Highways in Canada - Page 338

manny_santos · #**6741** Posted **Jun 9, 2018, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

While drivers on other 400-series highways around the GTA are a bit more alert, 407 drivers have some of the worst lane discipline I've ever seen. They often stick to the lane they're in and drive as fast or as slow as they want with little regard to their surroundings. Just about the only "rule" I notice is that the left-most lane is reserved for people who want to drive really fast.

Some people believe it is better and more efficient to stay in the same lane and not to change lanes, even if they’re going slower than lanes to their right.

I think it came out of some study a number of years ago that claimed lane changes caused worse congestion.

haljackey · #**6742** Posted **Jun 9, 2018, 4:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Some people believe it is better and more efficient to stay in the same lane and not to change lanes, even if they’re going slower than lanes to their right.

I think it came out of some study a number of years ago that claimed lane changes caused worse congestion.

Keep right except to pass. When you do want to change lanes indicate your intent before you actually change lanes so other drivers can react. It's the sudden swerving and whatnot that causes a lot of braking and chaos that l can lead to congestion.

On toll highways like the 407 there is some more entitlement. 'I am paying to use this highway' , so people seem to have less respect for other drivers rather than trying to get along with other drivers to make things flow better.

On the HOVs lanes in Toronto area, they may not move as fast as the others when things are not congested due to someone doing 100km/h exactly. Can be a little stressful to not be able to pass that person but when the regular lanes suddenly come to a stop boy are you glad you picked it.

SignalHillHiker · #**6743** Posted **Jun 11, 2018, 7:52 PM**

A few pics of the Team Gushue Highway extension between Kenmount Road (St. John's) and Topsail Road (Mount Pearl). It's taken from near Blackmarsh Road.

Overpass near Blackmarsh Road:

Looking up Kenmount toward Kenmount Road. This area is only being developed recently because until very recently St. John's forbid all development at this elevation. Once you're over the hill, it's the biggest industrial park-style commercial area in the city, including its largest mall, etc.

Looking the other way toward Topsail Road in Mount Pearl. The disappearing farms of the Goulds to the left.

And to give you an idea of location... the dark hilltop under the most brightly-illuminated cloud is Kenmount. So this highway is wrapping over that - and, also, the area will be developed in other ways - residential, commercial, etc. We got those fancy developed world water pumps now so we can do it.

The highway itself is moving at about the same direction as the closest part of Signal Hill Road in the foreground at bottom.

catching the city night light by Wichan Yingyongsomsawas, on Flickr

someone123 · #**6744** Posted **Jun 11, 2018, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Some people believe it is better and more efficient to stay in the same lane and not to change lanes, even if they’re going slower than lanes to their right.

I think it came out of some study a number of years ago that claimed lane changes caused worse congestion.

As with most things the simplified blanket rule is probably not that useful. Authorities in a lot of places are starting to be more insistent that slow drivers get out of the left lane on 2-lane highways. In a heavily congested setting lane changes can make things worse but they are a huge net gain compared to the case where a couple of slow drivers block a huge number of vehicles behind them.

I remember getting stuck for maybe 1/3 of the length of the 407 behind a cluster of drivers going well below the speed limit. One of them had her turning signal on for about 15 minutes and looked terrified.

haljackey · #**6745** Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:18 PM**

Canada's largest interchange? (Geographically speaking)

New loop at 401/403/410 is nearly complete
https://www.flickr.com/photos/103656107@N08/42763439921/

le calmar · #**6746** Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:34 PM**

I don't know about that, but the picture sure doesn't make it look that large. It does look large on Google Earth though.

sonysnob · #**6747** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 2:44 AM**

I think the 401/403/410 interchange is probably the largest geographic interchange in Canada. The flyovers to and from the 403 take up a lot of space. The only ones that I think might contend with it are the interchanges between the QE2 and Route 201 and Anthony Henley Drive out west. Both those have large geographic footprints as well.

milomilo · #**6748** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 3:51 AM**

Stoney/Glenmore/Sarcee will probably be a strong contender once its built - that thing is going to be far larger than neccesary as it was built for a collector/express system that the province has specifically said they don't plan on building.

