Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[Westey]

The perplexing thing is that they reopened the flyover ramp after the first (non-fatal) accident without fixing the snowbanks. After the second (fatal) accident, they finally addressed the build up and it's now properly cleared. MTO says they will be reviewing their maintenance standards after this.

I do wonder how common these sorts of accidents are, because you would think that any flyover ramp would be susceptible to this type of build up of a ramp of snow, and with icing being particularly problematic on bridge structures, that would seem to be a general hazard with flyover ramps. This ramp actually has automatic deicers, presumably for this very reason. It may be, though, that the prolonged snow accumulation we've had the past few weeks has just seen a buildup that wouldn't normally occur.

Maintenance is a different Division at MTO than Highway Design.
No matter how many time the highway (and bridge) designers said that the bridge shoulder should not be used for snow storage, they say they have no other choice. I think the last time this came up was when the car fell off the Gardiner, but I suspect there was another incident.
I did not know (or didn't recall) that this bridge had FAST deicing system. Based on the pictures, the snow storage may have interfered with the spray.

 

[timio]

I did not know (or didn't recall) that this bridge had FAST deicing system. Based on the pictures, the snow storage may have interfered with the spray.

I remember driving over the flyover 15-20 years ago and getting hit by the spray when the system triggered. It's the only time I've seen it in action.

 

[Jonathan's Junction]

Hi UT! Long time lurker here. I've been working on a map of interesting things in the Ontario highway system, and I thought if there is any place to share it would be here.
Feel free to check it out here (Google My Maps). Includes interesting/wrong signs, old alignments, and facts.
I'm sure there is lots more to add, so feel free to reach out to me through UT or my Substack with suggestions: https://jonathansjunction.substack.com/p/ontario-oddities. I also sometimes write about roads and transit, so check that out on Substack as well if you're interested.

 

[ARG1]

Hi UT! Long time lurker here. I've been working on a map of interesting things in the Ontario highway system, and I thought if there is any place to share it would be here.
Feel free to check it out here (Google My Maps). Includes interesting/wrong signs, old alignments, and facts.
I'm sure there is lots more to add, so feel free to reach out to me through UT or my Substack with suggestions: https://jonathansjunction.substack.com/p/ontario-oddities. I also sometimes write about roads and transit, so check that out on Substack as well if you're interested.

Part of me doesn't want to bring these up since I don't want them to be replaced, but there are many other incorrect signs on the 407. In particular, the directional indicator signs on off ramps often show the pre-download highway logos. Example:

 

[turbanplanner]

Part of me doesn't want to bring these up since I don't want them to be replaced, but there are many other incorrect signs on the 407. In particular, the directional indicator signs on off ramps often show the pre-download highway logos. Example:
View attachment 716436

I doubt it would get fixed, I've reported broken lights which seem like a bigger deal and they just are ignored.

 

[Dan416]

Part of me doesn't want to bring these up since I don't want them to be replaced, but there are many other incorrect signs on the 407. In particular, the directional indicator signs on off ramps often show the pre-download highway logos. Example:
View attachment 716436

Similarly there are still occasional signs that mistakenly number Hurontario within Mississauga (e.g. the Hurontario exit from 403, one of the short signs has the 10, whereas the majority of the signs are correct and don't show it.

 

[Jonathan's Junction]

Part of me doesn't want to bring these up since I don't want them to be replaced, but there are many other incorrect signs on the 407. In particular, the directional indicator signs on off ramps often show the pre-download highway logos. Example:

Similarly there are still occasional signs that mistakenly number Hurontario within Mississauga (e.g. the Hurontario exit from 403, one of the short signs has the 10, whereas the majority of the signs are correct and don't show it.

Found it. Also like that on the 407. Thanks for pointing it out!

Yes, these are surprisingly common, especially considering the downloading started to take place nearly 30 years ago. I can't remember where or if it's been replaced now, but for years there was one of the old style diagonal exit signs on the 401 in eastern Ontario. I'll add as much as I can find.

 

[chinesehorse]

I can't remember where or if it's been replaced now, but for years there was one of the old style diagonal exit signs on the 401 in eastern Ontario. I'll add as much as I can find.

Was removed sometime in 2023

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[ARG1]

View attachment 716852
Was removed sometime in 2023

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Still there (Eastbound)

@Jonathan's Junction

 

[just east of the creek]

Similarly there are still occasional signs that mistakenly number Hurontario within Mississauga (e.g. the Hurontario exit from 403, one of the short signs has the 10, whereas the majority of the signs are correct and don't show it.

Well Hurontario was 10, Dundas was and is 5, Lakeshore was 2, and Yonge was and is 11……memories are long.

And I wonder in today’s world of transit costs, what the costs of replacing a sign is, whether overhead or roadside. I’ve noticed a couple of the larger information signs on the 401E have been taken out by wayward vehicles during the past couple of weeks. They cannot be cheap to repair/replace.

 

[Jonathan's Junction]

Well Hurontario was 10, Dundas was and is 5, Lakeshore was 2, and Yonge was and is 11……memories are long.

10 on Hurontario lives on through Line 10 . Don't forget about Avenue formerly being 11A, and even Centre St (Once 7/7B).

 

[just east of the creek]

10 on Hurontario lives on through Line 10 . Don't forget about Avenue formerly being 11A, and even Centre St (Once 7/7B).

LOL! I had forgotten about the A's and B's....luckily for us, examples still exist in other areas of the province.

 

[Westey]

Still there (Eastbound)
View attachment 717155
@Jonathan's Junction

That was the first of the new generation Cantilever Sign supports in Ontario. That along with Highway 137.
That thing on top is a wind damper plate (not a sun visor), to prevent large scale galloping (although I think farther analysis said it was vortex shedding)
It was really only needed for the larger signs, but added to all just to play it safe.
Sign Support Calgary

 

[innsertnamehere]

A whopping 8 years after promising the highway, the province has announced that they have decided to actually start designing the 417 extension. No word on when they intend to actually build it.. The provincial slow-walk of their highways program continues.

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

 

[lenaitch]

A whopping 8 years after promising the highway, the province has announced that they have decided to actually start designing the 417 extension. No word on when they intend to actually build it.. The provincial slow-walk of their highways program continues.

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

View attachment 717830

And people seem surprised when I say they would never live to see Hwy 11 and 17 divided all the way to the Manitoba border.