Ontario Highways

[Innsertnamehere]

Thanks. Duckworth St, in the background there, is scheduled for replacement in 2025 and will, I believe, be the last structure which needs to be replaced on the 400 to prepare for widening.

I’m increasingly curious when we will see more announcements of construction of widening work on the 400. MTO will have done all of the structural work for it by 2027 by the looks of it, all that will be left by then is some relatively simple mainline platform widening.

As of right the government hasn’t officially funded north of Highway 9 still.

[sonysnob]

Just reposting so that it isn't immediately buried:

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Hwy 400 looking northerly from Anne Street in Barrie taken in November. Traffic has been diverted to the outside of the highway's right of way to allow for full-depth reconstruction of the former mainline lanes:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ov23_42x28.png

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Thanks. Duckworth St, in the background there, is scheduled for replacement in 2025 and will, I believe, be the last structure which needs to be replaced on the 400 to prepare for widening.

I’m increasingly curious when we will see more announcements of construction of widening work on the 400. MTO will have done all of the structural work for it by 2027 by the looks of it, all that will be left by then is some relatively simple mainline platform widening.

As of right the government hasn’t officially funded north of Highway 9 still.

Bayfield Street is visible in the distance. Duckworth is the next interchange. I know you know that, just writing it for others who may be reading.

The next project to go will be the reconstruction through the Highway 88 interchange. That project, like the advanced projects at both Highway 9 and the Lloydtown-Aurora Road interchange, will include widening the platform of Highway 400 through the interchange with traffic shifted to the outside with the median lanes constructed but blocked off with temporary concrete barriers in the interim.

The Highway 88 project is supposed to last between 2024 and 2028. I'd expect some work between Highway 9 and 88 to follow this project, in addition to work to construct the Bradford By-pass.

The Highway 88 interchange has been designed to accommodate an additional southbound auxiliary lane from the Bradford By-pass in addition to the standard 10 lane cross-section that is envisioned for the 400.

[Innsertnamehere]

5 construction seasons for 88? That’s surprising.

And yes, sorry, meant Bayfield. Duckworth is the next interchange up.

I believe MTO is looking to start the first bit of the Bradford Bypass in 2024 as well.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

5 construction seasons for 88? That’s surprising.

And yes, sorry, meant Bayfield. Duckworth is the next interchange up.

I believe MTO is looking to start the first bit of the Bradford Bypass in 2024 as well.

They've already started work for a new bridge to carry Yonge Street over the Bradford By-pass.

I flew my drone over the site in the fall. They'd paved a temporary diversion road around the future bridge site, it was just about to put into operation before I flew the drone.

The photos weren't super interesting so I never bothered to post them.

[sonysnob]

Drone shot of Yonge Street north of Bradford. This is from late in October, work was ongoing to construct a new temporary diversion for Yonge Street around the location of the future bridge that will carry Yonge over the Bradford By-pass:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_1...0622_24x18.jpg

[Innsertnamehere]

The latest Infrastructure Ontario Market Update shows the Bradford Bypass being split up into a "western section" to go to procurement first, with the RFP being issued in the spring. I imagine the main contract will be close in the fall, with construction in 2025. If I had to guess, this will include the highway from the 400 to Yonge St.



MTO does have more preliminary work happening in 2024 however, with clearing and fencing of the right of way apparently happening in 2024:



The 9th Line bridge replacement is scheduled in 2024 as well:



This can also be considered "preliminary" work for the Bypass, which will have it's ramps pass over 9th line. I imagine the grading required for these ramps will be included in that contract, though the structures themselves will likely wait for the main Bypass contract:

[Dengler Avenue]

Stopgapping at Yonge Street (Simcoe \4/) coming from 400 doesn’t sound too terrible an idea. That definitely helps bypass the built up area of Bradford. Old Highway 11 and Green Lane are still high-speed arterial roads (although those left turns are going to suck).

[sonysnob]

The bridge over the western branch of the Holland River is actually a very technically challenging bridge to build due the weak soils of the marsh. The western segment might go all the way up to that bridge. Due to the complex nature of the structure, the bridge itself might be tendered as its own project to ensure that sufficiently knowledgeable project staff can deliver that specific part of the project.

