The 401

[Loco101]

I remember the spaceships ones. There were a few left in the early 2000s. I think those ones all had Wendy's and Tim Hortons in them before they were torn down. I can't remember the exact locations but I'm sure that there were a couple around Trenton or Belleville and then the other one as mentioned above near Woodstock.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I don't know about eastern Ontario but the spaceship service centre at Woodstock in the eastbound side only closed down within the last 15 years. Google Maps goes back to Aug 2009 and it's there, and then Oct 2011 shows the new On Route.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0673308,..._ep=EgoyMDI0MTEwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

There was an iteration of the (whatever it was called before) On Routes that existed between the Spaceship designs and the current sloping roof style. The current Ingersoll (north side of 401) location is an example of this (has yet to be redesigned).

For a time, several stops included McDonald's, which tended to have better/quicker service than the current Wendy's (featuring extremely apathetic employees, with cold burgers to match).

[Djeffery]

Yep, both sides at Cambridge as well as westbound at West Lorne in our region had McDonalds. The Ingersoll had a Burger King in it's former life. The only other of that design I'm personally familiar with is the westbound at Newcastle. I think it was done first, and then Ingersoll was done after, and made bigger.

[sonysnob]

Looking westerly along the 401 from Keele Street. This is from back in September. They've paved over the exposed concrete now, and they are working on restoring the lanes to their permanent conditions.


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_362_west_WB_Sep24_42x28.jpg

When the 401 was originally constructed through Keele Street, the westbound express lanes didn't have four lanes, as the transfer at the Allen Road interchange carried traffic from the express lanes to the collector lanes, and not from the collectors to the express as it does today. The joints in the exposed concrete pavement reflect the original lane configuration with only three lanes, not the four lanes that we know today. In the express lanes, where the concrete flairs out beyond the COMPASS sign over the collector lanes, that was the former start of the fourth lane -- which served only as a speed change lane for traffic heading to the collector lanes from the express at the Basketweave which is pictured in the distance.

[Djeffery]

The rebuilt interchange at Dorchester Road, exit 199, is now open.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The rebuilt interchange at Dorchester Road, exit 199, is now open.

Just in time to save the A&W from going under.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Just in time to save the A&W from going under.

Which actually had a renovation this summer while the exit was closed. The Petro Can store also had a reno. Pretty decent washrooms now for a highway stop.

[MolsonExport]

The worst washrooms for a 401 highway exit are found at the exit for Drumbo/Innerkip, heading west. At this horrible place ("Master Steaks", "Indian Food", "Wendy's", "Truckers' Haven", etc.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2290598,..._ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Even if you can’t hold your bladder one second longer, do not, I repeat, do not enter the washrooms at this facility. Pee in the parking lot if you have to. Non-working, filthy beyond description, no soap, no paper towel, no drying system, and seats off of the toilets, lying on the disgusting floor. The only things dirtier than the floors were the toilets themselves, plugged with feces and toilet paper.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The worst washrooms for a 401 highway exit are found at the exit for Drumbo/Innerkip, heading west. At this horrible place ("Master Steaks", "Indian Food", "Wendy's", "Truckers' Haven", etc.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2290598,..._ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Even if you can’t hold your bladder one second longer, do not, I repeat, do not enter the washrooms at this facility. Pee in the parking lot if you have to. Non-working, filthy beyond description, no soap, no paper towel, no drying system, and seats off of the toilets, lying on the disgusting floor. The only things dirtier than the floors were the toilets themselves, plugged with feces and toilet paper.

The only time I willingly use something other than the OnRoutes for a pee break is the Flying J in Tilbury. Somewhat cheap gas, clean bathrooms, good coffee.

There's no rest stops on the 403 but there's a Wendys/Tim Hortons thing just east of Brantford that has decent bathrooms.

Too bad we don't have something like a Buc-ee's - a literal destination on the highway vs just answering nature's call.

I'd like to see a OnRoute somewhere on the 402 as well, but there is a easily accessible bathroom at the currency exchange just before the Blue Water Bridge, or the Duty Free just after the toll plaza. A place to relieve yourself if your bladder won't make it through the potentially long wait at US customs.

I'd assume the new Gordie Howe plaza will have a decent bathroom somewhere- it's the biggest border complex in Canada after all.

[Snark]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The worst washrooms for a 401 highway exit are found at the exit for Drumbo/Innerkip, heading west. At this horrible place ("Master Steaks", "Indian Food", "Wendy's", "Truckers' Haven", etc.)

Funny story about the place: when it was built some 15 or more years ago, they buggered up the big sign out front on top of the building. It was supposed to say "Master Steaks", but they screwed it up somehow and the sign says "Mister Steaks". You can even see the gap between the letters "M" and "i", as there was supposed to be a much larger letter "a" in that place. I don't believe they ever fixed it, so all of the shortcomings about the place you mentioned is hardly surprising.

