Highways in Canada

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

A bypass of the Nipigon River Bridge. There is literally no alternative route through Canada.

A secondary highway should be built between Aroland, Armstrong and Savant Lake which goes North of Lake Nipigon. CN has its main line along that route.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The residents of Windsor will be happier, truckers will be happier, and much of the cost will be loaded onto the users of the bridge. No downsides to it, as far as I can see.

I am curious what other obvious links people think are missing. Quebec Autoroute 35 and 85 completion, maybe? A better link between Ottawa and Gatineau for trucks?

...Except for the businesses on Huron Church Road / Highway 3 in Windsor. Once the new bridge opens they are going to see a huge reduction in traffic / customers.

Autoroute 20 also needs a freeway section to bypass the traffic lights west of Montreal. That would link up Toronto and Montreal more directly.

-----

Gordie Howe is long overdue. When done, the Blue Water Bridge (I-69/94 to Highway 402) is still the route to take to go west into the US (via Chicago), but if you want to go south it will no longer be a better choice. A changeable message sign was installed on the 401 Eastbound in London- east of the 402 junction- to advise drivers of any border backups or other traffic/weather issues to make the best choice to get to the US.

The 401 is also slowly being 6-laned from Tilbruy to London so it will be easier to pass all the truck traffic that uses the Detroit/Windsor crossing.
-In fact, the existing 6 lane stretch from Windsor to Tilbury just had it's speed limit raised to 110. I'd expect that to be implemented as newly widened sections of the 401 open up.

[craner]

Originally Posted by thewave46

When I look at the 'missing links' in the North American transportation system, the Gordie Howe Bridge seemed to be one of the most obvious ones. Forcing all the transport traffic through the city of Windsor seemed foolish given the volume of it.

The residents of Windsor will be happier, truckers will be happier, and much of the cost will be loaded onto the users of the bridge. No downsides to it, as far as I can see.

I am curious what other obvious links people think are missing. Quebec Autoroute 35 and 85 completion, maybe? A better link between Ottawa and Gatineau for trucks?

A highway between Vancouver and Calgary would be nice.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Loco101

A secondary highway should be built between Aroland, Armstrong and Savant Lake which goes North of Lake Nipigon. CN has its main line along that route.

Even a bridge for highway 585 to cross the river would be good.

Originally Posted by craner

A highway between Vancouver and Calgary would be nice.

TCH and Highway 3 exist, or do you mean a freeway, which they are doing to the TCH?

[craner]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

TCH and Highway 3 exist, or do you mean a freeway, which they are doing to the TCH?

[Bobert]

Emergency repair work on Highway 8 in BC from the floods this past fall

Highway 8 - Rattlesnake Bridge and 3 Mile Bridge - repairs underway

BC Highway 8 - 16 km east of Spences Bridge - repairs underway

Highway 8 - 14 km East of Spences Bridges - repairs underway

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Originally Posted by haljackey

...Except for the businesses on Huron Church Road / Highway 3 in Windsor. Once the new bridge opens they are going to see a huge reduction in traffic / customers.

I wouldn't worry too much about the businesses in the area. The truck traffic can be overwhelming at times and likely keeps local customers away. I was at the Memorial Cup in Windsor a few years ago and I was sooooo thankful the staff at the Hampton Inn put me in a room facing away from Huron Church. Far quieter!

(and it was fun riding elevators with a young Alex DeBrincat on his sushi runs, etc.)

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

A bypass of the Nipigon River Bridge. There is literally no alternative route through Canada.

Maybe once Russia declares war on Canada

Now that I think about it, how did we manage to fight two world wars with only one cross-country road? A good rail system?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by haljackey

...Except for the businesses on Huron Church Road / Highway 3 in Windsor. Once the new bridge opens they are going to see a huge reduction in traffic / customers.

Autoroute 20 also needs a freeway section to bypass the traffic lights west of Montreal. That would link up Toronto and Montreal more directly.

