Trans Canada Highway Twinning: Segments U/C

[MonctonRad]

Since I have nothing better to do today, I present you a map of the grade separated and limited access divided highways in Nova Scotia.



Compare Nova Scotia's truncated divided highway network to that of NB (keeping in mind that my map of NB is somewhat less magnified that the NS map)



It's pretty obvious that the NB divided highway network is much more extensive.

BTW, it would be interesting if some of the other tortured souls of SSP would consider doing similar maps for their own home provinces. Sometimes when you look at a published map of another province, it's hard to differentiate between a grade separated limited access divided highway, a non limited access divided highway and a simple multilane non divided expressway. It would be interesting to know just how many true freeways exist in the country.

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

BTW, it would be interesting if some of the other tortured souls of SSP would consider doing similar maps for their own home provinces. Sometimes when you look at a published map of another province, it's hard to differentiate between a grade separated limited access divided highway, a non limited access divided highway and a simple multilane non divided expressway. It would be interesting to know just how many true freeways exist in the country.

I have a large Google Earth-based map which I made several years ago and have updated with every true freeway in Canada including a number of cancelled, proposed and planned future ones. I'll upload it soon enough.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It's pretty obvious that the NB divided highway network is much more extensive.

Did anyone say it wasn't? I already posted a map showing the Nova Scotia's divided highways.

New Brunswick got a bunch of federal money to twin the major highways in and out of Atlantic Canada to Quebec and Maine. This benefits all of Atlantic Canada.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Franco401

I have a large Google Earth-based map which I made several years ago and have updated with every true freeway in Canada including a number of cancelled, proposed and planned future ones. I'll upload it soon enough.

Thanks. That would be interesting to see.

[Dengler Avenue]

I guess we’re a bit digressing now, but what about a direct 4-lane divided freeway from Bengor, Maine to Saint Stephen, N.B.? Like, somehow linking up N.B.-1 with I-395?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I guess we’re a bit digressing now, but what about a direct 4-lane divided freeway from Bengor, Maine to Saint Stephen, N.B.? Like, somehow linking up N.B.-1 with I-395?

Irving was a principle driver behind dividing NB-1 to the ME border at Saint Stephen, and they were hopeful that the Americans would reciprocate by extending I-395 eastward to Calais so that they would connect up. This would give Saint John a direct freeway connection to the US northeast, facilitating Irving's businesses. Irving (and Saint John) is the main reason why NB-1 is divided to the US border.

Alas this did not happen. I'm not sure if there was ever much interest (by the Americans) in creating a new east/west freeway across Maine. There was a proposal out there at one point to extend this connection across western Maine and through Quebec to Sherbrooke. The only thing the US did was to build a new customs station on the border where the Canadian freeway terminates, and a small one km or so connector road which joins up with US-1 at a new roundabout. In other words the Americans facilitated this project to the absolute minimum possible.

The problem is that Washington County in Maine is very poor and there are very few people living there. Is the US government interested in spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new highway that would primarily service only Canadians? The easy answer is no, especially in these times where all "foreigners" are viewed with suspicion, and the fewer border crossers there are, the better.

There was a time when I would drive through the back roads of Maine to get to Ontario (it was a pleasant drive), but no longer. Given the current state of affairs, any time I am heading to Upper Canada, I will take the pan-Canadian route 100% of the time..........

[Franco401]

Here's my map. White is existing, blue is planned, green is proposed/theoretical and pink is cancelled/demolished. I am obviously playing fast and loose with definitions of "proposed" here and a few of the routes are guesswork, but this map is essentially a complete history of freeway construction in Canada. This link will give you the original .kml file which you can open yourselves on the Google Earth desktop or web apps.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KF...yk3l5mighxOiRP

[Djeffery]

That's awesome, and sad as well lol.

[MonctonRad]

Great work Franco401

I agree with Djeffery too, it's also kinda sad. Canada has so much further to go in creating a true national highway system......

[FrAnKs]

Great map ^ !

Hello B.C.? Nothing at all is planned or proposed ?

Can you make a map with the existing ones only, please?

[ssiguy]

Thanks for the map but I don't think it's to-scale. It shows the highway being shorter from Van to Kam as opposed to Cal/Edm which is certainly isn't. Also the entire Trans-Canada is 4 lanes thru from Regina to the Ontario border which isn't marked.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

Great map ^ !

Hello B.C.? Nothing at all is planned or proposed ?

Can you make a map with the existing ones only, please?

Currently they are widening HWY #1 to 3 lanes each way but only for 6 km and only because ambulance, police, and fire departments were demanding it because there are so many accidents and the road so congested that they were having a hard time accessing them. This is the only east-west highway in the Lower Mainland, carries 105,000 vehicles a day and is still only 2 lanes in each direction. The highway section that won't be widened still carries 90,000 a day.

