Highways in Canada

[haljackey]

New pedestrian walkway over Highway 401



Credit: Metrolinks

[Innsertnamehere]

They are taking forever to put that wrap up.. The bridge opened almost a year ago.

[sonysnob]

A couple of photos at the Weston Road interchange in Toronto. Construction has been ongoing at this location for the past few years to rehabilitate and widen the highway underneath. Work is set to be completed this year, and is culminating with the replacement of the structure that carries the ramp from SB Weston Road to the WB 401 collectors.

Some photos:

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by haljackey

New pedestrian walkway over Highway 401

Thanks!

I used to live in Ajax, and sometimes took the GO train from Pickering Station. It looks a lot different now, with the parking structure too.

That walkway links up with the Pickering Town Centre mall, for those who may not know the area. Unfortunately it represents the core of "downtown" Pickering, but the direct connection to the GO station is a welcome thing, especially if the city's intensification plans work out.

[MTLskyline]

Prince Edward Island Trans-Canada Highway Realignment

http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/tchimprovement

• It respects the wishes of the public to avoid construction in the park, on NAPA land, and on Cotton Trust land. Read feedback summary [PDF file]
  
• It eliminates five sharp curves, four in Churchill and one in New Haven.
  
• It eliminates over 20 driveway accesses.
  
• It decreases the steepness of the hills by almost half.
  
• It will improve intersections and provide better access to Strathgartney Park.
  
• The Bonshaw bridge will be widened from two to three lanes and it will include turning lanes, as requested by residents.
  
• There will be no loss of parkland or protected land.

http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/index.php3?number=1044460&lang=E

[MonctonRad]

It also eliminates the most scenic and interesting part of the drive between Charlottetown and the Confederation Bridge.

This realignment is a complete waste of money IMHO and would only really make sense if it will be extended in the future to the (proposed) Cornwall bypass which would connect to the Charlottetown ring road.....

[MolsonExport]

The question begs: How wide can the 401 (through the thick of the GTA) get? 24 lanes (with approaches, this is what I count below)? 48 lanes? 96 lanes? 192 lanes? 384 lanes? 768 lanes? 1536 lanes?

twerkipedia

It used to be 4 lanes

twerkipedia

[haljackey]

401 maxes out at 18 through lanes. There are widenings here and there in Toronto making it 14 or 16 lanes in places (Widened from 4 to 12 lanes in the 1960's).

401 is the arguably the world's busiest highway, so its not like the widenings are not justified. If Toronto had a full (and non-tolled) bypass highway and the Gardiner was a full east-west highway along with better transit and planning the 401 would just be a regular urban highway.

407E might take some stress off the highway but the tolls for that and 407ETR are crazy high, but people will pay that to avoid gridlock. Time is money.

HOV lanes on the 401 are being implemented on the expansions in Mississauga and a transitway is planned in Durham along with the construction for 407E so at least that's some good stuff (if it works which I have my doubts).

[sonysnob]

I was on Eglinton Avenue in Etobicoke yesterday, and it looks as if Metro has actually sold some of the right of way that remained from the proposed Richview Expressway. I am not surprised that they have sold the land, but it is surprising it took them 40 years since the expressway idea was shuttered.

[MTLskyline]

That Highway 401 shot is mind-blowing. I could not imagine living somewhere like Whitby and commuting to downtown Toronto everyday. I think I would go crazy.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

I was on Eglinton Avenue in Etobicoke yesterday, and it looks as if Metro has actually sold some of the right of way that remained from the proposed Richview Expressway. I am not surprised that they have sold the land, but it is surprising it took them 40 years since the expressway idea was shuttered.

Wait wasn't this right of way going to be for the Eglinton crosstown LRT system? I think Phase 1 goes as far west as Black Creek Drive but isn't it eventually going to the airport via the former Richview Expressway corridor?

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

That Highway 401 shot is mind-blowing. I could not imagine living somewhere like Whitby and commuting to downtown Toronto everyday. I think I would go crazy.

totally. No doubt, I would take the go-train. Or move closer to where I worked, if downtown. I cannot fathom how people drive the monster every day.

Even sunday afternoon, the 401 is very often choked. 10 billion lanes of creeping traffic. And you gotta go pee...

[niwell]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

totally. No doubt, I would take the go-train. Or move closer to where I worked, if downtown. I cannot fathom how people drive the monster every day.

If you are commuting from near a GO station to downtown at peak hours you will probably take GO. Getting downtown from Whitby via the 401 and the DVP would be hellish. I used to see it doing the reverse commute once every week or two (thank god) and the DVP was gridlocked into downtown at 7am.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

totally. No doubt, I would take the go-train. Or move closer to where I worked, if downtown. I cannot fathom how people drive the monster every day.

Even sunday afternoon, the 401 is very often choked. 10 billion lanes of creeping traffic. And you gotta go pee...

When I lived in TO I knew people that commuted in from Peterborough, I have cousins the make the daily trip to DT from St Catherine’s. One reason I do not complain about the traffic jams here, worse day may take me 45 min to the office and I can always find an alternate route.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Airboy

When I lived in TO I knew people that commuted in from Peterborough, I have cousins the make the daily trip to DT from St Catherine’s. One reason I do not complain about the traffic jams here, worse day may take me 45 min to the office and I can always find an alternate route.

I had to drive to Peterborough once a week for work. From downtown Toronto and leaving at 7am it took approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Coming back in the afternoon if I hit traffic or in inclement weather it could hit 2 hours easy. At peak hours I could see this being 2.5, easy. The few people I knew who commuted from Peterborough drove to the Oshawa GO station and took the train from there.

[sonysnob]

A few of the people who work at my office in North York make long commutes as well. One of my co-workers drives from Omemee everyday, and we have a few from Kitchener and Barrie as well. The GO train is great to get people into the Downtown Core, but isn't very competitive with driving if your destination is north of Bloor.

[Dwils01]

I drove from Hamilton to Whitby for work for 4 months and it took 1 hour 40mins to get there and 2 and a half hours to 3 hours to get back.I left at 5:45am and usually didn't get back until 6pm.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

That's insane

[Innsertnamehere]

i'm commuted from uxbridge over the summer.. 1:45 each way with the combo train/bus. (train to stoufville, bus from there) hellish commute.

[Airboy]

When I last lived in TO I drove from downtown to the Darlington NGS. Took about 2 hours out but 3.5 back, plus working 10hr days made for long days. One of the reasons I packed up and head back west when my contract was over.