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Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph
Thanks for the info! I'd always assumed that the Express/Collector setup was entirely because of the limitations of bridge span technology (or budget) at the time - "can't have a pylon in the middle of the lanes, so, must split lanes."

Had no idea the Frederick bridge was on the chopping blocks too. The project scope for this whole thing is just massive, isn't it - can't wait to see it really start to come together!
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(03-12-2017, 01:04 PM)Canard Wrote: Thanks for the info!  I'd always assumed that the Express/Collector setup was entirely because of the limitations of bridge span technology (or budget) at the time - "can't have a pylon in the middle of the lanes, so, must split lanes."

Had no idea the Frederick bridge was on the chopping blocks too.  The project scope for this whole thing is just massive, isn't it - can't wait to see it really start to come together!

Me too! Seeing the construction staging area beside Factory Shoe and Shirley Ave finally confirms physically that this thing is happening.

I should also add that when the expressway was built, the Wellington Street interchange was purposely overbuilt with the intention that it would serve the new Highway 7 simply by extending Wellington Street east past Shirley. Therefore, the MTO thought the Wellington on and off ramps would eventually get much busier and conflict with the Frederick/Victoria ramps, but now the project has grown much larger than that, with the whole interchange about to be completely reconstructed.
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Yeah, the Bruce and Edna ramp questions have been on my mind after seeing the plans. Seems odd (to me) to eliminate existing/functional ramps, but I'm sure there are reasons and I'll optimistically look forward to the new & improved lay out (however, if it ends up worse after months of detours and construction I'll try not to let disappointment get the best of me).

This whole Wellington junction is going to make the 7/8 flyover look like small potatoes
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(03-12-2017, 12:39 PM)taylortbb Wrote:  With the new highway 7 the part east of 85 will see basically no traffic

Well, there are a lot of established businesses there which I'm sure will keep things hopping. But THROUGH traffic, yes, that will all but disappear.

I wonder if this might finally let them improve that road a bit - the lack of sidewalks and otherwise worn-out feel is doing it no favours.
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(03-12-2017, 07:25 PM)KevinL Wrote:
(03-12-2017, 12:39 PM)taylortbb Wrote:  With the new highway 7 the part east of 85 will see basically no traffic

Well, there are a lot of established businesses there which I'm sure will keep things hopping. But THROUGH traffic, yes, that will all but disappear.

I wonder if this might finally let them improve that road a bit - the lack of sidewalks and otherwise worn-out feel is doing it no favours.

Yes, thanks, I definitely meant to write through traffic in my original post. I think the established businesses may suddenly discover just how much of their business is from from drive by visitors though, and I won't be surprised if we see a significant retail decline along Victoria.
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(03-12-2017, 11:17 PM)taylortbb Wrote:
(03-12-2017, 07:25 PM)KevinL Wrote: Well, there are a lot of established businesses there which I'm sure will keep things hopping. But THROUGH traffic, yes, that will all but disappear.

I wonder if this might finally let them improve that road a bit - the lack of sidewalks and otherwise worn-out feel is doing it no favours.

Yes, thanks, I definitely meant to write through traffic in my original post. I think the established businesses may suddenly discover just how much of their business is from from drive by visitors though, and I won't be surprised if we see a significant retail decline along Victoria.

This retail decline is why the Region has mused they want Victoria St as Stage 3 of ION. Same idea as Hespeler Rd and Stage 2, except the retail is dead and the cost of expropriation (if at all needed) is cheap. If I remember correctly, the Victoria St bridge over Conestoga Parkway is being designed with an LRT retrofit in mind. This is getting off-topic, but I'd argue that there's better value in adding RER service along this same corridor between Baden and Guelph if the objective is to get folks into Downtown Kitchener quickly.
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These last few posts remind me of how business along King St E was going to die once the Hwy 8 bypass was built. Somebody forgot to tell all the business, it seems.....
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"If I remember correctly, the Victoria St bridge over Conestoga Parkway is being designed with an LRT retrofit in mind."

I had never heard that- that's fascinating.

There will be a tonne of opportunities on Victoria when all that traffic is diverted. I don't have any specific ill will for those businesses that will lose traffic and probably suffer as a result- but Victoria is pretty grotesque and not at all friendly for any users beyond fast-moving cars. It's not a very pleasant gateway to downtown.

It will be exciting to consider all of the possibilities when the time comes.
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I'm also very curious about the LRT-futureproof bridge design!

I'm assuming they must have taken some of the lessons learned with the Northfield bridge and applied those to this new design, so that they don't have to do all the funky stuff (ie, ballasted track instead of embedded, extra shoring up of the sides, etc.)?
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People were talking about on and off-ramps without posting the design in the thread again!

[Image: attachment.php?aid=242]
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(03-15-2017, 11:28 AM)Markster Wrote: People were talking about on and off-ramps without posting the design in the thread again!

Sorry Sad is there something we should be doing instead?

This diagram shows the missing Edna ramp.
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The only messy part of this to me is the fact that the former Hwy85 - Edna off ramp is now a ,like, a "secret passageway" road to go from Edna to Wellington. It's like something out of clue. Going to a side street to get on a small road that goes along side a highway and underneath a major artery to re-emerge at a different major artery.
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Wait... is that little slipway now two ways?? Like, you could turn off of Edna, almost like you're going down the current off-ramp, and then you'll be driving head-on into traffic flying by on your right at 100 km/h or something?
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(03-15-2017, 12:27 PM)Canard Wrote: Wait... is that little slipway now two ways??  Like, you could turn off of Edna, almost like you're going down the current off-ramp, and then you'll be driving head-on into traffic flying by on your right at 100 km/h or something?

I am assuming it has to be a one way southbound only... but when looking at the picture, the road near Wellington, it does kinda look like a two way street...

Coke
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(03-15-2017, 12:27 PM)Canard Wrote: Wait... is that little slipway now two ways??  Like, you could turn off of Edna, almost like you're going down the current off-ramp, and then you'll be driving head-on into traffic flying by on your right at 100 km/h or something?

I expect there will be a concrete barrier separating you from the oncoming traffic on your right.
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