-----

Gordie Howe is long overdue. When done, the Blue Water Bridge (I-69/94 to Highway 402) is still the route to take to go west into the US (via Chicago), but if you want to go south it will no longer be a better choice. A changeable message sign was installed on the 401 Eastbound in London- east of the 402 junction- to advise drivers of any border backups or other traffic/weather issues to make the best choice to get to the US.

The 401 is also slowly being 6-laned from Tilbruy to London so it will be easier to pass all the truck traffic that uses the Detroit/Windsor crossing.
-In fact, the existing 6 lane stretch from Windsor to Tilbury just had it's speed limit raised to 110. I'd expect that to be implemented as newly widened sections of the 401 open up.

I drove over the Ambassador a few weeks ago and indeed stopped for a quick bite to eat along Huron Church.. Once Gordie Howe opens I probably still would have gotten off the 401 to grab a bite somewhere in Windsor though.

The Ambassador is already typically faster for going south, minus any potential border delays, but only by a couple of minutes. Gordie Howe will just make it even faster though, particularly since it will represent a massive increase in border crossing capacity and will hopefully really drop wait times during peak periods. The border wait times going west into Michigan are far worse than the Niagara Crossings into NY typically.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Maybe once Russia declares war on Canada

Now that I think about it, how did we manage to fight two world wars with only one cross-country road? A good rail system?

Yes. The highly developed rail network aided the shipping of goods during the wars. The original Trans-Canada Highway opened in 1943 with the completion of Ontario Highway 11. Long-haul truck shipping was not a major factor in industrial production pre-WWII in general. That came later.

Also, most of the heavy industry needed to fight those wars was east of Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Between rail and ship (via the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence), Canada's industrial output flowed to Europe. Canada was not a participant in the Pacific theatre in any meaningful fashion in WWII.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by haljackey

...Except for the businesses on Huron Church Road / Highway 3 in Windsor. Once the new bridge opens they are going to see a huge reduction in traffic / customers.

Autoroute 20 also needs a freeway section to bypass the traffic lights west of Montreal. That would link up Toronto and Montreal more directly.

-----

Gordie Howe is long overdue. When done, the Blue Water Bridge (I-69/94 to Highway 402) is still the route to take to go west into the US (via Chicago), but if you want to go south it will no longer be a better choice. A changeable message sign was installed on the 401 Eastbound in London- east of the 402 junction- to advise drivers of any border backups or other traffic/weather issues to make the best choice to get to the US.

The 401 is also slowly being 6-laned from Tilbruy to London so it will be easier to pass all the truck traffic that uses the Detroit/Windsor crossing.
-In fact, the existing 6 lane stretch from Windsor to Tilbury just had it's speed limit raised to 110. I'd expect that to be implemented as newly widened sections of the 401 open up.

Are the businesses on Huron Church that dependent on much of the traffic?

I can't foresee a rig driver using many of the businesses, nor the locals being particularly interested in battling the traffic queues of transports and subsequently avoiding the area.

Sure, you might get a few people going to Detroit from points father east in their cars grabbing a Starbucks or whatever that might just bypass it using the new bridge, but I can't imagine they'd be more than a small percentage of traffic.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by craner

A highway between Vancouver and Calgary would be nice.

Crazy talk! Wild-eyed dreams of lunacy.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by thewave46

loaded onto the users of the bridge. No downsides to it, as far as I can see.

I am curious what other obvious links people think are missing. Quebec Autoroute 35 and 85 completion, maybe? A better link between Ottawa and Gatineau for trucks?

Highway 640 needs to cross the river from Oka to Vaudreuil. That's probably the most obvious missing link in the country.

Also, highway 440 needs to extend to the west and cross over to Ile Bizard and Montreal, and link up with the 40. That's another must.

Both of these scenarios would greatly alleviate traffic on the 13 and 40 in Laval and Montreal.

[Dengler Avenue]

For missing links in Quebec, I encourage people to check out Infolot.
For those in Ontario, check out MTO’s Highway Corridor Permit Control Zone.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Highway 640 needs to cross the river from Oka to Vaudreuil. That's probably the most obvious missing link in the country.

Also, highway 440 needs to extend to the west and cross over to Ile Bizard and Montreal, and link up with the 40. That's another must.

