Autoroute Guy-Lafleur (A50)

[S-Man]

I took the route last week. Given the amount of traffic the highway is expected to handle, as well as the (costly) engineering challenges presented by having to blast through kilometres granite hills and the bridges over gaping chasms, I don't see how the province of Quebec could ever expect to afford a full 4-lane route.

Better to have it built in this reasonably OK way than never built at all. I don't see the province's finances (and economic base) getting better any time soon, so it's a good thing it was built when funds allowed.

And yes, after decades of little to no action, Charest made the costliest, most challenging stretch a reality in (considerably) less time than predecessors.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by S-Man

I took the route last week. Given the amount of traffic the highway is expected to handle, as well as the (costly) engineering challenges presented by having to blast through kilometres granite hills and the bridges over gaping chasms, I don't see how the province of Quebec could ever expect to afford a full 4-lane route.

Better to have it built in this reasonably OK way than never built at all. I don't see the province's finances (and economic base) getting better any time soon, so it's a good thing it was built when funds allowed.

And yes, after decades of little to no action, Charest made the costliest, most challenging stretch a reality in (considerably) less time than predecessors.

Ever? Aren't we being a little overly dramatic?

Most of the really expensive work has been done as part of this project: interchanges and blasting.

It's really a question of whether or not the government wants to make this a priority. Governments spend lots of money on highways all the time - including that of Quebec.

My bet is the stretch between Lachute and Mirabel airport gets twinned first, probably within the next five years. The fact that that area is growing fast and politically-coveted makes it even more likely to happen.

[S-Man]

Ever? Aren't we being a little overly dramatic?

Most of the really expensive work has been done as part of this project: interchanges and blasting.

Ok, I'll admit to being overly dramatic if you admit to being overly touchy on anything Quebec government-related.

Yes, the expensive work has been done - the blasting, bridges, all that - but do you think it will be free to blast two more lanes out of those hills and add two more to all bridges? Yes, the highway and bridges are built...at TWO LANES. Not four. And who would do that a few years after the damn thing was built at two lanes?

That's silly. I have no problem with the road as it is right now. It is what it is. If four lanes aren't needed in some spots, why make a vanity project out of it?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by S-Man

Ok, I'll admit to being overly dramatic if you admit to being overly touchy on anything Quebec government-related.

Just trying to balance things out.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Buggys

Hwy 7 in Ontario is like this for most of the way (1 lane per direction), and overtaking is supposed to happen on the opposite lane. Even though the speed limit is ~80, most people drive over 100. It's still a nice scenic drive though.

I've only driven the new segment of Autoroute 50 once, but I've driven highway 7 many times between Peterborough and Ottawa.

There is no comparison. Although I think highway 7 is more scenic, the straighter alignment, centre line rumble strip, frequent passing lanes and grade-separated exits make for a much safer and more pleasant drive than highway 7.

As I recall from my autoroute 50 experience, passing is prohibited except in passing lanes (of which there are many). On Highway 7, one can go for over 50KM without a passing lane; if you want to pass you must use the oncoming lane. This is a huge difference.

I'll second the "drama queen" comment regarding the letter writer. You'd think he'd never driven on a 2 lane highway before.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I've only driven the new segment of Autoroute 50 once, but I've driven highway 7 many times between Peterborough and Ottawa.

There is no comparison. Although I think highway 7 is more scenic, the straighter alignment, centre line rumble strip, frequent passing lanes and grade-separated exits make for a much safer and more pleasant drive than highway 7.

As I recall from my autoroute 50 experience, passing is prohibited except in passing lanes (of which there are many). On Highway 7, one can go for over 50KM without a passing lane; if you want to pass you must use the oncoming lane. This is a huge difference.

I'll second the "drama queen" comment regarding the letter writer. You'd think he'd never driven on a 2 lane highway before.

Agreed. I don't believed that Ontario Highway 7 was ever billed as a super-2 anyway. It's just a plain old two lane highway like the 148.

I don't find that the fact that A-50 is a super-2 for much of the Gatineau-Lachute route really slows you down. It's pretty effective as far as service levels go.

Lachute to Mirabel is a bit of a different story, and I believe AADTs on there are actually higher than for most of the 417 between Ottawa and the Quebec border. So a prime candidate for twinning.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Agreed. I don't believed that Ontario Highway 7 was ever billed as a super-2 anyway. It's just a plain old two lane highway like the 148.

I don't find that the fact that A-50 is a super-2 for much of the Gatineau-Lachute route really slows you down. It's pretty effective as far as service levels go.
Lachute to Mirabel is a bit of a different story, and I believe AADTs on there are actually higher than for most of the 417 between Ottawa and the Quebec border. So a prime candidate for twinning.

I agree. Makes for a nice drive for me to visit the ancestral graves in Harrington!

[wingman]

And notice too every overpass that was constructed was done so to allow for easy twinning. In other words the overpasses would not have to be touched at all, just add the extra lanes and ramps. Also, the large bridge near Montebello (I think, or Plaisance maybe) is already twinned.

To me that says a true 4 lane autoroute is in the plans, perhaps deep down, but there none the less.

Even as a super-2, I think the drive along the 50 is a million times more enjoyable that the 417. Not having to pass through Ottawa is a big positive.