The Massey Tunnel twinning is basically on hold despite carry 120,000 vehicles a day. It has counter-flow which means that in rush hour northbound you have 4 freeway and one-on ramp lanes merging into 1 for a full 3 hours. The Pattulo Bridge in NW basically has to be replaced as it's about to fall down so they are replacing the terminally 4 lane bridge with just another 4 lane bridge. The new SFPR has had to have a new intersection fixed because it wasn't built with ramping and trucks kept flipping. It is also going to need an $8 million repair as the road was built to such low standard that part of it is already buckling.

BC doesn't build roads and spends next to nothing on them and has absolutely no intention of ever doing so. People anywhere else in the country would be truly aghast if they saw how bad the highway system is. BC roads are often downright dangerous.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Currently they are widening HWY #1 to 3 lanes each way but only for 6 km and only because ambulance, police, and fire departments were demanding it because there are so many accidents and the road so congested that they were having a hard time accessing them. This is the only east-west highway in the Lower Mainland, carries 105,000 vehicles a day and is still only 2 lanes in each direction. The highway section that won't be widened still carries 90,000 a day.

The Massey Tunnel twinning is basically on hold despite carry 120,000 vehicles a day. It has counter-flow which means that in rush hour northbound you have 4 freeway and one-on ramp lanes merging into 1 for a full 3 hours. The Pattulo Bridge in NW basically has to be replaced as it's about to fall down so they are replacing the terminally 4 lane bridge with just another 4 lane bridge. The new SFPR has had to have a new intersection fixed because it wasn't built with ramping and trucks kept flipping. It is also going to need an $8 million repair as the road was built to such low standard that part of it is already buckling.

BC doesn't build roads and spends next to nothing on them and has absolutely no intention of ever doing so. People anywhere else in the country would be truly aghast if they saw how bad the highway system is. BC roads are often downright dangerous.

I just had a look at B.C.'s 2019/2020 budget and it only called for $2.885 billion on spending on transportation and infrastructure. That is a ridiculously low amount for a province of 5.1 million people. No wonder they can have budget surpluses.

[b31den]

A large portion of the highway between Calgary and Edmonton actually isnt even grade separated. Probably half of it...

[NewIreland]

I think you forgot the Welsford bypass.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by b31den

A large portion of the highway between Calgary and Edmonton actually isnt even grade separated. Probably half of it...

More like a quarter. I haven't counted properly but it's like 4 or 5 grade intersections between north of Calgary and south of red deer.

[craner]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Since we are on the topic. I have created a map showing the full extent of New Brunswick's fully grade separated, limited access divided highways.



This encompasses all of Highways 1, 2 & 95 and portions of Highways 7,11 & 15 for a total inventory of approximately 800 km.

NB-95 is a short connector highway at Woodstock leading to I-95 at the Maine border. To maintain consistency with the standards of NB-2 (TCH) and I-95, this highway is built to full freeway standards.

This leads to an interesting question. Is there anywhere else in Canada where a connector road to the US interstate system uses the same numbering system as the interstate highway to which it is connecting??? I don't think so personally. I think NB-95 is unique in this regard.

There are a few highways in BC that maintain the same number as their American counterparts when they cross the border, although not interstates:
#93 in Montana.
#95 at the top of the Idaho panhandle.
#97 & #395 in Washington state.
I believe highway #99 from the border to Vancouver also continued as 99 in Washington before I-5 was built. I know there is still a highway 99 in the Seattle area called “Alaskan Way” or something.

Thanks for all the great info regarding the TCH & the national highway system on the last couple of pages - very appreciated.

[Dengler Avenue]

Don’t forget: MN-61 (formerly U.S. 61) continues as ON-61.
QC A-15 used to be known as Route 9, continuing off U.S.-9 across Blackpool.
I don’t know if U.S.-1 and N.B.-1 count though.
But yea, interstate-wise, N.B.-95 is the only one.
Actually there are a few more and they’re mostly in Manitoba:
U.S.-83 continues as MB-83;
U.S.-75 (replaced by I-29) continues as MB-75;
U.S.-59 continues as MB-59;
I don’t know about MB-12...

Last one: U.S.-71 continues as ON-71 across International Falls/Fort Frances.

Alright guys, I think we have gathered our materials for the next trivia game.

[FrAnKs]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I just had a look at B.C.'s 2019/2020 budget and it only called for $2.885 billion on spending on transportation and infrastructure. That is a ridiculously low amount for a province of 5.1 million people. No wonder they can have budget surpluses.

Interesting, in comparison, for latest 2 years budget, the government of Québec is going to spend 4.8 Billion $.

[swimmer_spe]

Re: the Google Earth map.

Define what you put as divided as if 11 in Ontario is considered it, then 1 in MB should be too, as well as parts of 11 and 17 in northern ON.