The 401

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I know that long-term the MTO wants to have 6 lanes between Cobourg and Hwy 416. All new bridge replacements in that whole corridor are being designed to allow for 6-lane widening, like the bridge over the Trent River for example.

TBH I'm not sure why Highway 416 is the eastern end point of that goal, and not Cornwall or the QC border. Highway 416 despite being the freeway to Ottawa isn't actually that significant. As someone who drives between Kingston & Ottawa semi-regularly and has plenty of experience on the 416, I can say that it's one of the emptiest freeways I've ever seen. I don't think it's ever been clogged barring extreme scenarios, and on three occasions I literally couldn't see anybody else on the freeway (one of those was actually on Christmas Eve, believe it or not). At least the southern half, south of Kemptville is like that. The northern part carries a decent amount of Ottawa commuter traffic.

This is all because the 416 is a pretty shitty choice for a 401-Ottawa connection. Coming from the west on the 401, you have to go pretty far east to get to it and then you basically go back west again. The 416/401 interchange is as-the-crow-flies directly south of downtown Ottawa but you arrive in Ottawa at the western edge of the city.

In many cases, a trip from Ottawa to Kingston, Toronto, etc. is actually faster by taking Highway 15 and/or Highway 7. Only if you're coming from the south/southeast area of Ottawa (where my destinations are) does the 416 offer a clear advantage. Many people know this and so take the 7 or 15 instead.

In retrospect a better freeway route from Ottawa to the 401 would have followed the 15 corridor--it's basically a straight line from Ottawa to Kingston. That whole corridor is basically empty land especially SW of Smiths Falls. It would actually make a perfect route for a Toronto-Kingston-Ottawa HSR whenever we get around to that.

I seem to remember reading that the 416 was chosen instead of a hypothetical 415 as highway 15 runs through environmentally sensitive areas. The 416 route is around 30km longer I think.

The 416 is only 14 years old as well, it is the newest 400 series highway, which sort of explains its emtyness. It also has a somewhat competitive rail service going Toronto-Ottawa that removes a significant chunk of traffic.

Isn't the tilbury section the emptiest portion of the entire 401 anyway? or is that just after the 416?

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I'm curious about if there's any plans to widen the 401 between Cobourg and Kingston. On some occasions I've found traffic heavy along that stretch, particularly between Trenton and Belleville, and the AADT traffic counts along some of those sections are almost double that of the section between Tilbury and Windsor. The 401 was widened to six lanes in Kingston between Highway 38 and Montreal Street in recent years (which now operates very well), and a multi-year project to widen the highway from there to Highway 15 across the Cataraqui River is underway.

The 2013 Five year plan lists a contract to six lane the 401 between Burnham Street in Cobourg and Nagle Road east of Hwy 45. Off the top of my head, I think 2016 is listed as the completion date for that project. I would assume that additional contracts to widen east of Nagle Road would be forthcoming in a couple of years, but I am just guessing that because it makes sense.

Some resurfacing is programed for the 401 between Trenton and Belleville as well, which somewhat precludes a quick widening contract to be called for that section. (Though Port Hope to Cobourg was widened shortly after it was resurfaced, so I suppose you do never know).

Originally Posted by haljackey

I agree that both 4-lane stretches should be widened. The Cobourg-Kingston stretch may have higher volumes than Tilbury-London, but I'm not sure which flows better. A lot of truck traffic and outdated designs can really affect this.

Tilbury to London flows better. By a considerable margin.

[MolsonExport]

Since being expanded to 6 lanes, the drive from London to Milton is much, much improved. I hated being boxed in by trucks passing trucks and still more trucks, back in the bad ol' 4 lane days. I say Milton, because despite widening, traffic inevitably crawls in Milton, even worse now with the outlet mall in said city.

The 401 from London to Windsor ranks as among the most banal, boring freeway drives in the known universe. Up there with 417 from Ontario-Quebec border to Ottawa (Quebec side, route A-40, considerably more interesting given go-go girls, mt. Rigaud, Lac des Deux Montagnes, etc.)

[DavefromSt.Vital]

MTO Southern Highways Plan 2013 - 2017:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pub...ay-en-2013.pdf

[Innsertnamehere]

I wonder what highways mto will upgrade once the Sudbury extension is finished. That's been sucking up funds (along with highway 11) for years and years now, it will be interesting to see what MTO does after it's finished. I'm hoping for a 417 extension and some major widenings, something
MTO seems to have not done much of for a while. (And there is an ever increasing pile of EAs for widenings around the province as well)

[haljackey]

There's only a few freeways that to not interchange with the 401:
-QEW
-405
-406
-420

If you count the road names in Quebec, the 417 does meet up with the 401 (Via Autoroute 30).
-If you count the Gardiner and DVP, you could say the QEW meets up with it too, but that's a bit of a stretch.

[Innsertnamehere]

If the province were to ever upload the DVP and gardiner the DVP should be the 404 and gardiner the QEW..

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

If the province were to ever upload the DVP and gardiner the DVP should be the 404 and gardiner the QEW..

