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

[Dan416]

As much as theory would indicate that the traffic from Second Line wouldn't add much to Mavis, I've noticed my drives home have been taking longer. And I don't even take Mavis. I take McLaughlin, and it does seem busier, as do Cantay and Bancroft.

 

[Toffy]

As much as theory would indicate that the traffic from Second Line wouldn't add much to Mavis, I've noticed my drives home have been taking longer. And I don't even take Mavis. I take McLaughlin, and it does seem busier, as do Cantay and Bancroft.

It wasn't just Mavis and McLaughlin that were bad this past week, Dixie and Tomken were an absolute mess in the afternoon. Unlike anything I've experienced and I'm not quite sure what exactly was behind it, but it for sure wasn't the Second Line Closure. Perhaps spillover effects from construction on the 401 and 410?

 

[Tuscani01]

It wasn't just Mavis and McLaughlin that were bad this past week, Dixie and Tomken were an absolute mess in the afternoon. Unlike anything I've experienced and I'm not quite sure what exactly was behind it, but it for sure wasn't the Second Line Closure. Perhaps spillover effects from construction on the 401 and 410?

Could reading week have anything to do with it? I noticed Don Mills was a mess, as was the DVP quite often this week too. Just seemed like a lot more cars on the road than usual. I had a meeting at Yonge/Bloor and the DVP was bumper to bumper heading into downtown around noon. Yonge was also bumper to bumper from Bloor all the way to St. Clair on my way back to the office. It's not usually like that.

 

[TransitBart]

Everything is bad every week. Last week I was trying to get from Lawrence to Wilson on Avenue and it took 1 hour at 1pm.

The only people who don't know this are the people in charge of spending money on SUBWAYS or TRAINS. How on earth are we going to move two or three million people to-and-from each day? Not on bikes if commutes are long - and many are - no matter how romantic, healthful and charming we paint biking. There is a war for space on the surface and only so many bikes, cars, or transit vehicles fit on Toronto's narrow streets designed by 19th century surveyors. Cost be damned the solution is under the surface.

 

[drum118]

Everything is bad every week. Last week I was trying to get from Lawrence to Wilson on Avenue and it took 1 hour at 1pm.

The only people who don't know this are the people in charge of spending money on SUBWAYS or TRAINS. How on earth are we going to move two or three million people to-and-from each day? Not on bikes if commutes are long - and many are - no matter how romantic, healthful and charming we paint biking. There is a war for space on the surface and only so many bikes, cars, or transit vehicles fit on Toronto's narrow streets designed by 19th century surveyors. Cost be damned the solution is under the surface.

Where are you going to find $100 Billion to put in a subway network that service every parts of Toronto????

 

[musafir]

Where are you going to find $100 Billion to put in a subway network that service every parts of Toronto????

We are an almost C$2 trillion economy with 20% of that output coming from the GTA. I'm sure over the course of a decade we can find $100 billion to invest in something that will provide us a return greater than the investment itself.

 

[ninetykman]

The liberal are looking into PPP with Pension funds:

http://ipolitics.ca/2016/05/15/libe...und-partnerships-for-infrastructure-projects/

The light rail plan in Montreal is being funded by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. GTA has a traffic problem and must be addressed. We need more highways (Beltways like in US), faster and frequent Rail services and even Ferry services. Canadian Pension Funds have the money and are very well managed. This is a great idea and will deliver the goods.

 

[salmonz]

*Do not merge with general Ontario highways thread* (will remove this comment by May 17, 2017)
There are a number of major expansion transportation projects in the KW-Guleph area either underway or in planning for the immediate future. I believe they warrant their separate discussion threads so further information can be posted specifically on each project, including notices, planning material, pictures, discussion.

Expansion from Highway 8/Highway 401 (Kitchener) to Hespeler Rd/Highway 401 (Cambridge), 5.5kms, expanding 8 to 10 lanes.

Repairing, repaving and expanding a 4.2-kilometre section of Highway 401 from six to 10 lanes
Building one High Occupancy Vehicle lane in each direction
Widening and repairing the Grand River Electric Railway Overpass
Widening and repairing the CN rail overpass
Replacing four bridges over the Speed River
Repairing the Highway 8 bridge over Sportsworld Drive and the Highway 401 and Hespeler Road interchange bridge
Installing noise walls and retaining walls
Building wider outside shoulders for buses to bypass traffic
Realigning interchange ramps at Highway 8 and Hespeler Road
Implementing median-mounted High Mast Lighting
Construction is targeted for completion by summer 2019.

MTO Contract: 2014-3014
Award Amount: $121,719,000.00
Starting of Construction: June 8, 2015
Expected Completion: July 31, 2019

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/tr..._reports-southwestern.shtml#Contract2014-3014
https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2015/06/ontario-expanding-highway-401-in-cambridge.html
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highway-bridges/pdfs/southern-highways-program-2016-2020.pdf, Page 3

 

[salmonz]

Haven't we already been discussing this project in the other thread? I don't see the point of having separate threads for relatively small projects in other parts of the province.

No, a similar thread which I started a few years ago on the 401/Hurontario basketweave generated lots of discussion (over 170,000 views and 800 responses) on its own thread for a similar sized project of $100M. It's hard to weed through a generalized discussion topic for specific projects.

 

[salmonz]

*Do not merge with general Ontario highways thread* (will remove this comment by May 17, 2017)

There are a number of major expansion transportation projects in the KW-Guleph area either underway or in planning for the immediate future. I believe they warrant their separate discussion threads so further information can be posted specifically on each project, including notices, planning material, pictures, discussion.

Recently announced confirmed expansion from Hespeler Road to Townline.

Expansion from Hespeler Rd/Highway 401 (Cambridge) to Townline Rd/Highway 401 (Cambridge), approximately 5.2kms, expanding 6 to 10 lanes.

