401 Interchanges - Page 2

Pimpmasterdac · #21 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 1:06 AM**

Looks like the City and the province are finally getting their rears in gear with the Wonderland interchange! Now if they can make proposed VMP interchange free-flowing it would two steps forward, not one back!

• Video Link

haljackey · #22 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 2:29 AM**

lol you beat me to it... Had the video open in another tab and was about to post it.

This seemed like a filler story as nothing new is presented in it. The Ontario government has been pretty vocal about transport projects in the province. They usually host pubic information centres (PICs) and have signs in the area saying 'coming soon' or 'get involved'.

As A-News said they've been quiet about this one, and hopefully that's not because it's a project that's going to get cut to balance the budget.

On a side note, I plan to be pretty active once this project begins as transportation geography is one of my strong-suits. I plan on taking lots of photos during the construction period like I did with the hale-trafalgar overpass.

MolsonExport · #23 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 1:03 PM**

Saw a map at the hospital (St. Joe's) that featured the (projected) 401/Wonderland interchange. the map dated from the early 1970s. 40 years later, lots of talk...

MrSlippery519 · #24 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 5:38 PM**

Until I see shovels in the ground I am still skeptical this will happen. There is no question the Wonderland Rd interchange is needed and like Molson said...should have been done before I was born.

haljackey · #25 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 5:51 PM**

Well you're in luck... more info surfaced on the LEDC website.

http://www.ledc.com/index.php/ledc/show_NEWS/1550

Huge image showing detail http://ow.ly/i/10Ix9/original

MrSlippery519 · #26 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljackey

Well you're in luck... more info surfaced on the LEDC website.

http://www.ledc.com/index.php/ledc/show_NEWS/1550

Huge image showing detail http://ow.ly/i/10Ix9/original

Well then, that is some positive news. Lets hope it goes as planned and we see work starting in the next few months

Would be nice if it was 3 lanes from Colonel Talbot as well...worst case 3 from Wonderland on.

Pimpmasterdac · #27 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 7:24 PM**

While it's good Wonderland interchange is finally being built seems like London is getting short-changed. The original designs had it as a Parclo A4, which is standard for urban areas. The one held by the politicians (could there have been anymore for that photo-op

) is a Parclo A2 like the wonderland interchange on the 402, requiring left hand turns to get onto the 401.

BTW I wonder what the upgrade will be on the Highbury interchange? Will it be a like the Wellington one capable of a sub-collector system or high speed ramp onto Highbury north? Colonel Talbot is one of the last clovers left and VMP is is getting extended south, so interesting what upgrade will happen on Highbury.

MrSlippery519 · #28 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 7:47 PM**

Maybe the thought is that an A2 will be cheaper and would be able to be upgraded to an A4 in the future if needed? Just a thought.

As for Highbury I really have no idea what improvements they could be talking about, unless as you said it's being done like Wellington. I take that exit on and off every day and it seems fine as is, I would rather see money spent on Wonderland, Colonel and or VMP.

Colonel Talbot is overdue, I was surprised they resurfaced it this year, seems like money would have been better spent starting the process of re-doing it but who am I to judge haha.

MrSlippery519 · #29 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 7:58 PM**

A bit more information from LFP http://www.lfpress.com/2012/10/10/hwy-401-interchanges-expected-to-bring-thousands-of-jobs

A small section of the article
The Interchange Jobs

(in order)

1. New Wonderland Road underpass of Highway 401. Environmental assessments and 30% of design work. Province looking for qualified parties for the design/build job. Majority of work in 2014 with completion late that year or early 2015.

2. Highbury Ave. new overpass to accommodate eight lanes on 401 and six on Highbury south to Wilton Grove Rd. Environmental assessment underway and design 30% complete. Beginning/completion unknown.

3. Veterans Memorial Parkway upgrade to partial cloverleaf and extension southerly. Environmental assessment underway. Beginning/completion unknown.

4. Upgrade to interchange at Col. Talbot Rd., engineering underway. Beginning/completion unknown.

haljackey · #30 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 8:06 PM**

Like Wonderland and the 402, Wonderland/401 will be a parclo A2 for now. Once the city starts expanding south and traffic volumes increase, these junctions will be upgraded to A4.
-One good fact is that the Wonderland overpass for the 401 will be built with eventual widening in mind opposed to the 402 overpass which is only 2 lanes and would require expansion.

Regarding Colonel Talbot, the junction with the 401 is one of the 3 remaining cloverleafs in Ontario. The reconstruction will turn it into a parclo and allow for 6 lanes of the 401 to pass under. (The MTO plans on widening the 401 between Highway 4 and 402 by 2016 I believe.)
-Colonel Talbot itself is to be 'thinned' between Main Street and Highway 402, with one lane on each side being converted to on street parking, bike lanes and wide sidewalks through Lambeth. Wonderland is expected to take the stress off Colonel Talbot so this can happen, and is planned to be 6 lanes wide up to the 401.

Details are sketchy regarding Highbury, but I did see something long ago about building a 'elongated' Parclo A4 interchange which would include a new overpass for Highbury. Not sure if this will be a similar design as Wellington but its quite possible.

And I think we all agree on the VMP junction. It is FINE as it is. If you're going to extend it south a 4-way free-flowing interchange with the 401 should be considered. Building a parclo (not free-flowing) on a route that is to be a freeway one day is simply stupid.

