2011 Road Construction Projects

[Kokkei Mizu]

Looked at the City of London's website today for Road Construction. They have the 2011 projects listed now. I have shared the most major projects below, but here is a link to all of them: http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Road_...on/default.htm

Also I don't know if any of these projects include widening.

Byron Baseline Road: Wickerson - Westdel
Colonel Talbot Road: Longwoods - Lambeth Walk
Commissioners Rd E: Sections near Pond Mills Rd.
Dingman Dr: 401 to Wonderland (this has already been completed, but maybe they need to put on a second coat of asphalt?)
Dundas Street: Wellington - Colborne
First Street: Dundas - Oxford
Highbury Ave N: Oxford - Huron
Horton Street: Richmond - Wellington
Oxford Street W: Westdel Borne to Kilworth Bridge (including sorely needed intersection improvements at Westdel Bourne)
Quebec Street: Dundas - CPR overpass
Sarnia Road: Beaverbrook - 100m east of Alderbrook (CPR overpass?)
Veteran's Memorial Parkway: Northbound lanes from Gore - Oxford

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Kokkei Mizu

Looked at the City of London's website today for Road Construction. They have the 2011 projects listed now. I have shared the most major projects below, but here is a link to all of them: http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Road_...on/default.htm

Also I don't know if any of these projects include widening.

Byron Baseline Road: Wickerson - Westdel
Colonel Talbot Road: Longwoods - Lambeth Walk
Commissioners Rd E: Sections near Pond Mills Rd.
Dingman Dr: 401 to Wonderland (this has already been completed, but maybe they need to put on a second coat of asphalt?)
Dundas Street: Wellington - Colborne
First Street: Dundas - Oxford
Highbury Ave N: Oxford - Huron
Horton Street: Richmond - Wellington
Oxford Street W: Westdel Borne to Kilworth Bridge (including sorely needed intersection improvements at Westdel Bourne)
Quebec Street: Dundas - CPR overpass
Sarnia Road: Beaverbrook - 100m east of Alderbrook (CPR overpass?)
Veteran's Memorial Parkway: Northbound lanes from Gore - Oxford

Most of these I would imagine are re-paving projects, although Sarnia Road is definitely the CPR overpass and widening of the approaches.

Glad to see Horton on the list. That road is in dire need of re-paving. Also noticed Western Road on the list between Sarnia Road and Huron College, that's badly needed too.

[MolsonExport]

Also noticed Western Road on the list between Sarnia Road and Huron College, that's badly needed too.

There is no more room for potholes on this strech, unless you place them within potholes.

Partly due to World-clAss IVEY construction

[Pimpmasterdac]

It's quite unfortunate looks like this year there won't be any capacity upgrades.

Looking at the capital budget, Southdale won't be widened to Wonderland until 2013, Commissioners is now pushed back to 2015 due to the city choosing voluntary land exchange rather than just expropriating land like they ought to do! Sarnia Road widening is delayed while they continue to wrangle with the residents that want idiotic left turn lanes so close to each other. Just seems common sense doesn't factor into road decisions.

At least Western Roads being redone terrible road right by Sarnia, seems as though engineering was testing artillery on the road! They need a longer turning lane too, 5-6 pm the right turn lanes backed up all the way to Brescia it, doesn't help the stream of students walking.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

There is no more room for potholes on this strech, unless you place them within potholes.

Partly due to World-clAss IVEY construction

Quoted for truth. Western Road between Sarnia and Lambton is without a doubt the most pothole-infested section of road in the city.

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

It's quite unfortunate looks like this year there won't be any capacity upgrades.

Looking at the capital budget, Southdale won't be widened to Wonderland until 2013, Commissioners is now pushed back to 2015 due to the city choosing voluntary land exchange rather than just expropriating land like they ought to do! Sarnia Road widening is delayed while they continue to wrangle with the residents that want idiotic left turn lanes so close to each other. Just seems common sense doesn't factor into road decisions.

Yeah it looks like most of the funding this year is going to replacing the Sarnia Road overpass. It's embarrassing as a planning student seeing what's there now. Something should have been done years if not decades ago.

Are you sure about Commissioners widening being delayed? Where did you see that one?

Either way I think Southdale needs widening before Commissioners anyway, and if Commissioners is pushed back, Southdale should be done when Commissioners was supposed to get done.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Yeah it looks like most of the funding this year is going to replacing the Sarnia Road overpass. It's embarrassing as a planning student seeing what's there now. Something should have been done years if not decades ago.

Are you sure about Commissioners widening being delayed? Where did you see that one?

