in the highway traffic to get across the NB #2 lanes. Once across, then you're faced with the challenge of getting a large enough break in the SB lanes because you have to accelerate up to the fast left lane speeds with no on-ramp merge lane.

Highway #2 between Calgary and Edmonton should all be at freeway standards and between Airdrie and Leduc it should be a 6 lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) - it is currently just not adequate for the traffic that one can find on it for most parts of the day.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

all flyover interchanges are really, really, really expensive, so I don't blame them.

Not just to build but also to maintain. Ontario hates flyovers, they put raised earth everywhere they can. It may not be sexy but makes it much easier to maintain the infrastructure.

Just look at Montreal's multi-billion dollar repair bills for things like the Turcot interchange. Not to mention that flyover that collapsed.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by speedog

Highway #2 between Calgary and Edmonton should all be at freeway standards and between Airdrie and Leduc it should be a 6 lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) - it is currently just not adequate for the traffic that one can find on it for most parts of the day.

It is not up to the standard Albertans are used to for roads outside of our cities, but is by no measure crowded. The road has plenty of capacity, even at crazy rush times, but it feels busy. But the province is upgrading Highway 63 despite it being statistically just as safe and not as busy as other 2 lane roads, and will slowly expand highway 2 to three lanes everywhere. For now it just means you have to pay attention while driving.

[sa230e]

Originally Posted by libtard

Nice interchange. Shame they're going to ruin it with a loop. It should be all flyovers

Better to have a loop ramp than no ramp at all.

[harls]

This extension of A-5 in Quebec is almost ready to open. The current end of the highway has been removed (it was an abrupt right angle and traffic light.. the connection and lights are now gone, and you're forced onto route 105 at the previous exit, as it used to be before the construction).


autoroute 5 nord @ ch. Carman overpass by blix613, on Flickr


autoroute 5 sud @ ch. Carman overpass by blix613, on Flickr


autoroute 5 sud @ ch. Carman by blix613, on Flickr


route 105 nord by blix613, on Flickr

The new 366/105/A5 interchange with two roundabouts.


Autoroute 5 / rte 366 by blix613, on Flickr

[Innsertnamehere]

highway 404 extension opened today.


Autoroute 85 in Quebec opened 2 stretches earlier in the week as well, totalling 14km. Count it with the 404 extension, and Canada opened 27km of new highway in the last 7 days.

[ssiguy]

Sorry, but where is AutoRoute 5?

As for Alberta, there is absolutely NO excuse for having such a busy and primary road not at complete freeway standards. It should be 6 lanes from Edmonton to Calgary. Of all provinces that have the money to do it, it's Alberta.

Frankly I think it should be freeway from the US border. For a province that keeps touting it's on an important CANAMEX corridor, the entire road from the US border is substandard and certainly wouldn't impress a potential investor or visitor.

[Innsertnamehere]

the only really bad spot south of Calgary is Lethbridge, where you have to navigate city streets for a short distance. The rest of it is built well enough, most of the connecting streets are really, really low traffic and probably have AADTs of something like 10.

[FrAnKs]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Sorry, but where is AutoRoute 5?

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Autorou...!1s0x4cce1d820cd8e625:0x5ac4cfdd270dbe74

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Sorry, but where is AutoRoute 5?

Its the freeway that links downtown Gatineau to its northern suburbs/exurbs.

[FrAnKs]

Nova-Scotia Route 333 to Peggy's Cove filmed last summer !

• Video Link

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Sorry, but where is AutoRoute 5?

As for Alberta, there is absolutely NO excuse for having such a busy and primary road not at complete freeway standards. It should be 6 lanes from Edmonton to Calgary. Of all provinces that have the money to do it, it's Alberta.

Frankly I think it should be freeway from the US border. For a province that keeps touting it's on an important CANAMEX corridor, the entire road from the US border is substandard and certainly wouldn't impress a potential investor or visitor.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

the only really bad spot south of Calgary is Lethbridge, where you have to navigate city streets for a short distance. The rest of it is built well enough, most of the connecting streets are really, really low traffic and probably have AADTs of something like 10.

It's not a great highway between Lethbridge and Sweetgrass, but it's really not that busy either. Nothing compared to 5-6 other Canada-USA crossing corridors that I can think of off the top of my head. SLC is the next major city south of Calgary, and it's a 13 hour drive! You could fly to almost any major airport in the world in that time.

That's one thing about potential AB HSR: We could potentially one day connect 3-4 centres in Alberta, but it will likely be at least a century before it's feasible to connect anything outside the province. By comparison, Eastern Canada and BC are connected to populated corridors that could continue to be connected with HSR extensions.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by speedog

Highway #2 between Calgary and Edmonton should all be at freeway standards and between Airdrie and Leduc it should be a 6 lane freeway (3 lanes each direction) - it is currently just not adequate for the traffic that one can find on it for most parts of the day.

I agree! It should be controlled access all the way, 6 lanes between Leduc and Airdrie, and 8 lanes within the respective metropolitan areas. Also, the highway connection between Calgary and Lethbridge should be more fluid. The turn east at Fort Macleod is insufficient for a highway connecting two major cities in such close proximity.

[MolsonExport]

Nice AutoRoute 5 shots, Harls. Looks like a nice drive.

[feepa]

after many recent trips Edmonton to Calgary on Hwy2/QEII, I agree, it's time to upgrade to proper freeway standards as much as possible, especially the 6 lanes part, and then a 3+ axle (semis/etc) ban on the fast lane. Remove the remaining local farm accesses (tie them in some other way) and add a few more interchanges where needed.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

only all flyover interchange in Toronto is the 400 - 407 interchange.

all flyover interchanges are really, really, really expensive, so I don't blame them.

Not to mention that a flyover from 403/410 NB to 401 WB is probably not even feasible, given that there are already 2 crossing flyovers present in the NW 'corner' of that interchange already. Add to that, the fact that the 410 passes under the 401 there, that amounts to 3 levels of highway already in existence above that spot.

Given that the exchange is effectively an EB (403) to WB (401) exchange, [ yes, I know the 403 is positioned to the NW there - it's still technically EB] the expected traffic volumes probably don't warrant an expensive and technically challenging flyover.