Atlantic Highways Thread

[yakra]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I drove down to Washington DC and back this week. I just got back an hour ago.

This was the first time in a couple of years that I drove to the border on NB route 1. The entire section from the new border crossing north of St Stephen through to St George is now open and all I can say is "holy crap".

This has to be the most impressively engineered highway in the entire region! It appears as if the remaining section from Lepreau to St George will be open next year.

It will certainly be a surprise to American tourists arriving in Canada after a 90 minute trek on the Airline Route to suddenly be confronted with a superhighway in what they would consider "the middle of nowhere".

Now that the new highway between Route 127 and Saint George is open, Google Maps shows Route 760 extended eastward along old Route 1 and the Manor Road Connector, to end at Route 1's new Exit 52 interchange.
Can anyone here confirm/deny whether this is correct?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by yakra

Now that the new highway between Route 127 and Saint George is open, Google Maps shows Route 760 extended eastward along old Route 1 and the Manor Road Connector, to end at Route 1's new Exit 52 interchange.
Can anyone here confirm/deny whether this is correct?

I drove down that route a few weeks ago and I can't say for sure whether or not that exit is completed now.

I have to admit i'm really impressed by Google Maps' constant updating of the project.

[pathar_2]

I can't seem to find a link but I read that construction on route 1 is to be completed by the end of October (almost a year ahead of schedule!)

[MonctonRad]

In the T&T today that the Alward government has scrapped plans to completely divide Route 11 between Shediac and Miramichi.

Instead, the government plans to divide the highway only from Shediac to Bouctouche, with passing lanes added on the stretch from Bouctouche to Miramichi. I presume that they will also proceed with revamping the 15/11 interchange. This sorely needs to be done as that interchange right now is downright dangerous.

I approve of this change of plans. Traffic on the 11 north of Bouctouche drops off considerably. The 11 south of Bouctouche on the other hand deals with a lot of commuter traffic into Moncton and is also a reasonably heavy tourist route. This section needs to be twinned. The northern part of the route not so much.

It would appear that there are voices of fiscal reason within the cabinet.

[JHikka]

There is an article in the TJ today outlining the NB government's plan re: Highway 11. They're going to scale down the original plans and only twin between Shediac and Bouctouche and between Glenwood and Miramichi. The non-twinned sections will see additional passing lanes put in. The government owns the land required to twin the entire highway but says it will wait to twin it when government finances are stronger.

This seems to be pretty close to what we had in mind when we last discussed it here.

edit - MonctonRad beat me by two minutes! D:

[mylesmalley]

Is there anywhere where you can find traffic counts on provincial highways?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Is there anywhere where you can find traffic counts on provincial highways?

The article states the following:

15,000 between Bouctouche & Shediac
6,000 between Kouchibouguac and Bouctouche
10,000 between Glenwood and Miramichi

I'm presuming these numbers are daily as the article doesn't state.

As far as numbers online i'm not entirely sure. I'd love it if they were available as I would do something similar to what a Nova Scotia poster does for their highways, which is create maps based on usage of highways.

[mylesmalley]

That's what I mean, yeah.

It would be really interesting to see exactly what the breakdown is between exits on provincial highways. Maybe it's something we can apply for?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

That's what I mean, yeah.

It would be really interesting to see exactly what the breakdown is between exits on provincial highways. Maybe it's something we can apply for?

Let's make it happen.

[kirjtc2]

I've been looking for these numbers for years. I e-mailed the DOT once and they didn't seem very responsive.

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

The article states the following:

15,000 between Bouctouche & Shediac
6,000 between Kouchibouguac and Bouctouche
10,000 between Glenwood and Miramichi

I'm presuming these numbers are daily as the article doesn't state.

As far as numbers online i'm not entirely sure. I'd love it if they were available as I would do something similar to what a Nova Scotia poster does for their highways, which is create maps based on usage of highways.

Based on those numbers, Bouctouche to Shediac and Glenwood to Miramichi are good candidates for twinning. Other factors often play a significant role, namely safety and political will, but the general "rule" if you want to call it that is 10,000+ for aadt.

After I made those maps, I started looking for the numbers for the other three atlantic provinces but couldn't find them nor could I find where I could request or order the official counts like you can in NS. Admittedly, I haven't checked into it since. I'm hoping to order the book of full numbers from NS again next year to update the maps, and I may check again for the other provinces to see if they have become any more willing to publish the numbers for the general public.

[CdnEh]

Does NB have any real 6-lane highways as of yet? The only one I can think of is that pseudo-6-lane stretch between the Harbour Bridge and Catherwood exits in SJ.

http://goo.gl/maps/1LUC4

Is the project to expand the Mackay Highway to 6 lanes dead?

[mylesmalley]

Nope. There are a couple spots where the highways are 6 lanes including two for turning, but that's it.

The province cancelled the plan to widen Rt 1 a year or two ago. Rightfully so, too.

As for 4-lanes,

Rt 1 is nearly done from Peticodiac to St Stephen.
Rt 2 is 4 lanes from the Nova Scotia border to about 3km away from the Quebec border.
Rt 95 is 4 lanes from Rt 2 at Woodstock until the US border.
Rt 15 around Moncton to Shediac.
Rt 11 for a few km at Shediac.
Rt 7 from where the split with Rt 2 until Fredericton, and a few sections between Oromocto and Saint John, as well as where it meets with Rt 1.
Rt 8 from where it splits from Rt 2 until just before the Princess Margaret Bridge in Fredericton.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Rt 7 from where the split with Rt 2 until Fredericton, and a few sections between Oromocto and Saint John, as well as where it meets with Rt 1.

When the Welsford Bypass is completed next summer the grand total of twinned highway on Route 7 will be 19km. For number's sake, that's 19km of the 75km total.

As a comparison, Shediac-Bouctouche will be adding 29km of twinned highway.

[yakra]

New four-lane Route 1 Gateway officially open to traffic

The $540-million Route 1 Gateway... officially opened today.

The entire 240 kilometres of highway from St. Stephen to River Glade is now a divided, four-lane highway.

Yes Indeedy, that's the whole route, from the US border to TCH 2!

[JHikka]

Now all we need is Calais-Quebec border and we'll be set. The Governor of Maine was in Saint John today...

[SignalHillHiker]

Congratulations, Maritimes! Sounds like a great addition.

[q12]

Originally Posted by yakra

New four-lane Route 1 Gateway officially open to traffic
Yes Indeedy, that's the whole route, from the US border to TCH 2!

It already shows up on google maps.

[Antigonish]

Driving home to Antigonish it looked like they are almost done more twinning to Sutherlands River past the schools. Slowly but surely its getting complete.

[David1gray]

Originally Posted by NISH89

Driving home to Antigonish it looked like they are almost done more twinning to Sutherlands River past the schools. Slowly but surely its getting complete.

They also put a "rumble strip"? down the yellow line from Sutherlands River to the new bypass to alert people of driving to close to the centre of the road.