I don't know exactly how they are going to deliver the project, I just know that one bridge was more technically challenging than the rest of the project, which was much more straightforward.

[sonysnob]

Southerly view over the 404 from the Elgin Mills Road overpass in Richmond Hill. This is from October, right after the lifted the temporary concrete median barriers and started painting the lane markings for the new HOV lanes.

The skyline has really grown:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ct22_42x28.jpg

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Hwy 400 looking northerly from Anne Street in Barrie taken in November. Traffic has been diverted to the outside of the highway's right of way to allow for full-depth reconstruction of the former mainline lanes:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ov23_42x28.png

Man, the 400 expansion just keeps on going. Barrie was one of the oldest sections of the 400-series network, complete with narrow underpasses and box-beam guardrail. Kind of gave it a bit of throwback charm, as much as highways have these things.

Are they going to keep the extended portions of the highway intact for the expansion through Barrie? I would assume the final build-out is a 10-lane cross-section, unless the MTO has different plans?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Man, the 400 expansion just keeps on going. Barrie was one of the oldest sections of the 400-series network, complete with narrow underpasses and box-beam guardrail. Kind of gave it a bit of throwback charm, as much as highways have these things.

Are they going to keep the extended portions of the highway intact for the expansion through Barrie? I would assume the final build-out is a 10-lane cross-section, unless the MTO has different plans?

The plan is for 10 lanes, yes. Basically the entire highway is being rebuilt, so not really anything will be left over.

MTO has removed all of the box-beam guardrail through Barrie now as of this summer, I believe, as well.

Personally I hated the old 400, it was dangerous with frequent cross-over accidents and poorly designed for the level of traffic it carries.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The plan is for 10 lanes, yes. Basically the entire highway is being rebuilt, so not really anything will be left over.

MTO has removed all of the box-beam guardrail through Barrie now as of this summer, I believe, as well.

Personally I hated the old 400, it was dangerous with frequent cross-over accidents and poorly designed for the level of traffic it carries.

The old median was only 30 feet (9.144 m) wide. I was surprised that MTO managed to add 2 more lanes in that kind of narrow median.
No wonder the left shoulders on the old 400 felt substandard.

[sonysnob]

Signage on Highway 417 for the ramp to Ottawa Road 174 East:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...an24_42x28.jpg

[sonysnob]

Bradford By-pass:

[Innsertnamehere]

A steel frame for a sign like that? Expensive.

Also note the 110 speed limit sign in the background. Still wish the PCs rolled out the speed limit increase a bit more universally.

[Dengler Avenue]

Speaking of the 110-kph zones, I notice something interesting:
From 400 NB to 69, the speed limit drops from 110 kph to 90 kph directly.
From 417 WB to 17, the speed limit first drops to 100 kph on 417 west of exit 187, then down to 90 kph where the 4 lanes go down to 2.

[sonysnob]

If I were a betting man, I'd expect another speed limit increase to be announced for the Spring of 2025.

[Dengler Avenue]

I’m not surprised, given that MTO now uses R = 1700 m (for 130 kph design speed) instead of R = 1200 m (for 120 kph).
Now that has me curious: When MTO started building 400-series expressways back in the days, that was the design speed back then?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’m not surprised, given that MTO now uses R = 1700 m (for 130 kph design speed) instead of R = 1200 m (for 120 kph).
Now that has me curious: When MTO started building 400-series expressways back in the days, that was the design speed back then?

IIRC when the 401 was first getting built towards Montreal in the 1970's it had a 70mph (112kmh) speed limit on it. In a way, 110 is simply returning to the old speed limits in the province.

Edit: yup:

In the late 1960s, the speed limit on the 400-Series Highways was increased again to 70 mph (115 km/h) for passenger cars and 60 mph (100 km/h) for trucks and heavy vehicles. During the energy crisis of the mid-1970s, the speed limit for passenger vehicles was changed back to 60 mph (100 km/h).

https://www.thekingshighway.ca/faq.h...,(100%20km%2Fh).

[sonysnob]

The 417 east of Ottawa was designed with an 80 MPH design speed.