Expanding Highway 401 from 6 to 10 lanes
The reconstruction of the Highway 401 interchanges at Hespeler Road and Franklin Boulevard including replacement of the bridges
Reconstruction of Highway 401 to facilitate the interchange improvements
Rehabilitation of the Townline Road Bridge
Drainage improvements, illumination, overhead signs, traffic signals and retaining walls
A new noise wall that is proposed along the south side of Highway 401 just west of Franklin Boulevard

MTO Contract: *Not available yet*
Award Amount: *Not available yet* (estimated over $100M)
Starting of Construction: *Not available yet*
Expected Completion: 2021/2022

https://news.ontario.ca/moi/en/2017...y-and-traffic-flow-for-ontario-residents.html
http://highway401-hespeler-townline.ca/project-overview/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...between-hespeler-and-townline-roads-1.3955192
http://www.570news.com/2017/01/27/401-expansion-project-cambridge-gets-96-million-boost/
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highway-bridges/pdfs/southern-highways-program-2016-2020.pdf, Page 3

 

[salmonz]

*Do not merge with general Ontario highways thread* (will remove this comment by May 17, 2017)

There are a number of major expansion transportation projects in the KW-Guleph area either underway or in planning for the immediate future. I believe they warrant their separate discussion threads so further information can be posted specifically on each project, including notices, planning material, pictures, discussion.


Expansion from Highway 6 North/Highway 401 (Guelph) to Highway 6 South/Highway 401 (Morriston), 5.5kms, expanding 8 to 10 lanes.

Expanding Highway 401 from six to 10 lanes
Four-lane bypass from Freelton up to 401 and it actually involves adding additional lanes to the 401 from the [Highway] 6 intersection over to [Highway] 6 North
High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes

MTO Contract: *Not available yet*
Award Amount: *Not available yet* (estimated over $100M)
Starting of Construction: 2020
Expected Completion: *Not available yet*

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...w-hwy-6-bypass-and-hwy-401-widening-1.3510974
http://www.570news.com/2016/03/29/p...orriston-bypass-including-401-lane-expansion/
http://www.570news.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/sites/3/2016/03/29/Morriston-Bypass-Map.jpg
http://www.latornell.ca/wp-content/uploads/files/presentations/2016/Latornell_2016_T1B_Khahy_Ho.pdf, Page 26
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highway-bridges/pdfs/southern-highways-program-2016-2020.pdf, Page 3

 

[salmonz]

*Do not merge with general Ontario highways thread* (will remove this comment by May 17, 2017)

Expansion from Highway 25/Highway 401 (Milton) to Credit River/Highway 401 (Mississauga), 18kms, expanding 6 to 10/12 lanes.

From 6 to 10 lanes from Highway 25 to James Snow Parkway
From 6 to 12 lanes from James Snow Parkway to Highway 407/Highway 401
From 6 to 10 lanes from Highway 407/Highway 401 to Winston Churchill/Highway 401
From 6 to 12 lanes from Winston Churchill/Highway 401 to Credit River/Highway 401
High Occupancy Lanes


MTO Contract: *Not available yet*
Award Amount: *Not available yet* (could be in excess of $400M)
Starting of Construction: *Not available yet* (could be 2018)
Expected Completion: *Not available yet* (beyond 2020)

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/04/province-issues-rfq-18-km-highway-401-widening
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highway-bridges/pdfs/southern-highways-program-2016-2020.pdf, Page 4
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/7237592-highway-401-through-milton-set-for-major-expansion/
http://www.infrastructureontario.ca/Hwy-401-Expansion/

 

[salmonz]

Which has also been used for 2-3 consecutive 401 projects. Surely a simple thread on the 401 would be enough. Perhaps just rename that one.

At least the Hurontario one is local. Do we really need a thread for every 5-km widening from Windsor to Curry Hill Road?

I would like to see more focused topics in this thread in general, similar to the Buildings category. I think having more focused discussions is a good thing.
I don't think there's any point convincing each other as it seems fairly clear we're on polar ends.

Lastly, Toronto is becoming less local and more broad and reaching. The government, local representatives and community members have been embracing bringing Kitchener and Toronto closer together through advocating of a Kitchener-Toronto Technology Corridor, pinning transportation, transit and technology to further grow this sector.

 

[salmonz]

I agree there's some duplication out there and some cleanup is necessary. If you can find the dups out there and I'll ask the mod to merge them together, pinning the information I provided in the first post, the help would greatly be appreciated

The reason for some dormancy on those other threads, those were study projects rather than the actual execution of building them. These projects are recently "going to tender now/in the coming months" rather than "just talk/study" with builds starting. These projects are very substantial in nature, with over $1B investment among all the projects I've posted. I don't think places like Toronto ever seen this type of activity of expansion and construction of new highways since the 90's with the 407 and incremental expansions through Toronto proper.

Having driven these highways for years, highway 401 through Cambridge, and the parking lot of Milton-Mississauga, these projects are game changers; and by no means small in nature. There hasn't been much talk, but now we're experiencing the widening through KW and some noticeable ground work at the sixes, I am sure folks in these areas would appreciate focused information. I would agree when they're all said and done, merge them into the general thread.

 

[salmonz]

You just created 5 of them ...

Yes I did, to put focus on individualized projects. We don't have one generalized one TTC topic either, one Gardiner expressway topic, or one Metrolinx topic (well, yes, sort of, but I think that should be split out too when it comes to major investment projects).
The transportation forum would simply get more relevant discussion in my opinion when discussing and showcasing specific projects.
I encourage everyone to have positive discussions on these projects, posting pictures, asking questions, stating opinions, etc.. on the specific subject matter.