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Highway 401 Transit and Auto Tunnel

UrbanAffair said:
Not sure if anyone posted this yet, but Ford is looking at what seems like a strange idea to me, which is to build a tunnel for transit and cars under the 401 from Brampton to Scarborough.

CBC reported on it:

Click to expand...

What a bizarre waste of time and money.

1) It will be cost-prohibitive.

2) That tunnel will need to be on bridges over the Humber, the West Don and the East Don (that one is a problem because the 401 is relatively low over the East Don as it is, but going under the water table would be very deep), and possibly the Rouge, which would be subject to a Federal EA since that's Rouge Park.

3) If shallow, the tunnel would be cut and cover, which would involve closing the number of lanes you want underground, which sounds to me like six minimum , 2 each way for cars, one each way for transit. + a 2 lane buffer on either side for equipment and material), so that's closing up to 10 lanes of 401.

4)Supposing you somehow jack the 401's car-carrying capacity by 20%, that's 20% more cars that exit on to local roads that haven't been widened.....a recipe for gridlock everywhere.
 
LMAO what a joke.

Hey Dougie I have a better idea. Double deck the express portion of the 401. ex Eastbound lanes above westbound lanes, that gives you more space for collector lanes and transit lines.
 
NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Exploring Feasibility of New Highway 401 Tunnel Expressway​

New underground car and transit expressway expected to significantly reduce gridlock for drivers while supporting economic growth
September 25, 2024
Premier's Office
TORONTO — Today, the Ontario government launched the technical evaluation for the construction of a new driver and transit tunnel expressway under Highway 401. This expressway is expected to provide a new, faster route for some of the most gridlocked roadways in the province north of the City of Toronto, extending from beyond Brampton and Mississauga in the west to beyond Markham and Scarborough in the east. This project is expected to significantly reduce traffic in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) while supporting economic growth during construction and in the long-term by helping to get goods and services to market sooner.
“Ontario’s gridlock problem is leaving the average Toronto-area commuter stuck in traffic for 98 hours every year, taking up precious time that would be better spent with family, friends and loved ones, and is costing our economy $11 billion every year in the GTHA alone,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Today’s announcement is the latest step in our nearly $100 billion plan to tackle this gridlock by building and expanding highways and transit, including Highway 401, the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, so we can get people and goods moving across Ontario once more.”
Engineering services will be secured through the Ministry of Transportation, with support from Infrastructure Ontario. The feasibility work will include the following:
  • Examining various options to increase Highway 401 capacity, including potential routes within the existing right-of-way, number of lanes, length, and the number and design of interchanges connecting to other highways;
  • Refining the province’s understanding of the proposed tunnel’s economic contributions, both in the short- and long-term, as well as the project’s impact on reducing gridlock;
  • Reviewing best practices from similar projects in other jurisdictions;
  • Conducting initial soil boring testing to improve the province’s understanding of the route’s geology and its impact on design and construction;
  • Preparing to start the environmental assessment processes for the project; and
  • Conducting an initial market sounding, with feedback informing any potential procurement and commercial structuring strategies.
Additionally, the province will begin meaningful consultations with First Nations communities about the potential project.
Consistent with the Get It Done Act, 2024, this new expressway would not be tolled.
As Ontario continues to grow, there is a clear need to continue building out the province’s roads and highways to keep drivers moving and improve economic productivity. Ministry of Transportation modelling confirms that by 2051, travel times on the main stretch of Highway 401 will double with travel time taking 90 minutes longer on the 401 through the GTHA. The ministry’s modelling also shows that all of the province’s 400-series highways in the GTHA, including Highway 407, will be at or exceed capacity within the next decade. The numbers of hours lost in congestion will more than triple by 2051 if capacity is not added beyond the committed highway and rapid transit projects, adding to the $11 billion in annual lost productivity the region is already experiencing due to existing congestion.

Quick Facts​

  • Toronto commuters face the longest travel times in North America, spending an average of 98 hours each year in rush-hour traffic, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
  • Ontario is currently experiencing unprecedented population growth, with more than 500,000 new residents in 2022 and projections forecasting an additional two million by 2031.
  • As part of Ontario’s nearly $100 billion plan to tackle gridlock by building and improving highways, roads and transit, the province is building major new highway projects including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, while expanding existing highways, including Highway 401.
  • Construction on Highway 413 is set to begin in 2025 and will save drivers travelling the full length of the highway 30 minutes per trip compared to the existing highway options.
  • Early works are underway on the Bradford Bypass, which will connect Highway 400 and Highway 404 through York Region and save drivers up to 35 minutes each way.
 
Northern Light said:
4)Supposing you somehow jack the 401's car-carrying capacity by 20%, that's 20% more cars that exit on to local roads that haven't been widened.....a recipe for gridlock everywhere.
Click to expand...

This doesn't seem like a real proposal, but it only seems somewhat feasible if constructed as an express bypass to get from the one side of Toronto to the other.
 
I see Doug is having a lot of fun with his Pixie Dust this morning.

While we're at it, we should add that Monorail and Ferris Wheel to the tunnel too! We can relocate the CNE to this underground 401 tunnel too so that waste of space parking garage for his fantasy spa can be located at Exhibition Place!
 
I am generally pro-highway but this is just too much. There is little to no chance that a project like this will ever be completed in a reasonable timeframe, it will be the most expensive construction project in the history of the country if it comes to fruition. I could only see this being somewhat useful if there are minimal interchange points (i.e., only with 400-series highways) to keep it it for long-distance traffic only, but the cost is going to be absolutely insane.

What is abundantly clear to me is that the 905 needs way more long-distance transit options that run east-west, including rail or bus transitways along all major highways. The problem with the 401 is that it provides a level of connectivity that transit currently does not, and that’s why people use it.

It might also actually be cheaper to just outright buy the 407 than to build a tunnel.
 
Adjei said:
Yes that’s what should have been done. At least the portion in downtown
Click to expand...
You know we got some hecklers complaining about Doug Ford's ambition. But I kind of like just the rapid transit tunnelling idea. Having subway trains etc straddles underneath the 401 and possibly the 427 and DVP. Connecting them to other rapid transit lines like Bloor or Yonge lines etc. Would create an excellent subway grid system around the the city keeping some driver's off the road. And it wouldn't interfere with business and homes being built under the highways. Just basically the areas where they would have to connect with the existing subway station etc for now!
 
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