Highbury Avenue Improvements

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by haljackey

I'm not sure why they chose VMP instead of Clarke but it doesn't really matter because no driver in their right mind would detour this far when alternatives are available.

Clarke runs north of all of this so it would be of no help. I'm not sure why the map doesn't show Hamilton as a detour route since how else are people getting around this when Highbury is closed at the river?

[haljackey]

Geesh the Highbury Freeway stretch can't catch a break

Thames River Bridge rehab- 2 year project. Completed.

401 interchange- 5 year project. We're coming on year 3 or 4... its been going on so long I can't even remember when it started

Roadway Rehab- 2 year project. Starting this year

Hamilton intersection improvements- Another 2 year project planned to start in 2029.

Roughly a decade of constant construction on this relatively short stretch

[Djeffery]

I believe this rebuild was also planned a few years ago and delayed due to Adelaide and BRT budget issues.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Geesh the Highbury Freeway stretch can't catch a break

Thames River Bridge rehab- 2 year project. Completed.

401 interchange- 5 year project. We're coming on year 3 or 4... its been going on so long I can't even remember when it started

Roadway Rehab- 2 year project. Starting this year

Hamilton intersection improvements- Another 2 year project planned to start in 2029.

Roughly a decade of constant construction on this relatively short stretch

This might be wishful thinking on my part, but I'm hoping the congestion from the upcoming freeway rebuild won't be as bad as it was during the Thames River bridge rehab. I think one of the main causes of all that congestion on the bridge was that the lane closures were near the traffic light at Hamilton Road, which caused traffic to queue up whenever the light was red.

I guess we'll find out soon enough once construction starts lol.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

This might be wishful thinking on my part, but I'm hoping the congestion from the upcoming freeway rebuild won't be as bad as it was during the Thames River bridge rehab. I think one of the main causes of all that congestion on the bridge was that the lane closures were near the traffic light at Hamilton Road, which caused traffic to queue up whenever the light was red.

I guess we'll find out soon enough once construction starts lol.

Is there a piece I'm missing on that city page about each direction being done at a time or is Highbury going to be completely closed while this goes on? At least during the bridge work, they shifted traffic over for single lane each direction while each bridge span was done. That is how I seem to recall the last rebuild that brought the concrete road back in the early 90's happening as well.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Is there a piece I'm missing on that city page about each direction being done at a time or is Highbury going to be completely closed while this goes on? At least during the bridge work, they shifted traffic over for single lane each direction while each bridge span was done. That is how I seem to recall the last rebuild that brought the concrete road back in the early 90's happening as well.

Yes, it looks like they are doing a similar approach for construction this year.

"Key impacts and mitigation measures include: Maintaining one lane per direction on Highbury Avenue South by diverting traffic between northbound and southbound lanes using temporary crossovers;"

[jammer139]

It's a shame they aren't taking the opportunity to widen the Bradley-Highbury overpass bridge to 4 lanes. Bradley is a major east-west road across the south end with all kinds of future developments planned. A two lane county road doesn't cut it any more.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by jammer139

It's a shame they aren't taking the opportunity to widen the Bradley-Highbury overpass bridge to 4 lanes. Bradley is a major east-west road across the south end with all kinds of future developments planned. A two lane county road doesn't cut it any more.

I'd assume a second parallel bridge would be built. Bradley desperately needs 4 lane widening east of Wellington to hopefully Highbury. However judging how slow the city is at progressing on these projects, the Bradley overpass might be at the end of it's service life by the time the Bradley widening reaches Pond Mills Road. Guess that would be the time to do a full replacement with a larger structure.

[CanadianTalk]

So it looks like the Highbury freeway will be rebuilt with asphalt (instead of concrete)… the City has kept both options open the past few years.

Construction is set to start in May.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=122597

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

The City of London is planning to reconstruct Highbury Avenue South between the Thames River and Highway 401 in 2026 and 2027. This project will replace the roadway that has reached the end of its service life, as well as rehabilitate the Commissioners Road and Bradley Avenue bridges over Highbury Avenue South.

https://getinvolved.london.ca/highbury-south-rehab

Timeline

• 2026 - Northern portion (Thames River bridge to south of Commissioners Road East), including the Commissioners Road underpass.
• 2027 - Southern portion (south of Commissioners Road East to Highway 401), including Bradley Avenue underpass.

Highbury Avenue South (Proposed Work Details)

• Full reconstruction of the roadway with concrete/asphalt pavement;
• Addition of paved shoulders;
• Resurfacing of on- and off-ramps
• Street lighting upgrades;
• Reconstruction of traffic signals and accessibility improvements at the Commissioners Road East ramp intersections;
• Addition of a second northbound left-turn lane at the Commissioners Road East off-ramp;
• Phragmites treatment and removal;
• Replacement and upgrades to stormwater infrastructure; and
• Construction of earth berms for excess soil management.

