Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club Connector | Phase 1 (Hunt Club to 417 Extension) Proposed

rocketphish · #1 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 2:10 AM**

While this proposal is certainly not new, and has been mentioned before on this site, it is now looming on the horizon thanks to federal stimulus funding, and so should probably have it's own thread for further discussions.

One thing I find most interesting is how this is being positioned as a "parkway".

Innes - Walkley - Hunt Club Connection Environmental Assessment Study Recommendations:
http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2007/12-07/trc/ACS2007-PTE-POL-0070.htm

lrt's friend · #2 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 3:29 AM**

I find it ironic how we can afford to spend a fortune on this when there was originally a plan to build rapid transit more or less following existing rail lines serving this same corridor. I travelled in this area today, and noted a sign for a major development at the corner of Walkley and Russell Road, which was a proposed rapid transit station location. Another opportunity lost and another victory of cars over transit.

Kitchissippi · #3 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 3:40 AM**

What is really ridiculous is the last diagram in that link, Document 8(b), which seems to show that the overpass over the 417 would need to be replaced for Phase 2!

Ottawan · #4 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 5:08 AM**

As someone who grew up in the south-east part of Ottawa, Phase I of the plan is sorely needed and overdue. While the parkway concept certainly seems picturesque, from a practical perspective it really seems to just be duplicating the 417 at a great cost. If I need to go to Innes from Hunt Club after phase I is built, I'll take the 417 up two fairly quick exits, and come out on Innes only 1 - 2 kilometers further west.

Additionally, in earlier versions of this corridor available on the City website, the road was to connect directly to Blair. This would have been much more convenient for any northbound traffic, and I don't understand the realignment.

The ideal solution to me would be to build an extended phase one, which would create the interchange between Hunt Club and the 417, and then continue just a bit further to connect to Ramsayville just south of the CN tracks. That would be where the connection ends, and phase II would be unneccessary. When and if traffic on the 417 gets heavy enough, the province could widen it to six lanes.

Kitchissippi · #5 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 6:13 AM**

If a "parkway" is what is desired, it would be better to restyle Anderson Road into a 2-lane parkway, maybe by adding some scenic curves and landscaping as it goes up and down the drumlins by Mer Bleue. I think the NCC intended something here to connect to the Rockcliffe Driveway at one point and it could very well do that.

If Lester/Davidson/Whyte Side were treated in a similar fashion, a 2-lane scenic route could continue westward to the Airport as well without technically adding another new road.

eternallyme · #6 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 4:00 PM**

The project should be cancelled as it is unnecessary network duplication. Instead, although it would be an MTO project, Highway 417 in the area should be widened to 6 lanes. (Traffic counts currently warrant 6 lanes on Highway 417 to Walkley, and will by 2020 warrant 6 lanes to at least Anderson Road.) There are much better uses for city transportation money. (Phase 1 of Hunt Club should definitely go ahead though)

As for a transit project in the area, the ridership potential isn't great - and express buses would also work along Highway 417 and Innes Road (may require bus lanes there). I'd scrap the entire Phase 2 corridor and say "Do Nothing", while requesting a widened 417 from the MTO.

Dado · #7 Posted **Nov 10, 2009, 5:49 PM**

The proof of this not being a "parkway" is the inclusion of an overpass of the VIA (not CN) tracks (CN sold them to VIA; at the moment CN retains freight running rights over the tracks but not ownership). If it's a parkway designed for leisurely jaunts through the Greenbelt, then why have an overpass? Surely people out on a leisurely drive can wait a few seconds for a train to go by.

In Phase I there's also apparently no connection to Russell Road.

I agree that Phase I should just be extended to Ramsayville Road and leave it be after that.

As an aside, if you look at Google Earth you'll notice something odd in this area: the 417 crosses the former Ottawa & New York Rwy line at about the same place it crosses the Alexandria Subdivision and then it crosses it again just east of its crossing of Ramsayville Road, and for no apparent reason. It looks like whoever laid out the 417 through here was a tad tipsy at the time. They could have just threaded it between the two rail corridors in an alignment more-or-less parallel to the former Ottawa & New York. They also did a number on Russell Road (you can just see vestiges of where it used to go) - the 417 RoW adds something like a kilometre and a third to the former route.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geo...75.569286&spn=0.045215,0.077162&t=h&z=14

alphachapmtl · #8 Posted **Apr 6, 2010, 2:22 AM**

Anything new?
I noticed work has started on Hunt Club near Hawthorne Rd.

