Ontario Highways

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

There's no such rule for the numbering of 400-series highways.

For the oldest 400 series highways, they were just numbered sequentially. It wasn't until the 1970s that the practice of numbering 400-series highways based on adjacent highways became common, and it's still not a hard and fast rule.

The former Highway 18 was located in Windsor, obviously nowhere near the recently opened 418, for example.

Ah I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[Dengler Avenue]

I was driving up and down Highway 404 & Highway 400. The high volume concerned me.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I was driving up and down Highway 404 & Highway 400. The high volume concerned me.

Was your travel essential?

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Was your travel essential?

Same answer that I gave you last time

[Horus]

I mean, really?

https://twitter.com/OPP_ER/status/1251492129291079680

Car passed OPP officer just before 12:30am on #Hwy417 eb, east of Hawkesbury. 271 km/hr in a 110 zone. Rear tire blew seconds later. Charged with Stunt, Careless and drive with cannabis readily available. Car impounded and DL seized for 7 days.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Horus

I mean, really?

https://twitter.com/OPP_ER/status/1251492129291079680

Yea kwoldtimer shared it elsewhere too. I didn’t know a car could go past 260 kph until I saw it was a race car.

[Dengler Avenue]

If a stimulus package means more highway projects, what will be done? My guesses are as follows.
Southwestern Ontario
Gordie Howe Bridge done in 2022 instead of 2024 (Essex County)
401 widened to 6 lanes from Tilbury to 402 (Essex County, City of Chatham-Kent, Elgin County, Middlesex County)
3 twinned to Leamington (Essex County)
Kitchener - Guelph - Hamilton freeway (Waterloo Region, Wellington County, City of Hamilton)
403 widened to 6 lanes through Hamilton

Central Ontario
26 expansion (Grey County, Simcoe County, City of Barrie)
400 - 404 connector (Simcoe County, York Region)
410 extension to Orangeville or Shelbourne (Peel Region, Dufferin County)
35 up to Lindsay (Durham Region, City of Kawartha Lakes)

GTA
GTA West Corridor (Halton Region, Peel Region, York Region)
427 extension (including HOV expansion)
400 HOV expansion (York Region)
401 HOV expansion (Halton Region, Peel Region, Durham Region)
404 HOV expansion and extension to Beaverton (York Region, Durham Region)

Eastern Ontario
401 widened to 6 lanes up to 416 (Northumberland County, Hastings County, Lennox & Addington County, Leeds & Grenville County)
115/7 freeway extended past Havelock (Peterborough County)
7 freeway extended from Carleton Place to Town of Perth (Lanark County)
417 extension to Petawawa (Renfrew County)

Northeastern Ontario
400 extension (District of Parry Sound, District of Sudbury, possibly City of Greater Sudbury too)
17 around North Bay and around Sudbury (City of North Bay, District of Nipissing, City of Greater Sudbury, District of Sudbury)
11 up to Tri-Town (City of North Bay, District of Nipissing, District of Timiskaming, City of Timiskaming Shores)

Northwestern Ontario
Shabaqua Corners - Nipigon Corridor (District of Thunder Bay)
17 from ON/MB border to 71 (District of Kenora, City of Kenora)

Thoughts?

[waterloowarrior]

Several of those still need multi-year EAs, new alignments, property purchase etc. They wouldn't necessarily be shovel ready stimulus projects unless they could be fast-tracked like widening an existing freeway

For Eastern Ontario I would add to your list:
417 - Finish full widening 416 to Anderson (existing EA)
417 - Extend six lanes to Boundary/Rockdale (fast-track EA)
416 - Interchange at Barnsdale (fast-track EA)
Highway 138 improvements (existing EA)
174/17 widening/extension to Rockland (municipal freeway with existing EA)
Airport Parkway widening (municipal freeway with existing EA)

[Dengler Avenue]

Several of those still need multi-year EAs, new alignments, property purchase etc. They wouldn't necessarily be shovel ready stimulus projects unless they could be fast-tracked like widening an existing freeway

Some of them are mere wishlists, such as extending 417 to Petawawa. At least I didn't ask for taking it to North Bay this time (though lowkey I want that to happen).

115/7 freeway extended past Havelock (Peterborough County)
7 freeway extended from Carleton Place to Town of Perth (Lanark County)

It'll be wonderful if these 2 can be done, though. In that case, moving forward, I will use 401 & 416 to reach Ottawa and 7, 115 & 407 on the way back.

417 - Extend six lanes to Boundary/Rockdale (fast-track EA)

I've never heard of this one. Is this from the split to Vars? Or is it only between exits 88 & 96?

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

If a stimulus package means more highway projects, what will be done? My guesses are as follows.

....

Thoughts?

Good list.

I suspect that a lot of the work on 11/17 will be smaller projects improving sightlines and eliminating hazards.

The MTO has done a fair bit of work between Mattawa and North Bay improving geometry and is currently working on a section between North Bay and Sudbury.

Those things don't require tons of paperwork and only need a year or two of construction, so they provide a little bonus and provide small tangible gains.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I've never heard of this one. Is this from the split to Vars? Or is it only between exits 88 & 96?

The EA to widen the 417 goes as far east as Anderson Road. So no approvals to extend to Boundary Road or Vars yet. But with all the residential and industrial growth in the rural east the highway is backed up to Boundary Road fairly regularly.

2016 AADT for Boundary Road (Amazon/Russell) is around the same levels as Anderson Road and western Kanata. Vars/Embrun/Limoges is lower, but perhaps the EAs for that stretch and 416 to Barrhaven should be looked at.