[Djeffery]

Yeah, if in daytime hours, there is no reason to ever grace that truck stop at 250, plenty of nearby alternatives. Hang a left at the stop sign and there is an Esso 2 or 3 km down the road as you come into Drumbo. Or go further along the highway to Woodstock (a shame the TA closed down, it was a good highway stop as well) where you can hit Esso's a mile either side of the 401 at highway 2 and several other washroom options at Norwich Ave. Or back at Kitchener there is a Flying J at Cedar Creek and a Petro Pass at Homer Watson (as well as other fast food places there). Overnight, with the Timmy's and the like not generally open anymore like they used to be, sometimes bathroom stops might take more planning in some areas.

Interesting that the old Tu-Lane truck stopped closed at Cedar Creek around the time this one at Drumbo opened, I wonder if they were the same people at the time. I do recall Tu-Lane being a decent place back in the 80's and 90's. But believe it or not, truck stops had standards back then, truckers wanted decent food and decent facilities and there was plenty of options if you didn't provide it to them. Now the new breed of truckers don't care, they don't respect the places and the options are a lot fewer.

For the 402, there is a Flying J at Oil Heritage (exit 25, so about 15 minutes outside Sarnia), or there are a few options at Strathroy at highway 81.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Snark

Funny story about the place: when it was built some 15 or more years ago, they buggered up the big sign out front on top of the building. It was supposed to say "Master Steaks", but they screwed it up somehow and the sign says "Mister Steaks". You can even see the gap between the letters "M" and "i", as there was supposed to be a much larger letter "a" in that place. I don't believe they ever fixed it, so all of the shortcomings about the place you mentioned is hardly surprising.

Yeah, that story makes sense. I could have sworn it once said "Mister Steaks", then "Master Steaks", or the other way around. For some reason (probably the uncommonly long stretch of comparatively underdeveloped land between Woodstock and KWC), we have had to exit the highway in that stretch to seek a washroom (especially when my kids were young), and there were few options...at least, visible from the highway, other than "Master/Mister Steaks".

For the record, I have never eaten a steak at this place. Once, during a hailstorm (when we were taking shelter), I ordered a poutine....it was disgusting.

[sonysnob]

View looking eastbound towards the Hurontario Street interchange in Mississauga overtop of the westbound lanes:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_341_west_EB-t_Aug21_42x28.jpg

[Marshsparrow]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The worst washrooms for a 401 highway exit are found at the exit for Drumbo/Innerkip, heading west. At this horrible place ("Master Steaks", "Indian Food", "Wendy's", "Truckers' Haven", etc.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2290598,..._ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Even if you can’t hold your bladder one second longer, do not, I repeat, do not enter the washrooms at this facility. Pee in the parking lot if you have to. Non-working, filthy beyond description, no soap, no paper towel, no drying system, and seats off of the toilets, lying on the disgusting floor. The only things dirtier than the floors were the toilets themselves, plugged with feces and toilet paper.

Wondered how this place every stayed in business.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

View looking eastbound towards the Hurontario Street interchange in Mississauga overtop of the westbound lanes:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_341_west_EB-t_Aug21_42x28.jpg

Wider than a lot of streets are in length. Looks cool, and definitely nice to drive on now that the construction is finally over, but I fear that it is only a matter of a few years before the traffic grows to resemble that in the older sections of the Express/Collector arrangement.

[MolsonExport]

I drove the 401 this weekend to/from London/Toronto.
I am always shocked and amazed by the number of asshole drivers. It is really quite remarkable just how many gaping assholes there are on this single highway.

It's like Mos Eisley.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I drove the 401 this weekend to/from London/Toronto.
I am always shocked and amazed by the number of asshole drivers. It is really quite remarkable just how many gaping assholes there are on this single highway.

It's like Mos Eisley.

Yet Ontario has consistently had the safest roads on the continent. Goes to show you if you think that this is bad, how insane it must be elsewhere?

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Yet Ontario has consistently had the safest roads on the continent. Goes to show you if you think that this is bad, how insane it must be elsewhere?

It gets a lot worse in B.C. Lower Mainland.
Quebec? It’s hit or miss though there are left-lane hoggers.
It gets better in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

[MolsonExport]

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have many miles of freeways, despite their low populations. On this metric, Ontario is the most shortchanged, along with BC.

It is simply unbelievable that the 401 is STILL the only free East-West freeway that runs clear across the GTA. Mind blowing. For a region of 8.5-10 million people. WTF?

Montreal has four or five (depending on how you count them)

[Innsertnamehere]

I mean that's just not true.. Toronto has the 407 and Gardiner / DVP which function as east-west expressways. Plus the 413 is on it's way.

In terms of Montreal, if you want to drive through the metro region from one end to the other, you really only have 2 options - A-40 and A-30, and A-30 was only finished like a decade ago. A20 isn't a freeway for its entire length, and A-440 and A-640 are not connected on both ends.

Ontario's highway network has generally been extremely underinvested in over the last 30 years or so though and has resulted in a network with a massive list of capacity problems.