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Roads: Highway 401 Widening - Highway 8 to Highway 410 (MTO, U/C, Planned)

The eastbound off ramp to Britannia is all but completed from what I saw going over the 401 last week for the first time in months.

Street lights are up where there was none the last time I saw it as well the road.

Once the warm weather arrives this spring, paving will take place and then the road is ready for service. This will take some pressure off Hurontario traffic turning left at Britannia Rd.
 
The EA for the 2nd line bridge is to start.
Class Environmental Assessment Study and Detailed Design
for Second Line West Pedestrian/Cyclist Connection over
Highway 401 FA.49.244-14

(Ward 11)

Corporate Report dated February 4, 2014
from the Commissioner of Transportation and Works
with respect to the Class Environmental Assessment
Study and Detailed Design for Second Line West.

RECOMMENDATION
That in accordance with Purchasing
By-law 374-06, as amended,
the Purchasing Agent be authorized to execute a sole source contract to AECOM Canada Ltd.
for the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study and the Detailed Design for a
pedestrian/cyclist connection on Second Line West over Highway 401, in the total amount of $309,580
Click to expand...

 
I'm not really happy with the result of this project. The whole point was to reduce the weaving, but all they did was add more lanes. A better idea would have been to copy what they did at the 410 in between Derry Rd and 407, or at the 400 in between 407 and Hwy 7. Even with these new collector lanes, there is still slow traffic WB between those entering from 410 and exiting at Hurontario.
 
mtomo said:
I'm not really happy with the result of this project. The whole point was to reduce the weaving, but all they did was add more lanes. A better idea would have been to copy what they did at the 410 in between Derry Rd and 407, or at the 400 in between 407 and Hwy 7. Even with these new collector lanes, there is still slow traffic WB between those entering from 410 and exiting at Hurontario.
Click to expand...

It's not finished yet. There's further phases, the next one being to Mavis/Credit River.
 
mtomo said:
I'm not really happy with the result of this project. The whole point was to reduce the weaving, but all they did was add more lanes. A better idea would have been to copy what they did at the 410 in between Derry Rd and 407, or at the 400 in between 407 and Hwy 7. Even with these new collector lanes, there is still slow traffic WB between those entering from 410 and exiting at Hurontario.
Click to expand...

what did they do there? Doesn't seem anything special and certainly not analogous to a much wider road with express/collector system
 
TOareaFan said:
what did they do there? Doesn't seem anything special and certainly not analogous to a much wider road with express/collector system
Click to expand...

The Derry Rd on ramp crosses the 407 off-ramp, and so traffic entering the 410 from Derry Rd has no access to 407, and thus reducing the amount of weaving in this area. I'm just saying a similar thing could have been done between Hurontario and 410.
 
While this may come as good news to some, it may also be indicative that the future further widening of the 401 is a couple years off. MTO contract 2014-2006, which is for the reconstruction and widening of the Mavis Road overpass recently closed, with Graham Bros being the low bidder at just over 12 million dollars. The widening of this overpass serves as a precursor to the widening of the 401, much like the same works that occurred at Hurontario.

The thing is, the reconstruction of the Hurontario overpass and the widening of the 401 was parceled together as one contract (2009-2031).

The fact that the Mavis Road works aren't coupled together with the highway widening under one contract seems to be indicative that the MTO plans to proceed with the actual highway widening at a later date.

The MTO is proceeding with the widening of the 410 this year (Contract 2014-2026), this is probably another reason not to proceed with the 401 widening right away, as the widening of the 410 will be over a 100 million dollar contract and will definitely be eating up the MTO's budget.

Fun fact, when the Mavis Road interchange was built, it was future proofed for the eventual widening of the 401. The bridge actually rests on piers at each end instead of soil abutments. So when they widen it, they won't have to build any additional bridge pier supports, they will simply dig out each end, throw a bridge deck down which will then rest on soil abutments and the existing bridge piers.

Contract info can be found here: https://www.raqs.merx.com/public/bulletin/contractView.jsf?id=24608501
 
Only 3 bidder and that odd unless short list. A very very tight bid with only $87,000 different between top and bottom especially for this type of work.
 
The RAQS website posts all the bidders, it's not the short list. Kind of surprised OHL bid on this work, this is really small scale work for them.
 
Toffy said:
Fun fact, when the Mavis Road interchange was built, it was future proofed for the eventual widening of the 401. The bridge actually rests on piers at each end instead of soil abutments. So when they widen it, they won't have to build any additional bridge pier supports, they will simply dig out each end, throw a bridge deck down which will then rest on soil abutments and the existing bridge piers.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised they just didn't build the full overpass the first time around. Getting it done in one shot saves money in the long run. The Mississauga Road overpass was built with widening in mind, for example.

The thing is now all the overpasses are out of date except for the new Hurontario one. With the decision to add HOV lanes to the highway, more room is required for the buffer and full inner shoulder. I'm sure it can be squeezed in though.


-----

Is there any way to rename this topic to Mississauga 401 Widening or something? Or should we just make a new topic once phase 2 starts?
 
So what's the update on this project? It's now the end of May and construction hasn't begun. What's the hold up? I use this corridor every day and the traffic is terrible, the sooner we get this constructed the better. Anyone know when construction is set to begin for the mavis phase?

On another note: I was in Vancouver a few weeks ago and they have constructed HOV lanes on their version of the 401. What's unique about them is that they have created special on and off ramps for specifically the HOV lane users. These ramps offer very advantageous time saving alternates and reward people further for using the HOV lanes. They also all but eliminate weaving required by our current set up of the HOV lanes on the 403 for example. I know it's late in the game but this was an excellent idea and works phenomenally.
 
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