In fact, with the new A-30 in place we have taken the 50 to Grenville, crossed over at Hawkesbury and taken the 17/417/A-30 bypass of Montreal. It may be a little more distance, but the time you save is amazing!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by wingman

And notice too every overpass that was constructed was done so to allow for easy twinning. In other words the overpasses would not have to be touched at all, just add the extra lanes and ramps. Also, the large bridge near Montebello (I think, or Plaisance maybe) is already twinned.

To me that says a true 4 lane autoroute is in the plans, perhaps deep down, but there none the less.

Even as a super-2, I think the drive along the 50 is a million times more enjoyable that the 417. Not having to pass through Ottawa is a big positive.

In fact, with the new A-30 in place we have taken the 50 to Grenville, crossed over at Hawkesbury and taken the 17/417/A-30 bypass of Montreal. It may be a little more distance, but the time you save is amazing!

The last time I drove it I dd a half-concentrated count and I believe there are only two new structures that would need to be built on the stretch between Gatineau and Lachute: one would be to twin the Pont des Sept-Soeurs, a rather impressive bridge just east of Pointe-au-Chêne over the Rouge River. I may be wrong but I don't think even with a concrete jersey barrier what is there would be wide enough to accommodate four lanes.

And the other is I believe in Thurso area - I can't remember exactly.

But other than that, as you say all interchanges have the second alignment already "roughed in" and even visible if you are looking for this.

There are also three at-grade intersections in the Mirabel airport area that would either need overpasses constructed, or depending on volumes some of them might simply be closed.

[MountainView]

I for one have never driven the 50. But judging by what people are describing on here that it has on/off ramps as oppose to traffic lights is amazing. I've driven the Michigan 28 to the US-2, 3 times to get to Winnipeg and forth to Calgary and those are simple 2 lane highways (1 per direction). They have a centre rumble strip with some passing lanes but not very many. The plus there is that the road is straight as an arrow and makes passing easier. Plus there are not many trucks along those routes. My point is that the 50 seems to be a plus to the region and allows another gateway to Montreal through Quebec (PQ residents no longer 'need' to enter Ontario to travel back to PQ) and that it will eventually be twinned when both demand and the economics make sense to do so! So we should all be happy with this progress.

[Norman Bates]

Just traveled it last Friday from Hawkesbury to Autoroute des Laurentides and back again.

A great and pleasant drive, reminiscent of Manitoba's Highway 59 north of Winnipeg to the beach.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

Just traveled it last Friday from Hawkesbury to Autoroute des Laurentides and back again.

A great and pleasant drive, reminiscent of Manitoba's Highway 59 north of Winnipeg to the beach.

Is that according to Mother?

[eemy]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The last time I drove it I dd a half-concentrated count and I believe there are only two new structures that would need to be built on the stretch between Gatineau and Lachute: one would be to twin the Pont des Sept-Soeurs, a rather impressive bridge just east of Pointe-au-Chêne over the Rouge River. I may be wrong but I don't think even with a concrete jersey barrier what is there would be wide enough to accommodate four lanes.

Wow, that's actually a pretty cool bridge. It reminds me more of something you'd find in the Rockies than in Eastern Canada. In any case, Google Streetview seems to corroborate your assessment; there's no way you can fit four lanes on that bridge.

Someone needs to get a better photo of it sometime, this is the best I could find on Google for now, while it was still under construction.

[harls]

When you drive over that bridge, you don't really realize how high it is.

It'd be tough to get a picture of the bridge now.. they have no parking/stopping signs along both edges of the road. You'd have to take the 148 and hike up the river a bit to get a good shot.

The Montebello overpass is a monster, too.

[S-Man]

A friend in Lachute tells me one of the A-50 bridges in the second tallest in the entire Laurentians.

[waterloowarrior]

Took A-50 on the way to Tremblant a little while back. Fairly frequent passing lanes are great. Nice scenery and neat looking rock cuts. Still feel the same way as I posted earlier in the thread about undivided Super-2s though... better road design means that drivers increase their speed and the roads facilitate traffic going 110-120 km/hr+ with no median barrier. There's been at least one head-on fatal so far in the 2 lane sections.

In the end though it's much safer than 148 with the rumble strips, frequent passing lanes, grade-separation, and many sections that are divided.

[J.OT13]

Agreed, I'm happy with the results.

[lrt's friend]

The CBC had an interesting guest this morning from Australia. He was talking about our lack of seriousness in eliminating road fatalities and injuries. He stated that close to 90% of accidents are due to driver error and that we need to design better roads to prevent accidents. He said that this is best accomplished by dividing even two lane roads and incorporating frequent passing lanes and creating more traffic circles where accidents tend to be at oblique angles which are less dangerous. This will eliminate a great number of head-on and T-bone accidents that cause the most deaths. He also said divided roads do not need to have wide separations, just something to prevent most traffic crossovers.

[S-Man]

Has there been a rash of deaths on Highway 50 that I haven't heard about? My perception was that it was fairly safe.

Canada, at least, has less instances of explosive road rage caught on video than Australia.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by S-Man

Has there been a rash of deaths on Highway 50 that I haven't heard about? My perception was that it was fairly safe.

Canada, at least, has less instances of explosive road rage caught on video than Australia.

I agree with the Australian recommendations (Scandinavians do this on two-lane highways as well, as do the Swiss).

That said no there has not been a rash of fatalities on the new sections of the A-50 and it is a pretty safe highway. The only section which has a high accident rate is between Lachute and Mirabel which is very busy and there are few passing lanes. This is also the oldest two-lane section (not the latest standards) and will likely be twinned in the near future.