Atlantic Highways Thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by ConundrumNL

Do the other Atlantic Provinces have problems like this, or is it unique to NL?

Route 15/11 north from Moncton to Shediac has a horrible problem with rutting....

It was one of the first divided highways in NB (built to allow all the city dwelling Monctonians to get to Parlee Beach ASAP), and probably was not built to today's specifications.

The soil substrate around Moncton is pretty soft in any event and I don't think they put in enough rock and gravel for the road base. Every time they repave, it only takes a couple of years for the ruts in the wheel tracks to reappear. Hydroplaning is a serious issue (especially in slushy winter weather).

[David1gray]

highway 104 through new glasgow has this problem. they arent big ruts but the road is dipped just enough to gather water.and the road is flat so the water cant run out of these ruts. no one in recent memory has crashed there but i myself and my friends have had close calls.

[Dmajackson]

The new twinned section of Highway 101 from Three Mile Plains (4) to Trunk 14 (5) is still being touched-up but it works and looks great so far. The drive up to the Valley is a lot better now with the two sections twinned, sped up (110km/h limit, 120km/h designed), and made a lot safer with death corner now gone (Ben Jackson Rd). Of course past Exit 9 and through Windsor is still sketchy to drive on but from what I hear from Exit 5 to 5A will be the next section to get done. I think they could do it with a wide median but once they replace the causeway (5A to 7 section) a concrete barrier is probably needed and the replacement bridge should have six lanes (design for eight if possible) to carry the local traffic on.

I just hope all of the land near the gypsum cliffs in the St. Croix River Valley is protected so that the great view will always be there. When they were blasting for the new section they even made a small other cliff that you can get a close up look at though it's nothing compared to some other roadside wonders like Bear Cave near Folly Lake or the impressive new cliff at Larry Uteck.

[David1gray]

phase 1 of twinning 104 to sutherlands river is almost set to open. lines have been painted, and signs put in place. should be openning up soon. the second phase twinning the rest of the way to sutherlands river is still being worked on, the sunrise trail overpass is coming along, alot fast then i thought it would be.

the section of the TCH that should be twinned next in my opinion would be the area around barneys river, exit 29 to the highway 4 turn off(stathglass road), it is very narrow, with sharp turns. in winter this section is fairly dangerous when the roads are slippery.

great that the 101 is open now, always hated driving that section of the highway(along with many other people).

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by David1gray

great that the 101 is open now, always hated driving that section of the highway(along with many other people).

I live very deep in the valley and I absolutely hate the highway west of Exit 14 (Kentville). I actually turn off there and use the 1/201 to drive the remaining hour. Everytime I've used the 101 some idiot has tried to pass me illegally commonly with opposing traffic coming down the road.

[Dmajackson]

A fact sheet I found on the new interchange proposed for the 103 between Exits 5 and 6;

http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highways/F..._Connector.pdf

According to the DTIR website the 101 Twining between the new sections (Exits 5 and 7) is supposed to be complete in 2012 which is hard to believe. Of course this is the same webstie that says the Burnside Expressway will be compelte next year so I wouldn't trust it ...

[David1gray]

the twinning of the TCH from sutherlands river to port hawkesbury cant happen soon enough. yesterday i drove this stretch of highway a total of 4 times and it is crazy to drive. throw in stops for two lights set up for bridge construction, summer traffic, and two detrours caused by two accidents(which killed 3 people, one with a tractor trailer carrying fuel which burned for a good 5 hours, the other with a tour bus). some lines of traffic must have been a kilometer long causing people to become impatient and pass when they shouldnt be. i was almost involved in so many crashes because of people being stupid...

[David1gray]

article on crash.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...hway-open.html

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by David1gray

the twinning of the TCH from sutherlands river to port hawkesbury cant happen soon enough. yesterday i drove this stretch of highway a total of 4 times and it is crazy to drive. throw in stops for two lights set up for bridge construction, summer traffic, and two detrours caused by two accidents(which killed 3 people, one with a tractor trailer carrying fuel which burned for a good 5 hours, the other with a tour bus). some lines of traffic must have been a kilometer long causing people to become impatient and pass when they shouldnt be. i was almost involved in so many crashes because of people being stupid...

That stretch drives me nuts. I warned my wife (girlfriend then) the first time we drove from Fredericton to Sydney that I'd drive the New Glasgow-Sydney stretch because she only had experience on divided highways and this stretch is a completely different beast altogether and can be very intimidating for drivers who aren't used to highways like this. (I ended up driving the whole way, but she initially wanted to drive some of it) The worst sections I find are the short passing lanes and climbing lanes with everybody racing to pass the slower pace setter 6+ cars ahead. However, that highway (and 125) did teach me how to merge onto a crowded Deerfoot Trail (Calgary) and A40 (Montreal), oddly enough.

I've seen up to 10km backups created by crashes on this stretch of 104 and on the 105.

Edit- speaking of the 105, looks like the hairpin has claimed another one.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...lys-Mountain/1

U-Haul truck overturns on Kelly's Mountain

Published on August 20th, 2010
Staff ~ The Cape Breton Post

KELLY’S MOUNTAIN — A U-Haul truck overturned around 7 a.m. this morning on Kelly’s Mountain, and the highway was closed briefly in order for the vehicle to be removed.

