General Road and Highway Discussion

[Canard]

Um. That was always the plan, no? Like, they're doing that right now. I drive through it every day!

If this is a separate thing then what the heck is the interface plan with the two additional lanes currently being constructed?

Maps. Need detailed maps!

[JCnb]

Um. That was always the plan, no? Like, they're doing that right now. I drive through it every day!

If this is a separate thing then what the heck is the interface plan with the two additional lanes currently being constructed?

Maps. Need detailed maps!

The current contract is to widen the 401 from Highway 8 to Hespeler Road. This funding is accommodating the next (already announced) phase, from Hespeler Road to Townline Road.

[Canard]

Butttttt... going Eastbound, the plan was (is?) to have lanes 4 and 5 be created by the 8 flyover. Then lane 5 disappears exit only at 24, and lane 4 disappears at Franklin.

If the current work is only going to 24... does that mean that initially lane 4 and 5 will both disappear at 24?

And westbound, lane 4 & 5 will be created by the two ramps coming off of 24 (lane 4 from NB 24, lane 5 from SB 24)?

[JCnb]

Butttttt... going Eastbound, the plan was (is?) to have lanes 4 and 5 be created by the 8 flyover. Then lane 5 disappears exit only at 24, and lane 4 disappears at Franklin.

If the current work is only going to 24... does that mean that initially lane 4 and 5 will both disappear at 24?

And westbound, lane 4 & 5 will be created by the two ramps coming off of 24 (lane 4 from NB 24, lane 5 from SB 24)?

All good questions, I'm not sure what the phasing will be for lanes at the current phase ending at 24, however most likely, the pavement and structures will accommodate the ultimate configuration of 10 lanes straight to Townline (And someday, beyond). Some minor shifting of lanes will happen with paint / temporary concrete barriers etc...

Just look at the transition in Mississauga where the expanded highway squeezes down temporarily while the next phases advance.

[Canard]

I hate 401 through Mississauga. It looks and feels so... incomplete. It has for years - I have no idea what's going on there.

[SammyOES2]

There could have been a way to frame it in which the provincial government took the attitude that it was rubber-stamping a proposal from the City of Toronto, and it washes its hands of it.

Not going to work.
The pitchforks would rise high with cries of "Wynne could have stopped it!" "Wynne's new road taxes!" "It's her fault!"
The anti-Wynne crowd doesn't need much to go on these days.

I'm disappointed with the decision too.  Toronto is stuck in a situation where they're forced to maintain a very expensive road, but they don't get to choose how they fund it.

There's a group of people that will never be happy with Wynne (or any Government) and I suspect that group intersects pretty heavily with the people who would blame her for the tolls.  So I don't really see much downside in her allowing Toronto to introduce the toll.

But I'm going to assume they have better polling / public relations people and they know something I don't because I highly doubt this was any sort of principled decision.

[Markster]

Well, when each phase takes 5 years, and they only start the next phase when they finished the first one, and there are at least 3 phases...
That's going to be 15 years of construction.

[GtwoK]

I wouldn't say each phase will take 5 years. The currently under construction phase involves construction of 4 bridges, and some significant terraforming. Hespeler - Townline doesn't have anything like that, that I remember.

[JCnb]

570 News
[/url]

According to the [url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario-roads-and-bridges]Ontario Government’s website, they’re targeting 2021 or 2022 completion date for the stretch between Hespeler and Townline.

[jamincan]

With regard to the highway tolling, the third option the government had would be to upload the DVP and Gardiner to the province. Considering they were initially downloaded because they were presumably primarily used as local routes, and the conflict here leading to the proposal for tolls is that the highways aren't primarily used by local taxpayers, maybe uploading isn't such a bad idea, especially in an era when the government is trying to pour money into infrastructure.

[jamincan]

I've been wondering for awhile now about the bridge replacements that they've been doing on the 401 in the Milton area. They are going to have a massively wide bridge structure when they are done, from what I can tell. Is the intention to widen through Milton shortly as well?

[Viewfromthe42]

It's a good argument to make, uploading. If we stopped the chance at tolling because of complaints from 905 (e.g. Non-Toronto) mayors complaining that they were being taxed to support Toronto infrastructure, suddenly you've proven that it's not a Toronto local road anymore, it's an inter-municipality highway that deserves provincial uploading.

[timio]

I've been wondering for awhile now about the bridge replacements that they've been doing on the 401 in the Milton area. They are going to have a massively wide bridge structure when they are done, from what I can tell. Is the intention to widen through Milton shortly as well?

The intent is to widen from Highway 8 through to Mississauga. 3-4+HOV in each direction.

[p2ee]

Collectors-Express will be extended all the way to Milton at some point. The construction of the Milton extension is approved and will probably begin within the next 2-3 years (don't quote me on it though). From Milton to highway 8, it should be 5 lanes (incl. HOV). The widening from Townline to Milton is still not approved IIRC.

[Canard]

I've been wondering for awhile now about the bridge replacements that they've been doing on the 401 in the Milton area. They are going to have a massively wide bridge structure when they are done, from what I can tell. Is the intention to widen through Milton shortly as well?

The intent is to widen from Highway 8 through to Mississauga. 3-4+HOV in each direction.

Yeah - I think what jamincan was getting at is, since they're doing all this bridgework right now and know an expansion is coming - is the bridgework including that expansion? ie, when they're done, will we see the current 3 lanes of traffic riding across a bridge that can accomodate 4 or 5 (in each direction)?

I drive across that bridge a couple of times a month and it never actually crossed my mind to wonder what they were up to. Now I'll have to look next time a little more closely (but carefully).