Both of these scenarios would greatly alleviate traffic on the 13 and 40 in Laval and Montreal.

Completing the A-640 would be good but not sure it's one of the country's biggest imperatives.

I think that the A-30 bypass to the south of Montreal now does the job quite nicely for cross-country traffic between Toronto-Ottawa-Western Canada and Atlantic Canada.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Completing the A-640 would be good but not sure it's one of the country's biggest imperatives.

I think that the A-30 bypass to the south of Montreal now does the job quite nicely for cross-country traffic between Toronto-Ottawa-Western Canada and Atlantic Canada.

Not so much anymore as it gets congested between A10 and A20 during rush hour.
Building the remainder of A440 will be an interesting one as I never realized that it was supposed to go all the way to Pierrefond.

As for A640, Oka may make it a nonstarter. Better off twinning A50 and building A9 between A50 at Lachute and A40 near the provincial boundary.

IMO though, extending A50 towards Joliette may be less controversial than A440 through the suburbs of Montreal.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Not so much anymore as it gets congested between A10 and A20 during rush hour.
Building the remainder of A440 will be an interesting one as I never realized that it was supposed to go all the way to Pierrefond.

As for A640, Oka may make it a nonstarter. Better off twinning A50 and building A9 between A50 at Lachute and A40 near the provincial boundary.

IMO though, extending A50 towards Joliette may be less controversial than A440 through the suburbs of Montreal.

I think A-30 is still pretty good. It's in a major metro area for there is going to be congestion at times. I think a lot of the congestion on it between A-10 and A-20 is due to major construction projects in the area.

Another improvement for Montreal-area traffic would be to extend A-13 north from its current terminus in St-Eustache to link up with the A-50 near Mirabel airport.

The A-15 is extremely busy going north out of Montreal through Laval and sometimes into the lower parts of the Laurentians.

I use it a lot and no matter what time or day, traffic jams are always possible.

It's consistently worse than the A-40 on the West Island or the A-30 on the south shore.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Maybe once Russia declares war on Canada

Now that I think about it, how did we manage to fight two world wars with only one cross-country road? A good rail system?

Back then, rail was king. The trains would arrive in Halifax and the troops would board a ship for Europe.

Originally Posted by thewave46

Yes. The highly developed rail network aided the shipping of goods during the wars. The original Trans-Canada Highway opened in 1943 with the completion of Ontario Highway 11. Long-haul truck shipping was not a major factor in industrial production pre-WWII in general. That came later.

Also, most of the heavy industry needed to fight those wars was east of Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Between rail and ship (via the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence), Canada's industrial output flowed to Europe. Canada was not a participant in the Pacific theatre in any meaningful fashion in WWII.

Highway 17 wasn't finished till the 1960s.

Originally Posted by Acajack

Completing the A-640 would be good but not sure it's one of the country's biggest imperatives.

I think that the A-30 bypass to the south of Montreal now does the job quite nicely for cross-country traffic between Toronto-Ottawa-Western Canada and Atlantic Canada.

I would add a bridge to connect to the 30 on both ends would be a good addition. This would make it a good outer ring road.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Highway 17 wasn't finished till the 1960s

Yes, but the first road across the country was partially routed via Ontario Highway 11, which was completed in 1943. So, the original trans-Canada (my error on capitalizing the 'Trans' in the previous post) highway only partially used Highway 17.

The official 'Trans-Canada Highway' (i.e. built/funded by the Trans-Canada Highway Act, 1949) did serve to finish Highway 17 between Schreiber and the Sault in the 1960s, as you mention.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Yes, but the first road across the country was partially routed via Ontario Highway 11, which was completed in 1943. So, the original trans-Canada (my error on capitalizing the 'Trans' in the previous post) highway only partially used Highway 17.

The official 'Trans-Canada Highway' (i.e. built/funded by the Trans-Canada Highway Act, 1949) did serve to finish Highway 17 between Schreiber and the Sault in the 1960s, as you mention.

Yes, and ironically, or obvious, the TCH follows both highways through ON.