Either way I think Southdale needs widening before Commissioners anyway, and if Commissioners is pushed back, Southdale should be done when Commissioners was supposed to get done.

Southdale is truly atrocious to drive along with all its potholes, slow moving buses that don't have bus bays to stop it, and the lack of even right turn lanes to add to the general shittiness of the overloaded road. This should have been done years ago, let alone 2 years from now!

Personally I would like Commissioners done as its has fewer lights than Southdale so its quicker for travelling and closer to downtown. My issue is that the city is pussyfooting around land expropriation, and I know specifically a property in question a house that has a stable of horses near Wonderland. The city needs to step up, say tough shit we've been planning this expansion for at least 25 years, here's you cheque and that's that. Voluntary land sales will just keep pushing this back indefinitely. It was suppose to have happened in the 1990s, then early 2000s, then late 2000s, then 2012, now 2015. Make a date and stick to it!

It also doesn't help that all the mother hens and weak kneed people complained enough that Viscount & Andover are now "traffic calmed" with narrower roads and traffic islands. They ought to have waited until these expansions happened, then done these "traffic calming" measures. Now we have even worse capacity, at slower speeds. Lack of common sense!

Here the revised list of capital budget for road projects:

• Commissioners Road Widening from Wonderland to Viscount ($10.9 million) – project scheduled for completion in 2015
• Fanshawe Road East Widening – Phase 2 Adelaide to Highbury ($15.2 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2016
• Hyde Park Road Widening – Phase 1 Oxford to Sarnia Road ($10.3 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2014
• Hyde Park Road Widening – Phase 2 Sarnia to North of Gainsborough ($10.9 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2015
• Huron Street Widening – Adelaide to Vesta ($12.8 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2020
• Bradley Avenue Widening – Phase 1 Dearness Drive to Pond Mills ($20.4 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2017
• Wellington Road Widening – Phase 1 Commissioners to Southdale ($7.6 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2015
• Wellington Road Widening – Phase 2 Southdale to Bradley ($5.6 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2016
• Southdale Road Widening – Wonderland to Wharncliffe ($8.2 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2013
• Southdale Road Widening – Wellington to Pond Mills ($21.1 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2019
• Western Road Widening – Platts Lane to Oxford ($16.2 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2020
• Oxford St Widening – Sanatorium to Hyde Park ($13.0 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2013
• Hyde Park Road Widening – Phase 1 Gainsborough to Fanshawe ($8.9 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2016
• Old Victoria from Hamilton to Hwy 401 ($9.1 million) - project scheduled for completion in 2016
• Commissioners Road Improvement ($5.3 million) – project to realign Commissioners Rd at “Snake Hill” (beyond 2020)

http://www.london.ca/budget/Budget_2...Highlights.pdf

[haljackey]

Awesome, thanks for the link. Looks like the city pushed back widening Commissioners just recently.

There's just one thing missing... Where's the Bradley Avenue link in all this or the VMP extension to Clarke?

Or are new roads in a different stat since they are different from road widening/realignments?

[Pimpmasterdac]

Anytime

That's just a list of the MAJOR projects that are upcoming or the date of which is revised. The full detailed list is Here

Bradley extension is missing from documents I've seen, but it has to be imminent with the new lights for Bradley @ Wonderland. But knowing the snails pace this city operates at Southdale will prolly be 4 lanes by that time.

The VMP extension to Clarke is not scheduled to beyond 2021! Then at some point in the next 52 years after that will be a full freeway. Pathetic..

[MrSlippery519]

Originally Posted by haljackey

There's just one thing missing... Where's the Bradley Avenue link in all this or the VMP extension to Clarke?

Or are new roads in a different stat since they are different from road widening/realignments?

This is the one I was going to ask about...when is Bradley Ave link to Wonderland going to happen?

The traffic lights are already up so you would think it's going to happen sooner than later however with this city you never know.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Sarnia bridge closing to traffic

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2.../17700276.html

Out with the old, in with the new.

After more than a century of carrying cars, pedestrians and, in its earlier days, buggies over the CP Rail tracks, the Sarnia Road bridge is officially closing to traffic between Wonderland Rd. and Hyde Park Rd. on Monday at 7 p.m.
...
---

About time they finally got going on a new bridge, there shoulda been a new bridge decades ago! The thing I don't get is what out city panders to these "heritage activists" by trying to preserve the bridge? Its a piece of 19th century junk that should be used as firewood, not have $150,000 to "preserve it for future generations". Like people 20 years from now are gonna come from far and wide to see this pathetic excuse of a bridge.

Anyways good that there finally getting on this, hopefully they'll make Sarnia Rd. 4 lanes soon all the way to Hyde Park, traffic won't suck as much in the Northwest end!

