The 401 - Page 62

haljackey · #**1221** Posted **Mar 18, 2024, 1:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Tremaine is definitely wide enough, the centre pillars are there now and you can see where the ends are. Several of the underpasses got new spans several years ago for detours when they were rebuilding the highway one side at a time but I'm not sure if they are wide enough for the ultimate highway width. Maybe that one you linked if the goal is 4 lanes each way that far west. East of Guelph Line, if they plan to extend the collector/express then they aren't wide enough for sure and that entire stretch is going to be a big job to widen that much given how elevated the highway is to the surrounding environment.

That's good about Tremaine. The it's just the worst when you have to tear up something relatively new up because you didn't plan properly.

Since the collector-express system extension would require new overpasses in Milton, and reconfiguring the recently widened 10 lane stretch, I do not expect any collector-express configs as part of the ultimate widening east towards Highway 8.

Things can change but I think the ultimate proposal is to have a consistent 10-lane (8+2HOV) cross section between Kitchener and Milton, with a extra auxiliary lane between the two Highway 6 interchanges once the Morriston Bypass project completes (whenever that happens).

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The advanced widening at underpasses for roads below the 401 were constructed for solely for construction staging purposes without a real consideration for the long term widening needs of the 401.

That's... sad, and shortsighted. I guess if anything these will help once again with construction staging for the widening of these structures which will help speed up construction... hopefully

Truenorth00 · #**1222** Posted **Mar 18, 2024, 1:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I took the 401 to Ottawa Sunday morning, sailed on through. Took 7 and 407 back yesterday. Hate paying the toll, but hate sitting in Toronto traffic more. Total BS selling it off I agree. What we don't know is how much money would the province have spent on it in the 25-ish years since and how much would the tolls be under them anyway? It was a much lesser highway when it was first built. The provincial stretch of the 407 has quite a bit lower tolls, but it's also a less in demand section. Given those decades of toll creep, I think the provincial tolls would probably be close to where they are now if it was never sold, and probably a lane less wide between 427 and 404.

The only highway robbery was the price we sold it for. It cost $1.5B to build and was sold for $3.1B. The province could have gotten a lot more for it. I, for one, think it's a great idea to sell highways like this off. As long as that highway was in government hands, the public would never have allowed tolls that are appropriate to even fund full construction. If you want more infrastructure built, this kind of privatization has to be part of the solution. This is exactly how Europe has funded a lot of highway construction. Tolls for intercity drives are entirely normal over there.

jammer139 · #**1223** Posted **Mar 18, 2024, 2:04 PM**

Understanding the expansions of the 407 over the years paid for by the 407ETR consortium that purchased the rights to operate and maintain the 407 highway and collect the tolls. When their contract eventually expires the rights to collect the tolls returns to the province.

https://www.407etr.com/en/highway/hi...struction.html

DirectionNorth · #**1224** Posted **Mar 19, 2024, 1:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Understanding the expansions of the 407 over the years paid for by the 407ETR consortium that purchased the rights to operate and maintain the 407 highway and collect the tolls. When their contract eventually expires the rights to collect the tolls returns to the province.

https://www.407etr.com/en/highway/hi...struction.html

It's a 99 year lease - so the highway will be returned in 2098. We'll all be dead then.

At the time, the original proposal was a thirty year lease for $2.1 billion, but the government added an option for $1 billion more and sixty nine years of extra lease. The original deal, love it or hate it, would mean that the highway reverts to provincial control in 2029, so a reasonable timeframe.

Which would mean the end of tolls because it's Ontario.

One more thing to note is that I believe the 407 consortium paid for the construction of the Halton County section and also between Markham Road and Brock Road (so, about 40 km total).

MolsonExport · #**1225** Posted **Mar 19, 2024, 9:04 PM**

the highway for the 1%. $50 to a rich person is peanuts. To most of us, it is highway robbery. $50. just to transit the highway once, in one direction. Unbelievable.

Djeffery · #**1226** Posted **Mar 21, 2024, 1:10 AM**

Saw a couple signs up for construction on the 401 east of London starting the first week of April. The bridge work done east of Putnam last year will be flipping to the other side of the highway, so the westbound lanes will shift over to the eastbound side for the summer.

Also looks like the Dorchester Rd overpass is going to be replaced. The project information online suggests Dorchester Rd will be closed for up to 190 days. Given how long other recent overpasses have taken to build in the area, that will be a miracle. The plan seems to be to leave the eastbound ramps open for the first couple months to allow access to the Petro Pass and also use the ramps as eastbound detour during the demolition of the old bridge and placing of the girders for the new bridge later in the summer. The westbound ramps look to be closed for the length of the project.

sonysnob · #**1227** Posted **Apr 2, 2024, 12:14 AM**

Hwy 401, looking westerly at the 404/DVP:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...0190_24x18.jpg

jammer139 · #**1228** Posted **Apr 4, 2024, 12:45 PM**

Dorchester Rd Overpass replacement project info.

https://www.thamescentre.on.ca/sites...ber%202023.pdf

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Saw a couple signs up for construction on the 401 east of London starting the first week of April. The bridge work done east of Putnam last year will be flipping to the other side of the highway, so the westbound lanes will shift over to the eastbound side for the summer.

Also looks like the Dorchester Rd overpass is going to be replaced. The project information online suggests Dorchester Rd will be closed for up to 190 days. Given how long other recent overpasses have taken to build in the area, that will be a miracle. The plan seems to be to leave the eastbound ramps open for the first couple months to allow access to the Petro Pass and also use the ramps as eastbound detour during the demolition of the old bridge and placing of the girders for the new bridge later in the summer. The westbound ramps look to be closed for the length of the project.

Djeffery · #**1229** Posted **Apr 4, 2024, 9:42 PM**

The bridge is now closed and excavation has begun. The ramps on the eastbound side are still open, so people can access the Petro, A&W and Tim Hortons. The ramps will be used as detours for demolition this month and placement of the new bridge structure in late June and the eastbound ramps are scheduled to close on July 2 per the signs on the backroads. So until July 2, there is access to the PetroCan service plaza from the eastbound side (no access from westbound obviously).

MolsonExport · #**1230** Posted **Apr 5, 2024, 5:20 PM**

Sailed through all the way to Mississauga and back, with the exception of some awful crunches in Milton (both ways), on Easter Weekend.

jammer139 · #**1231** Posted **Apr 11, 2024, 9:25 PM**

Dorchester Rd bridge work this weekend will close 401.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/badly-over...kend-1.6843329

jammer139 · #**1232** Posted **Apr 14, 2024, 8:00 PM**

Dorchester Rd overpass bridge now demolished. Next up start on new bridge abutments.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/overpass-d...-401-1.6846502

sonysnob · #**1233** Posted **May 7, 2024, 12:55 AM**

Easterly view in the express lanes at the ramp to the 427:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ay24_42x28.jpg

sonysnob · #**1234** Posted **May 7, 2024, 1:36 AM**

One more for tonight, the 401 approaching the 427. Construction season is in full swing:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ay24_42x28.jpg

ScreamingViking · #**1235** Posted **May 7, 2024, 3:45 AM**

The orange lane-markers are great... during the day.

I find them more difficult to see at night, especially if it's raining. I know I'm getting old, but still.

MolsonExport · #**1236** Posted **May 10, 2024, 1:18 PM**

I hate that Renforth Drive exit, with the tricky navigation that comes right after exiting. Merge, merge, merge, merge, merge, merge until you get the road that you want. Don't mess up, or you will end up far from your destination.

plate of spaghetti, anyone? https://www.google.com/maps/place/Re...p25d?entry=ttu