Highway 401 Widening - Highway 8 to Townline Road

[timio]

WB lanes shifted over the weekend.

Original lanes are now likely closed for the winter until they can be reconstructed in the spring.

[Rainrider22]

WB lanes shifted over the weekend.

Original lanes are now likely closed for the winter until they can be reconstructed in the spring.

Yup  drove on the new pavement on way home  from work today.  Shorter merge section for lane one  FYI

[timio]

While driving past this morning I thought to myself that something looked different.

Regardless of the shorter merge, it felt less awkward than the previous arrangement. A bit uneven around the CP bridge though.

[tomh009]

I’ve been driving between Toronto and KW as long as I’ve been driving. I remember back around 2000 it was fine. It’s so bad now even on a Sunday that I hardly ever go to Wonderland anymore (I used to go a couple of times a week!). 

It was fine around 2000, because it had just been widened in the mid-1990s to three lanes each way. Ten years earlier, it was absolutely awful.

And as Dan said, the cycle will repeat. The only question is how long this latest widening will last. Hopefully with the upcoming advent of proper GO service (and the continuing increase in telecommuting) it'll last substantially longer than the 20 or so years that the current configuration has.

It's only been a month, and I should already revise my comment.

And as Dan said, the cycle will repeat. The only question is how long this latest widening will last. Likely with the postponement of proper GO service, as recently announced by the provincial government, it'll be congested again in 20 years (the age of the current configuration) or sooner.

[ijmorlan]

It's only been a month, and I should already revise my comment.

And as Dan said, the cycle will repeat. The only question is how long this latest widening will last. Likely with the postponement of proper GO service, as recently announced by the provincial government, it'll be congested again in 20 years (the age of the current configuration) or sooner.

And people wonder why everybody takes the car. Highway enthusiasts need to get a clue: people will use what is available. A substantial fraction of the passenger traffic on the 401 could and should be on public transit (certainly most of the commuting) and a substantial fraction of the freight could and should be on rail.

[timio]

Might be my perception, but traffic generally moved better through the stretch while the Franklin overpass, and more specifically the onramp, was closed. Thursday was the first time in quite a while I've been caught in a slowdown from the On Route through Hespeler.

Again, probably perception, but worth noting.

[Canard]

I agree, and noticed exactly the same thing - and it makes sense... suddenly now we have added traffic coming on at that point. I'm guilty of causing it, since that's my on-ramp to get home. For the last year I've had to enter at Townline.

[jeffster]

I agree, and noticed exactly the same thing - and it makes sense... suddenly now we have added traffic coming on at that point.  I'm guilty of causing it, since that's my on-ramp to get home.  For the last year I've had to enter at Townline.

Did you ever try going through the power centre? Nice thing about doing that, you can instantly determine if you should go onto the 401 and just go on the 24 towards Guelph...

[Canard]

Every now and then I'd do it, and instantly regret it.  The congestion there around 4-5 pm was unbearable, from everyone doing the same thing.

I've done this a few times, instead of using the NB>WB ramp - I know, I know... dick move...

   

[jamincan]

I've noticed the same thing about the Franklin Overpass. I think it goes to show that the merging traffic and presence of an interchange can cause a lot of congestion on its own. I'm guessing most of the people using it were using the Hespeler Rd. or (to a far less extent) Townline interchanges before, but the slowdown was isolated to those two points instead of spread over a larger area.

[Canard]

This is why I’m optimistic the new configuration will solve all of these problems, which those on-ramps continuing on as lanes 4 and 5.

The reverse will happen at the top of the hill; those two new lanes will simply become the off-ramp for 8. It couldn’t be any better.

[p2ee]

This is why I’m optimistic the new configuration will solve all of these problems, which those on-ramps continuing on as lanes 4 and 5.

The reverse will happen at the top of the hill; those two new lanes will simply become the off-ramp for 8. It couldn’t be any better.

What about after the Hespeler to Towline widening is complete?  That's supposed to include 10 lanes all the way from highway 8 to townline.  We're going to be in the same situation again.  Merging from Townline onto 401 WB should be smooth, but not sure about Franklin or Hespeler.

Another thing to consider is the HOV lane.  2 of those 10 lanes (1 on each side) is supposed to be an HOV lane.  The usual MTO practice has been to design HOV lanes such that the HOV lane starts as a new lane on the left side of the carriageway.  In that scenario, they'd have to merge 3 401 EB lanes and 2 highway 8 lanes into 4 lanes combined, instead of 5.  I haven't seen the design for the merge if that's how they're planning on doing it though.

[Canard]

I wish the HOV lane was actually an “I’m from Toronto and going to London” or “I’m from London and heading to Toronto” lane.

[jamincan]

I am hopeful that you're right, Iain, but we see the same lane configuration on Hwy 8N where the ramps from Sportsworld and King continue as new lanes. Nevertheless, most traffic immediately merges left rather than continuing in their lane, significantly slowing the second lane from the left, and leaving the two rightmost lanes almost empty. I'm not sure KW drivers can figure out something as radical as a ramp continuing on as a new lane.

[danbrotherston]

I am hopeful that you're right, Iain, but we see the same lane configuration on Hwy 8N where the ramps from Sportsworld and King continue as new lanes. Nevertheless, most traffic immediately merges left rather than continuing in their lane, significantly slowing the second lane from the left, and leaving the two rightmost lanes almost empty. I'm not sure KW drivers can figure out something as radical as a ramp continuing on as a new lane.

Speaking from experience, this configuration is atypical, when I merge onto the highway, I generally need to merge left out of the merge lane, I use the King St. and Sportsworld onramps once in a while, and rarely remember that it continues as a lane.

I'll also add that at least the King St. starts wit double wide lane markings indicating a merge lane ending, so...there's also a failure of design.