MaxHeadroom · #9 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 2:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphachapmtl

Anything new?
I noticed work has started on Hunt Club near Hawthorne Rd.

The city is using federal stimulus funding to work on their share of the project, from Hawthorne to Russell Rd. Tomlinson has the contract. Sunday, I saw evidence of some earth work in the distance beyond the bus turnaround where Hunt Club now ends.

The funny thing is, the project has to be finished by March 31 2011 to qualify for the stimulus funding. I don't see a problem with that schedule, but the province's construction portion of the project, the interchange with the 417 and associated roadway as far as Russell Road, has not been funded. The province has funded the design of the interchange but nothing more. The City and Province agreed to this split of responsibility, but the City got tired of waiting and went ahead with the project despite the province dragging its heels.

So will we end up with a road that goes nowhere, since the new roadway is supposed to overpass Russell Road? Could be a very embarrassing situation for the provincial government.

eternallyme · #10 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

The city is using federal stimulus funding to work on their share of the project, from Hawthorne to Russell Rd. Tomlinson has the contract. Sunday, I saw evidence of some earth work in the distance beyond the bus turnaround where Hunt Club now ends.

The funny thing is, the project has to be finished by March 31 2011 to qualify for the stimulus funding. I don't see a problem with that schedule, but the province's construction portion of the project, the interchange with the 417 and associated roadway as far as Russell Road, has not been funded. The province has funded the design of the interchange but nothing more. The City and Province agreed to this split of responsibility, but the City got tired of waiting and went ahead with the project despite the province dragging its heels.

So will we end up with a road that goes nowhere, since the new roadway is supposed to overpass Russell Road? Could be a very embarrassing situation for the provincial government.

Again, what they need to do is cancel the project. The Hunt Club extension and 417 interchange is badly needed, but the north-south segment is extremely wasteful. The MTO should just step in and widen the 417 to 6 lanes.

Uhuniau · #11 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 4:30 PM**

NAFP?

(Not Another F***ing Parkway?)

TransitZilla · #12 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 5:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Again, what they need to do is cancel the project. The Hunt Club extension and 417 interchange is badly needed, but the north-south segment is extremely wasteful. The MTO should just step in and widen the 417 to 6 lanes.

The only project underway right now is the part that you say is badly needed, so I don't see the logic of cancelling it.

The 417-Innes section is not on anyone's radar right now- it's years away.

lrt's friend · #13 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 5:40 PM**

If we really are serious about transit we should be connecting the Innes Road transit corridor with Walkley Road instead of building a semi-expressway next to the 417. That was the original plan.

Uhuniau · #14 Posted **Apr 16, 2010, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

If we really are serious about transit we should be connecting the Innes Road transit corridor with Walkley Road instead of building a semi-expressway next to the 417. That was the original plan.

Dood, you know those expressways that are, like, double expressways?

MaxHeadroom · #15 Posted **Jun 17, 2010, 11:08 PM**

Went by the site again today. Unfortunately one can't see a whole lot from Hawthorne, but the road bed is beginning to take shape and they have some manholes going in. There was a lot more equipment on site, and also a crane on site in the distance.

MaxHeadroom · #16 Posted **Jul 20, 2010, 2:11 AM**

Looking at the site from the 417 and Russell Road, there is plenty of grading going on and the road base is starting to take shape. Trucks are constantly coming and going from the site, using Russell Road as access. I'm still not sure what is going to happen at Russell Road; if the roadway is going to overpass it or temporarily intersect until the 417 interchange is built.

harls · #17 Posted **Jul 21, 2010, 12:23 PM**

Yeah, I noticed they had done a lot of work on the road bed when I was on my way to Montreal one morning.. and this was back on the first weekend of July. (My vantage point was from the 417 travelling east just past the rail overpass).

Aylmer · #18 Posted **Jul 21, 2010, 12:28 PM**

WHY do we need this, again?

DubberDom · #19 Posted **Jul 21, 2010, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aylmer

WHY do we need this, again?

Why??? Are you serious? Ever try to go from Hunt Club to 417? It will also significantly improve the access from Orleans/Blackburn to the south and airport

lrt's friend · #20 Posted **Jul 21, 2010, 4:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aylmer

WHY do we need this, again?

Just go to the intersection of Walkley and Russell Roads during the daytime. It is a bottleneck.

The Hunt Club extension will distribute this traffic onto two different roads and reduce the amount of left turns at the above intersection. The left hand turn lane from Walkley to Hawthorne/Russell has just been extended to almost two very long blocks. Too much traffic, not enough road capacity.