MolsonExport · #31 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 9:00 PM**

Wow, a flurry of posts, meriting the importance of this project to Western London. Now if only there could be a Western/Northern expressway or bypass...at least, maybe a controlled access urban boulevard...Northern and Western London is where the lionshare of the growth is occurring, despite lousy infrastructure.

Oh and PLEASE do something about Western Rd/Sarnia/Brescia-Springett Access so it doesn't take 30 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE DAMNED PARKING LOT during evening rush hour on Mondays-Wednesdays!!

haljackey · #32 Posted **Oct 10, 2012, 10:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Wow, a flurry of posts, meriting the importance of this project to Western London.

Well it emphases how vital this project is and why it wasn't done sooner. It's also rare in this city to see something we've been wanting for so long actually approved.

Quote:

Oh and PLEASE do something about Western Rd/Sarnia/Brescia-Springett Access so it doesn't take 30 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE DAMNED PARKING LOT during evening rush hour on Mondays-Wednesdays!!

Sarnia is planned to be widened to 4 lanes all the way from Wonderland to Western Road by 2014 if I recall. It was supposed to be done this year, but pushed back like other widening projects due to budget cutbacks.

Western Road is also supposed to get a bus lane whenever BRT is implemented. It's also planned to be widened between Patts Lane and Oxford by 2020 (which should have been done 60 years ago).

Pimpmasterdac · #33 Posted **Oct 11, 2012, 12:45 AM**

Good point, it can be easily converted to a Parclo A4. I just thought might as well do the full job the first time

. That snippet you posted Slippery actually surprised me, they're building the Wonderland interchange as an underpass?! Most 401 interchanges these days are build as overpasses, perhaps the grade is an issue.

Highbury interchange seems a ok to me. Guess someday they're planned to widen Highbury to 6-lanes, if only it had been an expressway it was planned to be

Maybe high speed 401 West-Highbury North connection could be done.

Good Colonel Talbot finally getting done, but that sounds idiotic that they're gonna thin down the lanes and have it a 2-lane street! If that Boler-Colonel Talbot connector ever gets build would be a good north-south arterial to the far west end to 401.

IMO would be good if the province put some money to start making VMP an expressway, but guess peanuts are better than diddly squat

manny_santos · #34 Posted **Oct 11, 2012, 1:58 AM**

As far as provincial highways go, I'd rather there be freeway upgrades to the VMP, even if the Wonderland-401 interchange weren't built.

And I agree 100% with MolsonExport about the Western/Sarnia corner.

MrSlippery519 · #35 Posted **Oct 11, 2012, 12:56 PM**

I am not sure I understand the underpass either, thought it was a typo however "underpass" is references a few times in the article. I cannot imagine why they would need to do that especially considering there is essentially nothing on the North side of 401 but we will see.

haljackey · #36 Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:50 PM**

A little more info from A-News

• Video Link

Blitz · #37 Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 8:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Oh and PLEASE do something about Western Rd/Sarnia/Brescia-Springett Access so it doesn't take 30 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE DAMNED PARKING LOT during evening rush hour on Mondays-Wednesdays!!

Yeah, this is brutal. Maybe there's some way they could build a new exit to allow people to sneak out the back of that parking lot. Everyone is forced onto Western Rd but with all the pedestrian traffic it's hard to turn right on this road even when the light is green (same deal at Sarnia Rd). I've given up on it and now I just drive straight through campus to the Richmond gates, but I live downtown so that's a workable alternative for me.

Wharn · #38 Posted **Oct 16, 2012, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Saw a map at the hospital (St. Joe's) that featured the (projected) 401/Wonderland interchange. the map dated from the early 1970s. 40 years later, lots of talk...

That's not as depressing as the 1966 master plan on the 2nd floor of Weldon. Aside from Bradley Avenue, NONE of the recommendations have been implemented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Oh and PLEASE do something about Western Rd/Sarnia/Brescia-Springett Access so it doesn't take 30 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE DAMNED PARKING LOT during evening rush hour on Mondays-Wednesdays!!

You're very brave for going out into that. I go the opposite direction (north to Windermere), but I always wonder how people have the patience to put up with that crap day after day. A few people here have suggested widening Sarnia Road is the solution, but the problem is everything is funneled onto Sarnia Road. We need another way to get to Wonderland- maybe extend Windermere Road to link with Gainsborough? I'm sure people like Molson would appreciate the direct route to Hyde Park.

manny_santos · #39 Posted **Oct 20, 2012, 12:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wharn

You're very brave for going out into that. I go the opposite direction (north to Windermere), but I always wonder how people have the patience to put up with that crap day after day. A few people here have suggested widening Sarnia Road is the solution, but the problem is everything is funneled onto Sarnia Road. We need another way to get to Wonderland- maybe extend Windermere Road to link with Gainsborough? I'm sure people like Molson would appreciate the direct route to Hyde Park.

I have long been in favour of such an extension. While there would be destruction of woodland, it would not be a whole lot, and the environmental damage would be offset by reduced traffic and idling near Sarnia and Western Roads.

Pimpmasterdac · #40 Posted **May 8, 2013, 10:38 PM**

http://london.ctvnews.ca/new-large-trucks-may-be-allowed-on-london-road-1.1273224

Looks as though the new interchanges being proposed along the 401 will be able to carry long combination vehicles (LCVs) which can carry trucks that are 40 metres long, the only city west of Kitchener to be able to do so.

While that sounds promising it, it also makes certain that VMP/401 will not be a free flowing interchange.,