Are you a road geek?

[Jonny5]

5. Where is the first major section of Highway 401 built? What part of it still looks the same from when it was first built?

I don't travel it often, but as previously mentioned, the first thing that came to my mind was the section through Oshawa. Then I had a though that where it goes through central Kingston it looked very dated, but that is only from going through it twice about 2 years ago.

 

[Transportfan]

I am certainly a roadgeek (and not an environmentalist) and that's 2 of the reasons I want the Gardiner to stay and many other highways such as the Guelph-400 connector to be built. Too bad I didn't see this thread earlier and had first crack at the questions!

 

[ShonTron]

1. What does RIRO stand for? Name two examples in Ontario.
- Right-in, right-out. Highway 11 through Oro-Medonte Township and Severn Township/Gravenhurst and Highway 35/115 are the two main examples.

2. List two SPUIs in Ontario
- The two locations are at 4th Avenue at Highway 406 in St. Catharines and Airport Parkway at Hunt Club in Ottawa.

3. What does the term "parclo" refer to?
- Partial cloverleaf

4. What is the significance of the Thousand Islands Parkway? Name two previous designations of it.
- Was an original alignment of Highway 401 and the 1968 section to the north was the last part of the 401 completed. Yes, it also carried the Highway 2S designation.

5. Where is the first major section of Highway 401 built? What part of it still looks the same from when it was first built?
- Highway 2A is correct. I apologize if the question is confusing, because the bridges in Oshawa are original (as is the Highway 12 bridge in Whitby), but I was looking for the part later downloaded to Toronto, as it still has the old ramp alignment, 4-lane cross section and median ditch as it did in 1940.

6. What is the first highway structure built that still is used by the 401 today?
The Hogg's Hollow Bridge is correct.

7. Name four cloverleafs that have been removed in the GTA in the last 40 years.
Hurontario and QEW
10 and 401
25 and 401
7 and 400

8. What colour were MTO traffic lights up to 1970?
- A dark green. Some installations lasted until the early 1990s, including Highways 10 and 5.

9. Name 5 highways (including suffixed routes) that were completely decommissioned and had at least a segment in the GTA.
Here's a list of them all:
2A, 5A, 7B (Thornhill) 11A, 11B (Holland Landing), 25, 27, 47, 49, 50, 136.

10. What is a "Super-2" Highway? Name two Ontario examples.
- A limited access 2-lane highway, with interchanges and/or intersections, but no private access.
Three Ontario examples are Highway 6 in Caledonia and near Hamilton Airport, St. Thomas Expressway (Highway 3) and Highway 137 (connection to Interstate 81).

 

[MisterF]

1. What does RIRO stand for? Name two examples in Ontario.
- Right-in, right-out. Highway 11 through Oro-Medonte Township and Severn Township/Gravenhurst and Highway 35/115 are the two main examples.

In addition to RIRO expressways, RIRO refers to any entrance to a roadway where left turns are prohibited. Very common on suburban arterials.

10. What is a "Super-2" Highway? Name two Ontario examples.
- A limited access 2-lane highway, with interchanges and/or intersections, but no private access.
Three Ontario examples are Highway 6 in Caledonia and near Hamilton Airport, St. Thomas Expressway (Highway 3) and Highway 137 (connection to Interstate 81).

They're rare in Ontario but common in the Maritimes. The Prairies tend to do 4 lane RIROs.

 

[adma]

1. What does RIRO stand for? Name two examples in Ontario.
- Right-in, right-out. Highway 11 through Oro-Medonte Township and Severn Township/Gravenhurst and Highway 35/115 are the two main examples.

As opposed to RiRo, which means Rindsay Rohan

*limshot*

 

[adma]

5. Where is the first major section of Highway 401 built? What part of it still looks the same from when it was first built?
- Highway 2A is correct. I apologize if the question is confusing, because the bridges in Oshawa are original (as is the Highway 12 bridge in Whitby), but I was looking for the part later downloaded to Toronto, as it still has the old ramp alignment, 4-lane cross section and median ditch as it did in 1940.

Though the Highland Creek access overpass (one of those late 40s quasi-arched affairs with the giant Ontario-shield reliefs) was unfortunately replaced by something clumsy a decade ago...

 

[Transportfan]

1. What does RIRO stand for? Name two examples in Ontario.
8. What colour were MTO traffic lights up to 1970?
- A dark green. Some installations lasted until the early 1990s, including Highways 10 and 5.

Except "Highways 5 and 10" were not highways in the 90s anymore.

 

[jn_12]

Can't answer any of the questions, but I can provide a question of my own that anyone is free to tackle:

There is one spot in the 400 series where an at-grade railway crossing is present. Where is it?

 

[sjc]

There is one spot in the 400 series where an at-grade railway crossing is present. Where is it?

I believe there is one somewhere near the bottom end of the 406 near Welland?

 

[sjc]

Here's a list of them all:
2A, 5A, 7B (Thornhill) 11A, 11B (Holland Landing), 25, 27, 47, 49, 50, 136.

I went to look up Highway 5A (which I had never heard of) and discovered that at least part of it (the eastern part from Dawes Road to Highway 2) was renumbered as Highway 109 for a brief period in the mid-50s. So add 109 to the list.

And add 108 which ran along the current Queensway for several miles east from Highway 27.

 

[jn_12]

I believe there is one somewhere near the bottom end of the 406 near Welland?

Yep. It's near the intersection of Woodlawn and the 406.

Thought it might be a bit easy, but Ithink the 406 is a bit of am afterthought/forgotten highway since most people only use it to go to Welland/Port Colborne (so pretty much, the only people using it are those who live in Welland or Port Colborne haha).

 

[Centurion]

Does anyone know if there are pictures of these dark green traffic lights somewhere on the internet? I'm really interested in seeing what they look like.

 

[ShonTron]

I went to look up Highway 5A (which I had never heard of) and discovered that at least part of it (the eastern part from Dawes Road to Highway 2) was renumbered as Highway 109 for a brief period in the mid-50s. So add 109 to the list.

And add 108 which ran along the current Queensway for several miles east from Highway 27.

Cool. And I forgot 122, aka Royal Windsor Drive.

 

[ShonTron]

Does anyone know if there are pictures of these dark green traffic lights somewhere on the internet? I'm really interested in seeing what they look like.

Check out 3:50 onwards here to see them on Hwy 10 and 5 in 1989.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eo1fTPHc60

 

[Komiksulo]

Does anyone know if there are pictures of these dark green traffic lights somewhere on the internet? I'm really interested in seeing what they look like.

I'm assumiong that's the colour of the enclosure, not the light itself?

Re: railway crossings of the 400 series... I remember there was one in Whitby and another in Ajax when I was a kid.

The track in Whitby went from a Y-junction next to where Blair Street crossed the CN mainline, north across Victoria Street and the 401, north through Whitby (through the front yards of houses on Hickory Street), through a tract of bushland next to what was then Whitby Senior Public School, and curved to join the CP line. Two subdivisions have been built on top of the former trackbed (one obliterating the bushland).