[ForestryW]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

About time they finally got going on a new bridge, there shoulda been a new bridge decades ago! The thing I don't get is what out city panders to these "heritage activists" by trying to preserve the bridge? Its a piece of 19th century junk that should be used as firewood, not have $150,000 to "preserve it for future generations". Like people 20 years from now are gonna come from far and wide to see this pathetic excuse of a bridge.

Some people put a lot of value in built heritage. Obviously it should have been replaced years ago but that doesn't mean the structure shouldn't be preserved, be it in situ or in a museum or wherever.

[new age]

We could spend $150 000 once and save a bridge that may not be very spectacular, but says more about our respect for the care of things made in the past that brought us to where we are today. Or we could spend $180 000 every year on a golf course that goes under used.

A city with blinders on will never go in a better direction.

[MrSlippery519]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

Sarnia bridge closing to traffic

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2.../17700276.html

Out with the old, in with the new.

After more than a century of carrying cars, pedestrians and, in its earlier days, buggies over the CP Rail tracks, the Sarnia Road bridge is officially closing to traffic between Wonderland Rd. and Hyde Park Rd. on Monday at 7 p.m.
...
---

About time they finally got going on a new bridge, there shoulda been a new bridge decades ago! The thing I don't get is what out city panders to these "heritage activists" by trying to preserve the bridge? Its a piece of 19th century junk that should be used as firewood, not have $150,000 to "preserve it for future generations". Like people 20 years from now are gonna come from far and wide to see this pathetic excuse of a bridge.

Anyways good that there finally getting on this, hopefully they'll make Sarnia Rd. 4 lanes soon all the way to Hyde Park, traffic won't suck as much in the Northwest end!

About time this is happening!

In regards to the "preservation" aspect, if that is such a big deal why not just keep the existing crossing as pedestrian only and build the new 4 lane bridge beside it and re-route the road slightly? I personally could care less, while it's old...it's hardly like a 100+ year old building.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MrSlippery519

About time this is happening!

In regards to the "preservation" aspect, if that is such a big deal why not just keep the existing crossing as pedestrian only and build the new 4 lane bridge beside it and re-route the road slightly? I personally could care less, while it's old...it's hardly like a 100+ year old building.

There was not enough right-of-way available to build the new bridge without having to move the existing bridge. Doing that would've cost a lot more money, and CP likely would not have gone for it since they want right-of-way to add a second track or at least a siding in the area.

[go_leafs_go02]

yeah - that bridge needs to go. It has no value, there's still countless bridges remaining like that all over the place. Not exactly the same, but yeah.

Glad to see it's finally going, and a modern 4 lane bridge with bike lanes and sidewalks will replace it.

Any maps of the alignment? Is Sarnia simply going to go straight across with no curves like how the old bridge. I mean the road will be angled to cross the tracks, not the former 90 degree bridge alignment relative to the railroad.

[ForestryW]

----------

[ForestryW]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

yeah - that bridge needs to go. It has no value, there's still countless bridges remaining like that all over the place. Not exactly the same, but yeah.

Glad to see it's finally going, and a modern 4 lane bridge with bike lanes and sidewalks will replace it.

Any maps of the alignment? Is Sarnia simply going to go straight across with no curves like how the old bridge. I mean the road will be angled to cross the tracks, not the former 90 degree bridge alignment relative to the railroad.

http://london.ca/Transportation/PDFs...dor_Design.pdf

[Pimpmasterdac]

I'm not against preserving the bridge per se. If these heritage activists think the bridge is such an important part of history let them fundraise and find $150,000 to keep the bridge. Not like the city would lose any money donating the bridge.

It's just these activists are always making a big to do about saving historical properties, then let them pay for! But they never seem to want to pay rather its always the taxpayer has to pay for their sentimental feelings. Instead the bridge will be stored while someone thinks of a pratical use for it.

I think having a giant bonfire with that overrated firewood would cost much less than $150,000, and the metal trusses could go to good use in a red bin at Zubicks plus get the city some extra $$$!
/rant

Anyways its good construction will start now. Hopefully the city can get into gear and upgrade the rest of Sarnia to 4 lanes soon!

[manny_santos]

I remember when Sarnia Road wasn't even paved between the bridge and Wonderland Road. That was less than 20 years ago too.

[MolsonExport]

from gravel to lack of thru road. things are getting worse for the so called deer-ridge area. I had originally considered buying there, but with the now 5th time that damned bridge is closed to traffic, I would be mighty pissed off. So i went to the land of liver&onions instead.