Commissioners Road East and Bradley Avenue Structures (Proposed Work Details)

• Removal and replacement of the existing asphalt;
• Sidewalk and concrete structure repairs;
• Drainage improvements.

[ericmacm]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

So it looks like the Highbury freeway will be rebuilt with asphalt (instead of concrete)… the City has kept both options open the past few years.

Construction is set to start in May.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=122597

It looks like there was about a $7M price differential between the winning adjusted bid with asphalt paving ($27M for the J-AAR bid) vs all of the bids for concrete paving (all were around $34M). Asphalt does not have as long of a service life, but there have been discussions about having the province take over ownership of the Highbury freeway portion so there is little incentive to put the extra money into concrete paving. That extra $7M could also go a long way with the myriad other infrastructure projects in the city that need to be completed.

[Djeffery]

The stats probably bear out the fact that concrete lasts longer but that road has sucked for a long time. I don't exactly remember when it was rebuilt with concrete last, early 90's or so? I feel like it's been a pretty poor quality road for half that time. I wonder what the total cost difference over the years would have been to do it in asphalt back then, and maybe a rebuild in there compared to the concrete and repairs over the years. Plus the non-measurable dollar value of having a better quality road to drive on for more of that time.

[MolsonExport]

I hate concrete paving along expressways. Driving in the States, where such pavements are plentiful on the expressways, it always sounds like there is something wrong with one or more of my tires.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I hate concrete paving along expressways. Driving in the States, where such pavements are plentiful on the expressways, it always sounds like there is something wrong with one or more of my tires.

The 401 just west of London is now concrete and I fee like my tires are getting stuck in the grooves. It feels weird to steer here and is pretty slick when it's wet/snowy out. Just that part however- the other concrete parts going to Windsor seem fine.

Concrete makes more sense if you're expecting actual heavy traffic- in terms of vehicle weight. Highbury is more of a commuter route- the truck traffic is using the VMP more now to access the industrial businesses in the east end.

Asphalt is also far easier to repair and replace, but it does need more maintenance. Modern asphalt formulas are much better than they were a few decades ago so in theory the surface should be in good shape for quite a while before it needs major attention.

[jammer139]

Yeah the expansion joints between concrete slabs on expressways sound like your driving over railway ties. Thump thump thump.

[jammer139]

They might actually finish the Highbury 401 overpass construction this year.

Phase 4 info - https://www.hwy401highbury.ca/construction.html

[jammer139]

LFP article and a look at the history of Highbury and maybe its future.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/what...enue-and-could-the-province-take-it-over

CTV article

https://www.ctvnews.ca/london/article/hi...p-budump-to-be-silenced-by-255m-rebuild/

[jammer139]

LFP coverage on push to upload Highbury back to the Province.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/push...avenue-to-province-amid-growth-pressures

[jammer139]

St Thomas council endorses Highbury Ave being transferred to Province. Bring back Highway 126!

Widening and aligning the curves out of it will make it ALOT safer than the current design which has ruined so many lives.

Of Note Elgin County had targeted widening its portion in 2036. Hopefully the province will speed up that plan and we see a widened divided highway from the 401 down to Highway 3. It doesn't need expressway design at this point but making it divided and putting in angled left turn lanes at intersections or even a few Michigan style lefts would greatly improve the flow and safety.

In a generation or two the divided highway could be upgraded to expressway standards with overpasses and ramps at intersections.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/s...lan-to-have-province-take-over-highbury/

[DireRaven]

Originally Posted by jammer139

St Thomas council endorses Highbury Ave being transferred to Province. Bring back Highway 126!

Widening and aligning the curves out of it will make it ALOT safer than the current design which has ruined so many lives.

Of Note Elgin County had targeted widening its portion in 2036. Hopefully the province will speed up that plan and we see a widened divided highway from the 401 down to Highway 3. It doesn't need expressway design at this point but making it divided and putting in angled left turn lanes at intersections or even a few Michigan style lefts would greatly improve the flow and safety.

In a generation or two the divided highway could be upgraded to expressway standards with overpasses and ramps at intersections.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/s...lan-to-have-province-take-over-highbury/

How would a divided highway work with the houses along Highbury? Some i suspect could have their driveway swap to the closest road but a couple of others are too far away and the houses are too dang close to the road. Maybe the province would have to by the property?

[GreatTallNorth2]

I asked former and now deceased mayor Tom Gosnell if London could ever have an in-city highway like other cities. His answer was that the only way to do that would be for Highbury to be extended as a freeway to downtown. In that case the city would have to buy all the properties from Hamilton to the bridge at Trafalgar and then negotiate purchasing of land from CN to downtown. I am not saying it could ever happen, but that was the only possibility he saw. Imagine a divided highway from St. Thomas to the 401 which carries all the way to downtown and then connects to Horton Street.