Highways in Canada

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

The Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Estrie region, Mr. François Bonnardel, and the MNA for Nicolet-Bécancour, Mr. Donald Martel, today announced a major investment of $340 million for the redevelopment of the Highway 55 between Bécancour and Sainte-Eulalie. The project will double the traffic lanes over 27.1 km, add a physical separation between the two directions and redevelop the four at-grade intersections located on this section.

https://www.transports.gouv.qc.ca/fr/pro...u-quebec/PublishingImages/A-55_Carte.jpg

Ça sent les élections!

[MonctonRad]

Good news. This is a major missing link in Quebec's dual carriage autoroute system.

Now, to divide the highway to Rimouski too............

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Ça sent les élections!

Oui mais c'était une promesse électorale à la dernière élection. Ils avaient aussi dit qu'ils feraient l'annonce avant la prochaine campagne.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Ça sent les élections!

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

Oui mais c'était une promesse électorale à la dernière élection. Ils avaient aussi dit qu'ils feraient l'annonce avant la prochaine campagne.

C’est partiellement vrai, mais on en parlait même au milieu de l’actuel mandat de la CAQ aussi.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

C’est partiellement vrai, mais on en parlait même au milieu de l’actuel mandat de la CAQ aussi.

The missing part was the $340M.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Good news. This is a major missing link in Quebec's dual carriage autoroute system.

Now, to divide the highway to Rimouski too............

That’d be quite the dream.

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

The missing part was the $340M.

Good point.
That comes to $12.5M/km. I wonder what makes it so costly: grade separation, especially with an interchange at Saint Célestin?

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

That’d be quite the dream.

Good point.
That comes to $12.5M/km. I wonder what makes it so costly: grade separation, especially with an interchange at Saint Célestin?

...redevelop the four at-grade intersections located on this section.

Several calls for tenders will be published over the next few months, in particular for professional services (supervision, project management and quality assurance) and the carrying out of preparatory work aimed at clearing the entire section (lots of trees and bushes to clear). It's almost a forest.


there will also be a weigh station scale (S.A.A.Q) on each side of the highway near Saint-Célestin. Bécancour will be the battery hub in Quebec, the A-55 will see lots of heavy trucking in the future.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by LightingGuy

I took a gander at the new SW leg of the Stoney Trail on google street this morning and was surprised at how wide the ROW is.

https://goo.gl/maps/TSbfBYPWiZ8wegyq7

Alberta has always envisioned an outer loop for Calgary beyond AB-201. Because the southwestern portion of the city is bounded by First Nations lands, the southwestern portion of 201 was constructed with a median wide enough to construct the lanes of an outer loop within the median should it ever be required.

[LightingGuy]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Alberta has always envisioned an outer loop for Calgary beyond AB-201. Because the southwestern portion of the city is bounded by First Nations lands, the southwestern portion of 201 was constructed with a median wide enough to construct the lanes of an outer loop within the median should it ever be required.

Makes sense, just was surprised when I saw it.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by LightingGuy

Makes sense, just was surprised when I saw it.

For sure,

Hwy 2 south of Edmonton towards the airport has a huge central median as well.

[Tone]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Now, to divide the highway to Rimouski too............

Good one!

[MonctonRad]

Rimouski must be the largest city in Quebec completely disconnected from the provincial Autoroute system n'est pas?

I realize that the Saguenay isn't connected either, but at least the 175 is divided for almost it's entire length...........

[Tone]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Rimouski must be the largest city in Quebec completely disconnected from the provincial Autoroute system n'est pas?

I realize that the Saguenay isn't connected either, but at least the 175 is divided for almost it's entire length...........

Not only that but the Route is also linking a certain other province.

Im laughing because i believe it should be important, but its merely an afterthought. We have to beg for decades to have a few rancid breadcrums while other regions receive... hmm nevermind.

[Tone]

On a happier note, i look forward to see the progress on NB11 soon!

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Rimouski must be the largest city in Quebec completely disconnected from the provincial Autoroute system n'est pas?

I realize that the Saguenay isn't connected either, but at least the 175 is divided for almost it's entire length...........

It will soon be Rouyn-Noranda once the Autoroute 20 connection is completed from Trois-Pistoles to Rimouski.

[Tone]

It would take a minimum of will to twin A20 around Rimouski, all the overpass around it except one in Saint-Anaclet are built-in twinned.

The only large structure that needs to be doubled is the Rimouski River bridge, here is a rare pic of it under construction circa 1986!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Tone

On a happier note, i look forward to see the progress on NB11 soon!

NB 11 will soon be divided as far north as the Little Bouctouche River (except for a single river crossing). This will extend for a distance of about 50 km north of Moncton.

There are no real plans to continue this project any further. This is a political decision, and since the current government in the province is Conservative, southern and almost monolithically anglophone, this is not likely to change any time soon.

Personally, I think NB should commit to extending twinning of the full length of NB 11 as far north as the QC border, with QC also committing to a new autoroute down the Matapedia valley from Rimouski to connect up. This would essentially complete the potential for freeway construction in eastern QC and NB, and would improve access to the Gaspesie Baie des Chaleur coast to the rest of Quebec. This is a popular tourism destination for Quebecers, so I think this might be a popular decision.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

NB 11 will soon be divided as far north as the Little Bouctouche River (except for a single river crossing). This will extend for a distance of about 50 km north of Moncton.

There are no real plans to continue this project any further. This is a political decision, and since the current government in the province is Conservative, southern and almost monolithically anglophone, this is not likely to change any time soon.

Personally, I think NB should commit to extending twinning of the full length of NB 11 as far north as the QC border, with QC also committing to a new autoroute down the Matapedia valley from Rimouski to connect up. This would essentially complete the potential for freeway construction in eastern QC and NB, and would improve access to the Gaspesie Baie des Chaleur coast to the rest of Quebec. This is a popular tourism destination for Quebecers, so I think this might be a popular decision.

I think for traffic volumes you'd twin the 11 up to Miramichi, then the 8 to Bathurst, then the 11 to Campbellton.

I also think twinning the 132 in the Matapédia valley would be insanely expensive, given the geography of much of the route with mountain slopes on one side and the river edge on the other.

[Tone]

^That's unfortunate, i thought there were somewhat plans to twin it further north to Miramichi or even Bathurst.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I think for traffic volumes you'd twin the 11 up to Miramichi, then the 8 to Bathurst, then the 11 to Campbellton.

Yes, you're right. This is what I meant.

Originally Posted by Acajack

I also think twinning the 132 in the Matapédia valley would be insanely expensive, given the geography of much of the route with mountain slopes on one side and rhe river edge on the other.

It really depends on your level of commitment to a national highway system, The US found a way, even with some difficult mountain passes, particularly in Colorado. Where there is a will, there is a way.

I also think there should be a divided TCH in northern Ontario as well, connecting to Manitoba.

This is nation building. Areas of the country connected by a national highway system suddenly become much more attractive for development. Right now northern NB is a bit of a backwater. If it were connected to the QC autoroute system, and the Maritime freeway network, that might change.