[Innsertnamehere]

I’d argue that for a project to qualify for stimulus funding it at least needs a completed EA so that it can go into detailed design more or less immediately. A lot of these already have funding but could be accelerated, perhaps using a traditional procurement method instead of using AFP which adds years to the process.

- highway 7 twinning Guelph - Kitchener
- Hanlon Parkway upgrades
- 401 widening from Cambridge to Halton border
- 401 widening Durham
- 400 widening to Barrie
- Morristown bypass
- 401 widening Belleville/Trenton
- Garden City skyway replacement
- 403/QEW widening oakville
- full 401/8 interchange

Other projects that have EAs in process right now which could probably be accelerated and still start fairly soon:

- freeman interchange upgrades, Burlington
- 35/115 interchange
- Bradford bypass (EA needs to be updated)
- QEW widening Mississauga

My understanding with a lot of these is that a lot of them are running in stages, waiting for bridge replacements and whatnot before moving forward with actual widening. I’d want to look into ways to speed these up, perhaps with bridge work running concurrently.
- 400 widening to Barrie
- 403/QEW widening Oakville
- QEW widening Mississauga
- freeman interchange


One last thing I wouldn’t mind seeing is a passing lane program for 2 lane provincial highways. Similar to what was done to Highway 35 about 15 years ago south of Minden.. a lot of provincial highways have high traffic volumes which makes it very difficult to pass.. passing lanes can improve traffic flow and don’t require an EA as far as I know. While you are at it create a similar fund for regional roads.

[Dengler Avenue]

Actually, widening Highway 17 west of Sturgeon Falls required an EA, IIRC. Funny enough, the rock blasting along Veuve River further west has taken place quietly, so I’m not sure if I can take it to mean that EA isn’t needed in the latter case.

But overall, yes, passing lanes please! Highway 9 needs to be widened to 4 lanes between Orangeville and Highway 400. Probably same thing with Highway 6 from Guelph to Fergus. Highway 26 all the way.

Highway 7 from Peel/Halton border to Guelph, then between Kaladar and Perth can see more passing lanes. Highway 8 between Cambridge and Hamilton - It’s unthinkable that a highway between 2 urban centres has absolutely no passing lanes. There are many more...

But yea I find it surprising that Highway 35 has passing lanes in that area.

By the way, for Highway 8, I’d rather that MTO downloads Highway 5 to the City of Hamilton and assumes Hamilton City Road 52 (Former Highway 52) as the extension of Highway 8.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

One last thing I wouldn’t mind seeing is a passing lane program for 2 lane provincial highways. Similar to what was done to Highway 35 about 15 years ago south of Minden.. a lot of provincial highways have high traffic volumes which makes it very difficult to pass.. passing lanes can improve traffic flow and don’t require an EA as far as I know. While you are at it create a similar fund for regional roads.

The Province of Ontario markedly increased the number of passing lanes on highway 69 after there was a big fuss about the number of accidents. It's a relatively easy addition to a highway and a good safety measure because people will wait for a passing lane if they know one is coming up.

That being said, I'd prefer that new passing lanes put the onus on overtaking traffic to merge into the general flow as opposed to the opposite situation we have now. I think Nova Scotia and Europe does this.

[Dengler Avenue]

Quebec does it from time to time too. Here’s the issue though: It’s easier to perform a left shoulder check than a right one when you go at 100-110 km/h. At least that’s what I find.

[Djeffery]

Is the Gordie Howe Bridge just on a budget timeline that can be sped up with money? I can't imagine that if it could be sped up with money, that it would be cheap. So the question would be, is that money well spent?

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Is the Gordie Howe Bridge just on a budget timeline that can be sped up with money? I can't imagine that if it could be sped up with money, that it would be cheap. So the question would be, is that money well spent?

It's a good question. Since Canada gets to collect tolls on that bridge, I can see a basis for speeding up construction. One issue, though, is that 401 needs to have 6 lanes between Tilbury and Highway 402 by the time the bridge's operational. Otherwise, the truck traffic will only spell disaster for the Carnage Alley. As for whether the extra cost is worth getting to collect tolls early, it's a question that, lol, I can't answer without numbers.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

It's a good question. Since Canada gets to collect tolls on that bridge, I can see a basis for speeding up construction. The only issue is that 401 needs to have 6 lanes between Tilbury and Highway 402 by the time the bridge's operational. Otherwise, the truck traffic will only spell disaster for the Carnage Alley.

No it won't.

Truck traffic has declined on the 401 west of London over the past few years. Opening the Howe bridge might divert a bit of truck traffic from the 402, but probably not that much that it would warrant any changes to the 401 between Tilbury and London.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Is the Gordie Howe Bridge just on a budget timeline that can be sped up with money? I can't imagine that if it could be sped up with money, that it would be cheap. So the question would be, is that money well spent?

I doubt it.

Construction timelines are what they are because that's the best way to do things.

The Hoover Dam couldn't be constructed much more quickly because the limited-rate step was the curing of concrete could only happen so quickly.

A road can move a little quicker because you can have multiple sites operating at a single time doing different things if the project is big enough.

Bridges are tough because you need steps to happen in a certain order before one can proceed to the next step. Without pilings, you don't have towers. Without towers, you can't start building road structure. Without road structure, you can't put on road decking. You can accelerate things like toll plazas and customs facilities and approaches, but they're not really the major components.

As for money well spent - probably not. The economy may have gone through a complete economic cycle in bridge construction timelines, so your boost just come as the economy was picking up anyway.

[Dengler Avenue]

Huh I just noticed this: Highway 11 has no reasonable EDR between Exit 294 (end of Highway 124) and Beachley Road (a bit south of Exit 301, Highway 522). (Going to Highway 69 then back doesn't count.)