Roads: Highway 407 East (Durham Region)

[nfitz]

I wonder if there would be a benefit to have a short extension of 407 to link with Ganaraska Rd.? Anyone continuing East toward Rice lake would benefit from not having to use the 35/115

There's already a full interchange with Ganaraska Road, just west of the 35/115 - though it's called Concession Road 7 west of 35/115, for reasons I don't know. Also seems pretty easy to just go from 407 eastbound to 35/115 south, to Ganaraska Road.

 

[2323]

It very much is designed for easy widening. MTO didn't build the bridges for it beforehand, but the piers and bents are designed for up to 10 lanes across the entire 407. you can see that here:

This bridge over Winchester seems to even have the deck in place.
Also it helps that the 407 is mostly underpasses, which MTO left lots of room under as well.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Yup, exactly. They did it the same way they did the original part of the 407 which allowed 407ETR to easily add lanes as capacity warranted it.

 

[2323]

I wonder if there would be a benefit to have a short extension of 407 to link with Ganaraska Rd.? Anyone continuing East toward Rice lake would benefit from not having to use the 35/115

If there was any reconfiguration of the 35/115 interchange, IMO it should make 407-115 the through route, 407 takes over 115 and 115 ceases to exist.

 

[innsertnamehere]

If there was any reconfiguration of the 35/115 interchange, IMO it should make 407-115 the through route, 407 takes over 115 and 115 ceases to exist.

I don't hate this, but it would be quite expensive. All it really needs is a 2-lane EB 407 > NB 35 ramp, and that's something MTO explicitly protected for so would be pretty low cost to do.

 

[Bureaucromancer]

Not really any reason not to sign it that way now.

Although I wonder if it’s statement that there ISNT an appetite for making Ottawa the target

 

[stevensontransit]

I don't hate this, but it would be quite expensive. All it really needs is a 2-lane EB 407 > NB 35 ramp, and that's something MTO explicitly protected for so would be pretty low cost to do.

That bridge which connects 407 east to 115 north is expandable to two lanes.

 

[Haljackey]

Probably the funniest thing i'll read today. Good to know Ford doesn't understand induced demand whatsoever.

It's obviously reducing demand on the 401, which is great because as it would be a traffic nightmare when the 401 is widened from the 412 to the 35/115. At least now you have a redundant route that can take a lot of traffic while the 401 is under construction here.

During the 401 widening from Milton to Mississauga they kept all 6 lanes going- this increases construction time and complexity/cost. Perhaps here they could get the 401 down to 4 lanes since the toll-free 407 can take a lot of the traffic- speeding up construction time and minimizing cost and complexity.

Furthermore, having the 407 free may now delay the need to widen the 401 here, which gives you a boost to network capacity for no new money (but obviously no more money coming in from tolls)