Highways in Canada

[holhm22]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Part of it is putting your mind to it. Part of it as well is it being a different era; an era where it is a lot harder to drum up a Global protest to a major project at the drop of a hat.

Why did they have such a strict deadline for finishing it up? Were they trying to get it done before a government change or something?

They wanted it to be ready for Expo 86 in Vancouver.
http://tranbc.ca/2016/05/16/construction-of-the-coquihalla-still-amazing-after-30-years/

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by holhm22

They wanted it to be ready for Expo 86 in Vancouver.
http://tranbc.ca/2016/05/16/construction-of-the-coquihalla-still-amazing-after-30-years/

Only part of it opened in 1986. Merritt to Kamloops didn't open until September 1987.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by craner

I didn't realize the Coquihalla was built in so short a timeframe..

Actually, the new Coquihalla routing into BC's interior was announced circa 1980. In 1981 and into 1982, considerable work had already been completed on the Hope, BC end (after the BC-5/BC-3 split) but was not visible from the then BC-3. That is the Hope-Merritt, BC section (Phase 1).

As a matter of fact, many km of the new Coquihalla Hwy were already graded and ready for asphalt pavement with much more already cleared, grubbed, and blasted.

Then sometime in 1982, the BC gov't halted the project as the economy fell off a cliff with ~20% prime rate and massive deficits.

Only in 1984 did they resume construction (this time fast-tracked) due to Expo '86. As a result of construction "acceleration" and greatly increased costs thereto, a $10 toll was introduced in order to pay for "accelerated" construction costs. Said toll was lifted back in 2008.

[SignalHillHiker]

The TCH is still closed near Holyrood due to a sinkhole. It's been days now and there's been no move to repair it. Combined with the provincial government reducing snow clearing on the TCH, people are getting furious.



It's starting to feel developing world here again. Hasn't been this bad since the rolling blackouts winter before last.

[MalcolmTucker]

Well, it isn't the only road unlike at Terra Nova.

[SignalHillHiker]

True, but it's twice as far. And it's literally our single, main highway. They're going to fix it on Thursday, is the update.

*****

From Montreal to here by motorcycle. You'll have to do it, Franks. Let me know when you're coming, I'll meet you in PAB and drive you across the island.

Anyhow, this guy, did basically everything. Except the older parts of the Trinity/Conception Bays. But other than that, he did the works. 3,000 km for sure around the island, even St-Pierre et Miquelon and Fogo. He did in one trip more than I've covered my entire time on SSP.

• Video Link

[vid]

Our bridge literally popped off of its foundation and we were using it again within 24 hours. I think that was exactly a year ago too.

Get it together, Newfoundland!

We're getting a second, separate bridge out of it, btw. Not sure if that's been mentioned. It will be located a few hundred meters away and only two lanes. Not sure when it will be built though.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

Actually, the new Coquihalla routing into BC's interior was announced circa 1980. In 1981 and into 1982, considerable work had already been completed on the Hope, BC end (after the BC-5/BC-3 split) but was not visible from the then BC-3. That is the Hope-Merritt, BC section (Phase 1).

As a matter of fact, many km of the new Coquihalla Hwy were already graded and ready for asphalt pavement with much more already cleared, grubbed, and blasted.

Then sometime in 1982, the BC gov't halted the project as the economy fell off a cliff with ~20% prime rate and massive deficits.

Only in 1984 did they resume construction (this time fast-tracked) due to Expo '86. As a result of construction "acceleration" and greatly increased costs thereto, a $10 toll was introduced in order to pay for "accelerated" construction costs. Said toll was lifted back in 2008.

I always wondered, why wasn't the TCH designation moved to the Coquihalla? The TCH designation has moved over to newer divided highways in Eastern Ontario and in New Brunswick in recent years.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I always wondered, why wasn't the TCH designation moved to the Coquihalla? The TCH designation has moved over to newer divided highways in Eastern Ontario and in New Brunswick in recent years.

Good question and a logical conclusion. Have heard the same query, over the years, on the 'net as well.

Off the bat, the Hwy 5 designation was already extant from Merritt to Kamloops on the old Hwy 5 (Coquihalla - Phase 2).

My hunch is that the old Hwy 1 stretch between Kamloops to Hope would have been relegated the Hwy 1A status. Remember that many tourist destinations (along with small businesses catering to same) were/are extant along that old section of highway.

The Coquihalla would have/did remove considerable traffic thereto resulting in suffering biz. Apparently, after 1986 that was the case. By keeping the Hwy 1 designation along the old routing, it would perhaps "psychologically" draw more summer tourist traffic than would otherwise be the case.