...

[ConundrumNL]

Originally Posted by Smevo

That stretch drives me nuts. I warned my wife (girlfriend then) the first time we drove from Fredericton to Sydney that I'd drive the New Glasgow-Sydney stretch because she only had experience on divided highways and this stretch is a completely different beast altogether and can be very intimidating for drivers who aren't used to highways like this. (I ended up driving the whole way, but she initially wanted to drive some of it) The worst sections I find are the short passing lanes and climbing lanes with everybody racing to pass the slower pace setter 6+ cars ahead. However, that highway (and 125) did teach me how to merge onto a crowded Deerfoot Trail (Calgary) and A40 (Montreal), oddly enough.

I've seen up to 10km backups created by crashes on this stretch of 104 and on the 105.

Just buzzed that stretch on streetview. Doesn't look to different from the majority of the TCH here in NL, but I think we have more passing lanes. I'm sure the traffic is heavier on the 104, of course

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by ConundrumNL

Just buzzed that stretch on streetview. Doesn't look to different from the majority of the TCH here in NL, but I think we have more passing lanes. I'm sure the traffic is heavier on the 104, of course

Not sure what the TCH gets through NL, but the 104 gets ~10,000 AADT through that stretch, with ADT's nearing 15,000 in some cases iirc. I'm leaving out the Antigonish section since that has significant local traffic added to the counts and the bypass is under construction. For a 100-series highway (and the TCH) twinning is long overdue. It's also not the counts themselves that make the highway dangerous (though they do meet or exceed the general twinning criteria), but the traveling in long "platoons" which create the driver habits of dangerous passing maneuvers on it. You very quickly learn to merge into a space with a far less than safe following distance on this highway. It definitely needs to be twinned to the causeway asap.

[David1gray]

ugh... another crash on the 104 today killed someone. thats 4 this week. just crazy.

and i agree with you smevo, driving in long platoons can be very dangerous on this highway but can also teach you how to maneuver in very tight spaces.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David1gray

driving in long platoons can be very dangerous on this highway but can also teach you how to maneuver in very tight spaces.

That sort of experience can come in quite handy for training for long road trips, especially if you are going to be travelling some of the congested turnpikes in the U.S.

You should try the I-95 from Baltimore to northern Virginia.........lots of quick maneuvering going on there too!!!

[David1gray]

You should try the I-95 from Baltimore to northern Virginia

ive actually been on the I-95 (not driving mind you) but i know what you mean

[Smevo]

Fourth accident in a week on 104

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...cle-accident/1

Police close section of N.S. Highway 104 following vehicle accident

Published on August 23rd, 2010
The Canadian Press

BARNEYS RIVER STATION, N.S. — Emergency officials are on the scene of an accident on the Trans Canada Highway, east of New Glasgow, N.S.

As a result, both lanes of Highway 104 are shut down at Exit 29 near Barney’s River Station.

There’s no word on when the highway will re-open, or if anyone’s been hurt in the crash

...

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by David1gray

phase 1 of twinning 104 to sutherlands river is almost set to open. lines have been painted, and signs put in place. should be openning up soon. the second phase twinning the rest of the way to sutherlands river is still being worked on, the sunrise trail overpass is coming along, alot fast then i thought it would be.

Is there a map available of where this route is, or does it simply follow the existing road?

the section of the TCH that should be twinned next in my opinion would be the area around barneys river, exit 29 to the highway 4 turn off(stathglass road), it is very narrow, with sharp turns. in winter this section is fairly dangerous when the roads are slippery.

That's a beautiful stretch of road though, especially in the fall.

[David1gray]

Police close section of N.S. Highway 104 following vehicle accident

two more people have reportedly died in this accident. making 6 people who have died in the last week alone.

That's a beautiful stretch of road though, especially in the fall.

very beautiful but just not fit for the amount of traffic going through it during peak times of the year. and yes, the new part of the twinned highway follows the existing road.

[David1gray]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ghway-104.html

there is a map at the bottom of the article showing where all the crashes have occurred.

[David1gray]

Fatal accidents prompt call for road twinning

The mayor of Port Hawkesbury, N.S., is calling on the province to accelerate plans to twin what he calls a "scary" section of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Six people have died this month in accidents on a 10-kilometre stretch of Highway 104 between New Glasgow and the Canso causeway.

Billy Joe MacLean said those deaths highlight the need for improvements to the road.

"I think there is an obligation here," said MacLean. "We're going to be have more people killed, more accidents, more injuries."

(...)

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ning-call.html

the article has a few mistakes this is a 100 km stretch and not 10. and a few others that you pick out yourself

[Smevo]

Another fatal accident on the TCH, this time the 105.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ton-crash.html

Crash kills 1, injures 5 on Trans-Canada

Last Updated: Thursday, August 26, 2010 | 10:35 PM AT
CBC News

One person is dead and a family of five is injured after two vehicles collided on the Trans-Canada Highway in Cape Breton, near Lexington, N.S., on Thursday.

The crash happened on Highway 105, about 270 kilometres east of Halifax, late Thursday afternoon, police said.


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