TownGuy · #**6749** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 10:22 AM**

The picture above is only showing the new loop, not the whole interchange.

GreaterMontréal · #**6750** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 11:21 AM**

the new Turcot interchange.

Metro-One · #**6751** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 11:42 AM**

Montreal has this.

That Toronto style interchange actually doesn’t impress me too much. I like tighter stacked urban interchanges myself. I actually find the interchange / ramp system around Pearson International Airport far more impressive than 401/403/410 Interchange.

TownGuy · #**6752** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 11:57 AM**

Good lord do you people even read? He said largest geographic footprint of an interchange. The Turcot Interchange is quite clearly smaller GEOGRAPHICALLY.

No one said the 401/403/410 is the most impressive interchange in Canada, or even Toronto.

Metro-One · #**6753** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 12:24 PM**

If just judging by amount of space, wouldn’t be surprised if an interchange or two can rival it in Calgary. Some pretty spread out interchanges there.

le calmar · #**6754** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 12:29 PM**

It would be hard to determine which interchange is the (geographically) largest. Some rural interchanges such as the 401/416 are very spread out. But does it count? There is even a farm in the middle of the interchange.

Dengler Avenue · #**6755** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 1:08 PM**

Honestly though, the fancier an interchange, the more confused the drivers. Once I was trying to go from 403 to 410 (in Mississauga, Ontario, and one would think that one only needs head straight) but ended up on the 401 and had to turn around a block down the highway... Then I learned it the hard way that continuing onto 410 from 403 requires me to take the right lanes.

megadude · #**6756** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 1:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Honestly though, the fancier an interchange, the more confused the drivers. Once I was trying to go from 403 to 410 (in Mississauga, Ontario, and one would think that one only needs head straight) but ended up on the 401 and had to turn around a block down the highway... Then I learned it the hard way that continuing onto 410 from 403 requires me to take the right lanes.

Very easy to make these kinds of mistakes there. I've made practically the same mistakes around there when I was a new driver.

I was taking the 410 south to 401 east assuming I could exit at Dixie. Nope. Had to exit at Renforth and cut back to Dixie. Had done that twice before I finally learned.

And of course, 401/409/427 at YYZ is very confusing. Have made mistakes going to and from probably three or four times before I got the hang of it.

Can only imagine how confusing it is in some bigger foreign cities. I found NYC confusing as well.

Thank God for google maps on the smart phone now.

libtard · #**6757** Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Good lord do you people even read? He said largest geographic footprint of an interchange. The Turcot Interchange is quite clearly smaller GEOGRAPHICALLY.

No one said the 401/403/410 is the most impressive interchange in Canada, or even Toronto.

Don't mind Metro-One. He's what you call a "weeboo" or "japan-o-phile". He is obsessed with anything Japan related which includes the small, cramped, low design speed interchanges they use in that country. That picture of that interchange in Ontario is indeed impressive. I wish the lower mainland had more direct connectors with long gradual curves, it makes the design speed so much higher.

FrAnKs · #**6758** Posted **Jun 15, 2018, 2:35 AM**

What I'm working on

sonysnob · #**6759** Posted **Jun 15, 2018, 10:41 PM**

Perusing google street view as one does... I noticed that Alberta doesn't use a lot of crash protection for roadside hazards. Notice this, this is the AB-16/216 interchange on the east side of Edmonton. Note that neither the overhead sign supports, the high mast poles, or the bridge piers have any crash protection. This seems to be fairly typical in Alberta (at least on the highways that I have looked at). The median of this highway isn't very wide. I have a hard time envisioning a similar highway in Ontario or Quebec that didn't have some kind of crash protection for similarly designed highways.

SteelTown · #**6760** Posted **Jun 15, 2018, 10:43 PM**

Looks like MTO is proceeding with trying a “divergent diamond” interchange at Glendale and QEW in Niagara. Calgary and Regina already have them. https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news...e-interchange-proposed-for-glendale-qew/

Jason Thorne
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