AB Highway Construction

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by craner

^Are there any plans to 6-lane Highway 2 around Red Deer (Gasoline Alley to say Lacombe) in the next ten years ?

It wouldn't surprise me if there was. This improvement puts a little bit more six laning in (up to 32st) if I'm not mistaken.

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by craner

^Are there any plans to 6-lane Highway 2 around Red Deer (Gasoline Alley to say Lacombe) in the next ten years ?

Why yes there is! Not sure if it will all be done within 10 years tho. I find it highly unlikely. The current plan is to 6-lane QEII from 597 (Blackfalds overpass) to Highway 42 (Penhold overpass).

Good info in the link below. You will notice the requirements for 6 laneing this section of QEII are way, way overdue. (Page ES-2 of the document.)

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...26LaningES.pdf

[craner]

^Thanks for that link - very interesting.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by craner

^Thanks for that link - very interesting.

How committed is the current government to actually proceeding with this expansion? It's clearly needed based on the report. Given how slow government is to act I hope that when this project is undertaken they go straight to 8 lanes and a minimum of 10 lanes through Calgary!

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by craner

^Thanks for that link - very interesting.

No worries. It is an eye opener for sure.

Originally Posted by Corndogger

How committed is the current government to actually proceeding with this expansion? It's clearly needed based on the report. Given how slow government is to act I hope that when this project is undertaken they go straight to 8 lanes and a minimum of 10 lanes through Calgary!

After the current project finishes (new interchange at Gaetz/QEII), there will be 6 lanes from the south end of Gasoline Alley all the way up to 32nd street overpass. Still lots of work to be done after that to get that stretch of QEII up to what the document says.

I highly doubt it will all be done in the next 10 years.

[240glt]

As a frequent traveller to BC I'd love for the whole section to Kamloops be improved, it's such a beautiful drive but such an awful road. So much nicer than the Yellowhead, but the last time we drove it traffic was a nightmare

[craner]

^ I think you meant to post that in the "BC Highway Construction" thread 240.

[the.tru.albertan]

Regarding the 67th St./QEII interchange....

I took another look at the functional plans and found what they plan to put there, at least what they plan to put there in 2011 when the plan was drawn up.

There were two drawings made around the 67th/QEII interchange, the first one being on page 65 of the linked document. The first one looks to be the plan for a 6 lane QEII. This design is very similar to what exists now. Things to note are on/off-ramps are slightly re-aligned. The north bridge structure is modified and the parclo loops are modified.

However, on page 72, there is another drawing which is called the 'Long Term Stage Plan'. Major modification here. Existing bridge structures modified. More bridge structures added. A free flowing NB QEII to WB HWY11 loop. Elimination of a set of lights. Looks really nice.

Other things to note in this document are a design speed of 130kph shown in page 64. The 11A interchange is shown modified for the 'Long Term Stage Plan' on page 73.

Right click, select 'Show Navigation Pane Buttons'. Select the 'Page Thumbnails' button in the top left. Pages and page numbers will populate on the left. Those are the page numbers I'm going by.
http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...aningPlans.pdf

[dmuzika]

The Alberta government is looking to twin the Peace River bridge in the town of Peace River. I found this film that was done when the current highway bridge was opened in 1968. Previous to the present highway bridge, automobile traffic used the railway bridge, which is still in service.

• Video Link

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by dmuzika

The Alberta government is looking to twin the Peace River bridge in the town of Peace River. I found this film that was done when the current highway bridge was opened in 1968. Previous to the present highway bridge, automobile traffic used the railway bridge, which is still in service.

Says the video is unavailable.

[dmuzika]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Says the video is unavailable.

fixed

[the.tru.albertan]

Doing some more research on one of my favourite highways - Hwy 2A.

Regarding some twinning projects, I found this link that discusses the launch of a twinning study back in November of 2008. The section discussed is 2A from Leduc to Wetaskiwin.

http://www.countymarket.ca/2008/11/1...wy-2a-twinning

Also, the need to twin Hwy 2A from Blackfalds to Red Deer was indentified by AB Transportation in 2006. We're still waiting for that one. It is briefly discussed here:

http://www.roundabout.how/en/About.asp

We NEED to get the level rail crossing on 2A south of the Blind Man River removed and reconstructed as grade separated. Having a level rail crossing on a highway with 12750 WAADT is insane. This has become a real issue... probably the biggest issue facing the entire length of 2A and possibly the biggest issue in this area.

[Dengler Avenue]

Meanwhile I wonder why there isn’t at all any plan to remove at-grade intersections on Highway 1 through towns like Strathmore (where there seems to be enough ROW such that a bypass is unnecessary) and Medicine Hat (where 2 RIRO’s to replace at-grade intersections with 16th Street W and with Broadway Avenue <in Redcliff> plus 2 overpasses seem feasible)...

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Meanwhile I wonder why there isn’t at all any plan to remove at-grade intersections on Highway 1 through towns like Strathmore (where there seems to be enough ROW such that a bypass is unnecessary) and Medicine Hat (where 2 RIRO’s to replace at-grade intersections with 16th Street W and with Broadway Avenue <in Redcliff> plus 2 overpasses seem feasible)...

Only plan for Strathmore is to bypass it to the south. Residents don't want the town bisected and want the current Hwy 1 thru town to become a local thoroughfare.

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...%20summary.pdf

I agree about Medicine Hat for sure tho.

[Dengler Avenue]

Never mind, I found this: https://www.medicinehat.ca/home/showdocument?id=4262

[lubicon]

A Strathmore bypass would be simple and pretty cost effective. The province id exactly the same thing on Hwy 16 at Vegreville. You only need one simple interchange at each end of town and those do not have to involve movements in all four directions, they are almost uni-directional in nature.

Medicine Hat would be much more complex and expensive. But needed equally as much if you have ever driven through there on the TCH. The economic payback in increased productivity could be surprisingly quick.

Google maps link to the Yellowhead at Vegreville:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@53.50211.../data=!3m1!1e3

[craner]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Never mind, I found this: https://www.medicinehat.ca/home/showdocument?id=4262

Has/is any of this work in MH been completed/underway ?

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by craner

Has/is any of this work in MH been completed/underway ?

I don't think so...? I thought something will be done this year though. Then again governments are keen on forgetting their promises.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by craner

Has/is any of this work in MH been completed/underway ?

Don't think so but the south boundary road connection to highway 3 would be the easiest and quickest to get done and would have a very big payback in getting traffic out of the more core area of Medicine Hat.

[the.tru.albertan]

New Alberta Transportation construction plan released today following the 2018 budget.

Here: https://www.transportation.alberta.c...ionProgram.pdf