I don't know if the DVP should become the 404 if it were to be uploaded. While I quite like the DVP, its definitely up to 400-series highway standards. Neither is the Gardiner.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The 2013 Five year plan lists a contract to six lane the 401 between Burnham Street in Cobourg and Nagle Road east of Hwy 45. Off the top of my head, I think 2016 is listed as the completion date for that project. I would assume that additional contracts to widen east of Nagle Road would be forthcoming in a couple of years, but I am just guessing that because it makes sense

Interesting! Nagle Road seems kind of arbitrary though..but as you say it's likely just a first step.

It's definitely much needed. I drive this stretch daily and spend much of it sitting behind 2 transports trying to pass each other going the same speed. They usually manage to get 20-30 cars piled up behind them before one finally passes the other. There's always some asshole who tries to pass everyone in the right lane and barge right in too. Talk about road rage inducing.

[haljackey]

A blurb from the US Federal Highway Administration about the 401:

The key high-volume highways in Ontario are the 400-series highways in the southern part of the province. The most important of these is the 401, the busiest highway in North America, with average annual daily traffic (AADT) of more than 425,000 vehicles in 2004, and daily traffic sometimes exceeding 500,000 vehicles. In much of the Toronto area, the 401 has six lanes in each direction, but some segments have seven, eight, and even nine lanes in each direction. The next most heavily trafficked freeways in the 400 system are the 427, with an AADT of about 312,000 vehicles, and the Queen Elizabeth Way, with an AADT of about 175,000 vehicles.

Source

[sonysnob]

Did you know that in 2010, the AADT for the busiest stretch of the 401 is down to 403,000 between Weston and the 400?

In 2005, traffic reportedly dropped from 420,000 to 389,000 in that section.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I seem to remember reading that the 416 was chosen instead of a hypothetical 415 as highway 15 runs through environmentally sensitive areas. The 416 route is around 30km longer I think.

The 416 is only 14 years old as well, it is the newest 400 series highway, which sort of explains its emtyness. It also has a somewhat competitive rail service going Toronto-Ottawa that removes a significant chunk of traffic.

Isn't the tilbury section the emptiest portion of the entire 401 anyway? or is that just after the 416?

I've driven between Kingston and Ottawa a few times now and I find the best route depends on where in Ottawa you're going, and sometimes weather conditions in winter. My last trip to Ottawa was to near the airport, so Highway 416 was the best choice. But if I'm going to Kanata such as for a hockey game, I take 15/7. The one down side with Highway 15 is that traffic flow is not always the best, especially if you get stuck behind a slow-moving truck and there's no opportunity to pass. There are a few passing lanes here and there, but I think a couple more are warranted.

Having the 416 as a freeway rather than Highway 15 also allowed for Ottawa to have a better freeway connection to the U.S., via I-81.

[sonysnob]

The eastern end of Highway 401 at the Quebec Border:

[MolsonExport]

^when I was a kid, we drove to eastern Ontario almost weekly (from Montreal), and I always remembered how the road would all of a sudden get very smooth (heading west) or bumpy (heading east) right at that place. And the overpasses more dated/decrepit.

Things are better now, but not by much. Same thing with the freeways in Gatineau and Ottawa.

[vid]

It's like that when you go into Manitoba from Ontario. As soon as you enter Western Canada, the highway splits into two separated traffic streams, a shoulder literally comes out of nowhere, the speed limit reaches something Ontario can only dream of, and oh, the tarmac! The glorious, smooth tarmac!

And then later you come back to Ontario and it's like "oh right, I live in this fuckin' place."

[Innsertnamehere]

In Ontario's defence they are twinning 17 to Kenora soon.. They are actually doing a lot of northern highway widenings.

[vid]

Yes, I was referring to now, not a decade from now.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The 401 from London to Windsor ranks as among the most banal, boring freeway drives in the known universe. Up there with 417 from Ontario-Quebec border to Ottawa

Clearly, you've never been on I-29...

Originally Posted by DavefromSt.Vital

MTO Southern Highways Plan 2013 - 2017:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pub...ay-en-2013.pdf

Where's the 426 and the 424?

Originally Posted by haljackey

A blurb from the US Federal Highway Administration about the 401:

[I]The key high-volume highways in Ontario are the 400-series highways in the southern part of the province. The most important of these is the 401, the busiest highway in North America, with average annual daily traffic (AADT) of more than 425,000 vehicles in 2004, and daily traffic sometimes exceeding 500,000 vehicles.

I remember Top Gear Magazine did a piece on the busiest roads in the world, both Americans and Brits alike were astonished to see a Canadian highway (the 401) leading the pack... by quite a large margin.

[Dwils01]

I believe the 424 is the highway number they have chosen for a highway between Cambridge and Brantford. I think 426 is the corridor between Barrie and Owen Sound which has a lot of tourist traffic in the summer but I'm not sure on this one.

[sonysnob]

I have to say, I am not dissatisfied with the new Highway 26 diversion between Wasaga and Collingwood. An interchange at old Hwy 92 would have been cool, but the roundabouts function quite well. My only gripe is that the speed limit drops way to far away from the roundabout. MTO has built other roundabouts on roads with an 80km/h limit, I don't know why they were so paranoid with the ones on Hwy 26.