Highways in Canada

[Metro-One]

Yes, first 6 km, known as phase IVA.

Same standards as through Banff, including one 60 meter wide wildlife overpass (and 3 wildlife underpasses).

The remaining 40km is labelled as phase IVB, but i am sure that will also be chopped up into phases.

The final product of these federal highway projects is of great quality, but they are super slow. The Banff twinning started in 1981, taking until 204 to be completed to the BC border.

[jmt18325]

It would be a nice signature infrastructure project for the Trudeau Liberals in the lead up to the 2019 election...

[Metro-One]

Would be nice, hints that they are already studying the alignment for the next 40km.

[craner]

Hoping to be able to drive from my home in Calgary to Golden, BC on a completely twinned highway before I croak.
(I can already do so to Golden, CO).

[Metro-One]

Well it says that there will be a review period this fall for the remaining 40km and detailed design is expected around March 2018, so they may just continue working after the initial 6km is completed.

[craner]

^Sounds encouraging.
If they get Yoho done there won't really be many kms left to twin between Calgary & Golden.

[Metro-One]

Now that Kicking Horse has its official go ahead there could possibly be none by the mid 2020s.

Salmon Arm to Vancouver will essentially be full freeway as well by this time except for a dew traffic lights east of Kamloops. (there is a long term plan to by-pass that short section).

[craner]

Really - A freeway between Salmon Arm & Kamloops ?
I haven't travelled that route in about 5 years (usually headed to the Okanagan) but I don't remember it bring a "freewayized" once you got east of Kamloops.

The Rogers Pass stretch will be a fun exercise in highway twinning - thats going to take awhile. I wonder what year it will be when the two largest metros in western Canada are connected by a modern 4-lane highway ?

[Metro-One]

There are a few protected T intersections along the way (which actually given the traffic volumes and nature of the area serviced, I think is a reasonable compromise in saving funds) but all of the major junctions are / will be interchanges.

The new Pritchard interchange opened last year and it looks like Chase will have its two major access points re-constructed as interchanges.

West of Salmon arm one interchange has already been built and another is planned.

The only spot I don't know about is what they plan to do around Squilax.

Sadly the #1 looks as if it will still go through Salmon Arm, so no free flow there.

At this point there are 6 traffic lights just east of Kamloops (along a 2km stretch!). After this stretch it looks as if it will only be interchanges and protected T intersections all the way to Salmon Arm (so essentially free flow).

I would love for that 2 km stretch east of Kamloops to finally be by-passed or upgraded to maybe 2 interchanges to replace the 6 traffic lights. Always a pet peeve of mine that 2 km section.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by craner

Really - A freeway between Salmon Arm & Kamloops ?
I haven't travelled that route in about 5 years (usually headed to the Okanagan) but I don't remember it bring a "freewayized" once you got east of Kamloops.

The Rogers Pass stretch will be a fun exercise in highway twinning - thats going to take awhile. I wonder what year it will be when the two largest metros in western Canada are connected by a modern 4-lane highway ?

You and I will both be worm fodder long before your wondering sees the light of day.

The eastern part of Three Valley Lake will be quite a build, maybe not though if you fill in some of the lake.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by craner

Really - A freeway between Salmon Arm & Kamloops ?
I haven't travelled that route in about 5 years (usually headed to the Okanagan) but I don't remember it bring a "freewayized" once you got east of Kamloops.

The Rogers Pass stretch will be a fun exercise in highway twinning - thats going to take awhile. I wonder what year it will be when the two largest metros in western Canada are connected by a modern 4-lane highway ?

It would likely need to be a narrow corridor divided by a median barrier, and I'm not sure if it can sustain a speed limit higher than 80 km/h through Rogers Pass.

[craner]

Originally Posted by speedog

You and I will both be worm fodder long before your wondering sees the light of day.

The eastern part of Three Valley Lake will be quite a build, maybe not though if you fill in some of the lake.

Or they may just re-route the highway ?

[speedog]

Originally Posted by craner

Or they may just re-route the highway ?

To where?

[Metro-One]

So to go with this conversation here are the planned upgrades for highway 1 near chase.

Looks like the preferred options are to be grade separated (one protected T will be constructed west of these projects).

Here is the preferred option for the western portion of Chase. Grade separated:

ChaseP1 by Ian, on Flickr

Here is the runner-up option, also grade separated:

Chase1B by Ian, on Flickr

And here is the at grade option:

Chase1C by Ian, on Flickr



Now on the eastern half of Chase, here is the preferred grade separated option:

Chase2A by Ian, on Flickr

And the at grade option:

Chase2B by Ian, on Flickr


There will be another access point east of Chase for a few properties. It says that it is technically "at grade" but a closer looks shows that there are no movements across traffic (no break in the median divider).

So it looks like the interchanges are the preferred options, but it never hurts to help by sending in your comments to the BC ministry of Transportation supporting the grade separated interchanges for these projects.

2022 is the expected completion dates. So Kamloops to Chase will be 4 lanes the entire way when these are complete with primarily interchanges (as stated before).

[craner]

^Well that's more good news - thanks Metro.
Chipping away at this 4-laning.

Originally Posted by speedog

To where?

I have no idea - that's why I ended my post with a "?".
I was just going by past examples on the Kicking Horse project and hwy 97 where they re-routed portions (usually higher up the mountain).

[SignalHillHiker]

Our interior arterial, Prince Phillip Drive. Its name changes to Columbus by the Avalon Mall.

Red arrow/circle is Quidi Vidi Gut. Blue arrow/circle is St. John's Narrows. Orange circle is the Basilica. Yellow arrows point to Prince Phillip Drive.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by craner

^Well that's more good news - thanks Metro.
Chipping away at this 4-laning.


I have no idea - that's why I ended my post with a "?".
I was just going by past examples on the Kicking Horse project and hwy 97 where they re-routed portions (usually higher up the mountain).

A tunnel through the mountain on the north side of Three Valley Lake would probably be the best and easiest solution - higher up isn't really an option there because of the terrain. A two mile tunnel would be quite expensive though.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

So to go with this conversation here are the planned upgrades for highway 1 near chase.

Looks like the preferred options are to be grade separated (one protected T will be constructed west of these projects).

Here is the preferred option for the western portion of Chase. Grade separated:

ChaseP1 by Ian, on Flickr

Here is the runner-up option, also grade separated:

Chase1B by Ian, on Flickr

And here is the at grade option:

Chase1C by Ian, on Flickr



Now on the eastern half of Chase, here is the preferred grade separated option:

Chase2A by Ian, on Flickr

And the at grade option:

Chase2B by Ian, on Flickr


There will be another access point east of Chase for a few properties. It says that it is technically "at grade" but a closer looks shows that there are no movements across traffic (no break in the median divider).

So it looks like the interchanges are the preferred options, but it never hurts to help by sending in your comments to the BC ministry of Transportation supporting the grade separated interchanges for these projects.

2022 is the expected completion dates. So Kamloops to Chase will be 4 lanes the entire way when these are complete with primarily interchanges (as stated before).

Opposing lanes aren't divided with a wide grass median.... why?

[speedog]

Originally Posted by libtard

Opposing lanes aren't divided with a wide grass median.... why?

Because BC?

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by speedog

Because BC?

That's correct. The BC gov't seems to think that "four laning" is as good as having a divided highway. Obviously saving a few bucks trumps safety as far as they are concerned.