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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

Northern Light said:
A Guelph-area company has apparently invented a smog-eating sound barrier for the edge of freeways. Test segments, in Toronto, among other locations have apparently been successful and are reducing pollution/smog by upwards of 50%

Very interesting, and useful, if it truly works that well, and can be rolled out and maintained practically.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1289231345911177218

I do wonder though how much of the pollution would normally rise directly from where the car emits it, never passing near said sound barriers.
Click to expand...


If the walls 'collect' the smog and other particles over the course of their lifespan. I would assume that they hold the smog within like a carbon capture type program. Would that not then be released upon decommissioning or any potential damage to the unit?
 
Mcurtis said:
If the walls 'collect' the smog and other particles over the course of their lifespan. I would assume that they hold the smog within like a carbon capture type program. Would that not then be released upon decommissioning or any potential damage to the unit?
Click to expand...

That doesn't appear to be the process by which these work.

From the link above:

Smog Stop Barrier features a double-walled design with an angled baffle to direct traffic emissions between the two wall segments where a photocatalytic coating breaks down pollutants. The wall also generates air vortices and enhances vertical mixing of emissions with cleaner air, further decreasing pollution levels, according to provider Envision SQ.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Similarly, MTO is preparing to replace the Innisfil Beach Road Interchange.

www.simcoe.com

Innisfil Beach Road interchange and bridge set to be replaced

The main highway interchange in Innisfil is due for a facelift.
www.simcoe.com www.simcoe.com

Work seems to be heating up to prepare for a widening of the highway, but the actual widening still seems almost a decade away I would guess for the full highway.

I wouldn't be surprised if 5-6 years from now we see the 400 widened from Major Mack to Bradford and from Innisfil Beach Road to Dunlop Street, with the rest of the highway filling out by the end of the decade.

That would be an optimistic timeline at least.
Click to expand...
Why are they going so slow for this widening? Isn't this portion more congested than the one in/near Vaughan that is being widened to 8 lanes?
 
Northern Light said:
A Guelph-area company has apparently invented a smog-eating sound barrier for the edge of freeways. Test segments, in Toronto, among other locations have apparently been successful and are reducing pollution/smog by upwards of 50%

Very interesting, and useful, if it truly works that well, and can be rolled out and maintained practically.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1289231345911177218

I do wonder though how much of the pollution would normally rise directly from where the car emits it, never passing near said sound barriers.
Click to expand...

Is it this bit just west of Bayview on the 401? I've wondered what that thing was for a while. Image from Streeview:
Untitled.jpg
 
Last edited:
kali said:
Is it this bit just west of Bayview on the 401? I've wondered what thing was for a while. Image from Streeview:View attachment 260881
Click to expand...

Based on pictures from their website, yes, I would say that is one of their test locations.

This picture is on their website, and you can see a sign that notes that Yonge Street is the next exit.

1596223768311.png


This is the company's product site:

envisionsq.com

SmogStop Barrier - Envision SQ

PROBLEM Traffic pollution costs dollars and lives Around the world, urbanites pay a heavy price for traffic pollution. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic emissions increase the risk of everything from asthma to heart
envisionsq.com
 
If it's feasible and affordable to manufacture in large quantities, I wonder if it could be installed on commercial and residential buildings. It really excites me seeing "silver buckshot" solutions like this.
 
Deadpool X said:
Why are they going so slow for this widening? Isn't this portion more congested than the one in/near Vaughan that is being widened to 8 lanes?
Click to expand...

Not knowing the traffic counts, my first guess would be money. Replacing bridges requires much more engineering than roadway widening, are more complex to do on live highways, collaboration with adjacent municipalities, etc.
 
Aren't they rebuilding bridges for 400 and 404 widening too? Disruption could be a factor as I believe those bridges in Barry carry more traffic than the ones in Vaughan.
 
The widening in Vaughan only needed 1 bridge rebuild I believe and it was fairly straightforward. All the interchanges were already built for the widening.

Barrie is not prepared at all for a widening right now. Only Mapleview has been built for a widening, and now the rail overpass north of Essa. All the other interchanges and overpasses are 50+ years old and need to be completely reconstructed. Which MTO is now doing mind you.. pretty much all of them are scheduled to be replaced in the next 3 years. Thus my bet that the widening follows shortly after that.
 
gweed123 said:
I actually agree with this. Tolling the 407 East makes sense, but I've always thought the two N-S connector highways should be free. The Mayor's point about lanes being added to the 427 and 410 (both of which are free) is a good one.
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Yes I found it odd that the 412 and 418 were tolled.

The 407 is a toll road, no question thats its purpose. It is an alternative to another highway (401)

But the 412/418 will be like the 427/404, etc in coming years.

That being said im pro-toll for the DVP and Gardiner. But thats due to Toronto being a mega city that has limited space for the density of population. People should be incentivized to take GO into toronto and the money from those tolls should go directly to improving GO.

The 412/418 is a ruralish area, its different.
 
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