Let's face it... while the Coquihalla is a cool drive from the coast through the coast mountain range (Cascades) into the B.C. interior plateau to Merritt... the Fraser Canyon is a spectacular drive IMHO - even the drive from Kamloops west along the arid Thompson Valley to Cache Creek (upper Fraser Canyon) is great.

Ergo, I believe that is the major reason for continuing with the Hwy 1 designation along that old corridor, which continues to attract major summer tourist traffic. My 2 cents.

[MalcolmTucker]

^ no toll segments on the TCH was the likely reason for not renumvering. In the era of gps now it matters less and less.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

^ no toll segments on the TCH was the likely reason for not renumvering. In the era of gps now it matters less and less.

I dunno. TCH-1 is completely under provincial jurisdiction (aside the sections through national parks). Yet today, TCH-1, on the south side of the Port Mann Bridge, has an electronic toll.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

^ no toll segments on the TCH was the likely reason for not renumvering. In the era of gps now it matters less and less.

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

I dunno. TCH-1 is completely under provincial jurisdiction (aside the sections through national parks). Yet today, TCH-1, on the south side of the Port Mann Bridge, has an electronic toll.

And the Cobequid Pass in NS....

[hipster duck]

This isn't a grave national problem, but I always thought that Canada's inability to keep a standard TCH designation all the way through was a sign of how fragmented our country was.

In every other country, the national highway is actually a system of major roads, such as the US highway system (e.g. US-101), Interstate highway system and the Autobahn/Motorway/Autoroute systems in European countries along with their national highways. In the US, they're maintained by the state, but they still have the same designation. If you cross from Califronia into Oregon on I-5, it's maintained by Oregon but it's still designated I-5.

In Canada, the national highway "system" is, more often than not, just one road, loosely designated.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by vid

We're getting a second, separate bridge out of it, btw. Not sure if that's been mentioned. It will be located a few hundred meters away and only two lanes. Not sure when it will be built though.

Huh?? (you don't mean the rail bridge do you??)

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

The TCH designation has moved over to newer divided highways in Eastern Ontario and in New Brunswick in recent years.

Not recently. To my recollection it was moved from 11 to 400 nearly 40 years ago and ditto for 17 to 417 - or is that what you mean?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

And the Cobequid Pass in NS....

And the Confederation Bridge to PEI (also a part of the TCH) - toll is $48.50

[vid]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Huh?? (you don't mean the rail bridge do you??)

It will apparently be a totally new, separate bridge with a new, separate road going to it, connecting both sides of the river. It will carry local traffic and act as a back up if the primary bridge fails.

Area mayors originally wanted two completely separate two-lane bridges on a twinned highway, so that if one failed for some reason, the other could be converted to two lanes and act as a temporary relief without causing a detour, but they went with the current set-up where two bridges are beside each other and share a central pillar.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by vid

It will apparently be a totally new, separate bridge with a new, separate road going to it, connecting both sides of the river. It will carry local traffic and act as a back up if the primary bridge fails.

Can you provide a source? Not that I'm doubting you wrt the request, but there is no room anywhere at that crossing for another parallel bridge within a couple hundred meters (I can post photos later).

Plus IMHO there is no way the money would be found to do that. (well north of what the current bridge costs since new road approaches would be required)

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I always wondered, why wasn't the TCH designation moved to the Coquihalla? The TCH designation has moved over to newer divided highways in Eastern Ontario and in New Brunswick in recent years.

Originally Posted by shreddog

Not recently. To my recollection it was moved from 11 to 400 nearly 40 years ago and ditto for 17 to 417 - or is that what you mean?

Actually, it took quite a while after the 417 opened before it got the TCH designation.

The 417 freeway, bypassing the two-lane Hwy 17, was completed in 1975, yet the TCH designation didn't move from the 17 to the 417 until 1998, when the 17 was downloaded to the local municipality, to avoid the awkwardness of having a municipal road be the Trans-Canada Highway.

[vid]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Can you provide a source? Not that I'm doubting you wrt the request, but there is no room anywhere at that crossing for another parallel bridge within a couple hundred meters (I can post photos later).

Plus IMHO there is no way the money would be found to do that. (well north of what the current bridge costs since new road approaches would be required)

I can't find it now! But I do remember reading an article with comments from Richard Harvey and Michael Gravelle about the province working on designing a secondary route south of Nipigon near the hydro towers.