Roads: Highway 407 East (Durham Region)

[innsertnamehere]

its more to deal with traffic on the arterial than the highway.

compare the brock road interchange at the 401, where the southern side is set up as a diamond due to the rail tracks running right beside the highway. the traffic flow on brock is horrible because of it as southbound brock to westbound 401 traffic has to make a left turn across the arterial, causing huge backups.

Its an easy fix to this issue, improves safety, reduces frustration and travel times, and improves the quality of a struggling hamlet. Whats not to like?

also have you ever been to Brock road and the 407? its a very busy intersection with double left turn lanes onto the 407. most people in Pickering using the 407 use brock road to get to it. Its way busier than say, York Durham line which isn't anywhere close to as much traffic and gets an additional lane added when you get to it for some mad reason. (the 407 is only 4 lanes between Brock and York / Durham Line, though that will be changing once the expansion opens) Its also going to be the main interchange for Seaton, a community of 70,000 people. It won't be empty.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

its more to deal with traffic on the arterial than the highway.

compare the brock road interchange at the 401, where the southern side is set up as a diamond due to the rail tracks running right beside the highway. the traffic flow on brock is horrible because of it as southbound brock to westbound 401 traffic has to make a left turn across the arterial, causing huge backups.

Its an easy fix to this issue, improves safety, reduces frustration and travel times, and improves the quality of a struggling hamlet. Whats not to like?

also have you ever been to Brock road and the 407? its a very busy intersection with double left turn lanes onto the 407. most people in Pickering using the 407 use brock road to get to it. Its way busier than say, York Durham line which isn't anywhere close to as much traffic and gets an additional lane added when you get to it for some mad reason. (the 407 is only 4 lanes between Brock and York / Durham Line, though that will be changing once the expansion opens) Its also going to be the main interchange for Seaton, a community of 70,000 people. It won't be empty.

You are right, I suppose I'm still bitter about this project is all when you mention the Seaton community the images conjured in my mind are of a 70,000-strong car-dependent community - and it will end up that way, no matter what our municipal government here in Pickering promises, because Durham Region only ever pays lip service to transit - built upon fertile farmland in the north of Pickering. The entire project continually gets my hair up, and maybe it's a personal problem with the way that politics are carried out in Pickering, and the callous attitudes towards northern Pickering that every level of government displays - like the federal government senselessly pushing the 1970s-era airport plan forwards still - but I just can't agree with it.

Though I do I agree with you about the diamond configuration of south-side Brock/401 maddening. Back in February that was my daily drive and it was mind-numbing.

 

[Transportfan]

its more to deal with traffic on the arterial than the highway.

compare the brock road interchange at the 401, where the southern side is set up as a diamond due to the rail tracks running right beside the highway. the traffic flow on brock is horrible because of it as southbound brock to westbound 401 traffic has to make a left turn across the arterial, causing huge backups.

Its an easy fix to this issue, improves safety, reduces frustration and travel times, and improves the quality of a struggling hamlet. Whats not to like?

also have you ever been to Brock road and the 407? its a very busy intersection with double left turn lanes onto the 407. most people in Pickering using the 407 use brock road to get to it. Its way busier than say, York Durham line which isn't anywhere close to as much traffic and gets an additional lane added when you get to it for some mad reason. (the 407 is only 4 lanes between Brock and York / Durham Line, though that will be changing once the expansion opens) Its also going to be the main interchange for Seaton, a community of 70,000 people. It won't be empty.

A diamond on the north side only wouldn't be a big deal. The US uses diamonds everywhere, so a compromise could be made. It would save money on the expensive bypass and make for nicer drives over the original concession grid rather than over boring, car-phobiac placating bypasses...which will only remove business-generating traffic for such hamlets.
.

 

[ShonTron]

Brougham is a total craphole anyway, it could use the reduced traffic. 2 of its 3 streets are 80km/h highways, with the third being the old alignment of Brock road. (thats right, this is the second realignment of Brock)

Brougham is a "total craphole" because most properties in that hamlet are owned by the Government of Canada. Goes back to the Pickering Airport days.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2010/02/20/brougham-a-lost-village-in-the-making/

 

[Transportfan]

You are right, I suppose I'm still bitter about this project is all when you mention the Seaton community the images conjured in my mind are of a 70,000-strong car-dependent community - and it will end up that way, no matter what our municipal government here in Pickering promises, because Durham Region only ever pays lip service to transit - built upon fertile farmland in the north of Pickering. The entire project continually gets my hair up,...

Seaton has been planned for years, and there's two large swaths of protected land in Pickering; part of the Rouge Park and the Agricultural Preserve. That should please you. Instead, you complain about a controlled development area outside it as opposed to the general sprawl of much of the rest of the GTA. Go figure.

 

[innsertnamehere]

A diamond on the north side only wouldn't be a big deal. The US uses diamonds everywhere, so a compromise could be made. It would save money on the expensive bypass and make for nicer drives over the original concession grid rather than over boring, car-phobiac placating bypasses...which will only remove business-generating traffic for such hamlets.
.

Brougham will still have highway 7 running through it. There are also currently no businesses along Brock road in Brougham.

you guys are making an issue out of something that isn't one... another reason the bypass is being built is to allow for the 4 laning of Brock road over the highway which isn't possible through the town. Brock is far too busy to go without that, and is only going to get worse in the coming years. There is no point in building a substandard interchange to save a bit of money, when the solution is so simple as moving the road a little.

Yes I'm aware of the fact that Brougham is essentially a town of Renters. I have a chuckle at the "land over landings" signs I see every time I go through because they are essentially giant middle fingers to their landlords.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

I mean I personally am no fan of sprawl whatsoever, in the rest of the GTA as in Pickering. I just don't have any confidence that in this sprawl-happy region (Durham), Seaton will turn out to be the "responsible" or "controlled" development that it's made out to be.

Also with regards to Brougham, I too find the LoL signs a little ironic. Not to say I oppose them, as the Pickering Airport is asinine beyond words, but it is ironic considering the renting nature of the town.

 

[gweed123]

Semi-related to the discussion here: Does anyone know if the interchange between the West Durham Link and the 407 is being built with a northward extension of the WDL in mind? I would imagine that, if the Pickering Airport does get built, that the WDL would have a similar function to the 409 with Pearson, acting as a funnel off the 407 (and the 401) into the airport. Hopefully the placement of the ramps at the interchange doesn't exclude that possibility.

 

[Haljackey]

I don't think so but it can always be retrofitted.

Also the Durham links will be tolled for some reason, and I'd assume people would rather have a free way (ha!) to get to and from the airport.

 

[waterloowarrior]

Moving Forward On Highway 407 East
http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2014/4/moving-forward-on-highway-407-east.html
Ontario Government Creating Jobs, Building a Strong Economy
April 15, 2014 1:00 p.m.Ministry of Transportation

Ontario is making progress on the final phase of construction for Highway 407 East to create jobs and support economic growth and development.

The province has released a request for proposals for the second phase of the Highway 407 East project, which will extend the highway about 22 kilometres eastward from Harmony Road in Oshawa to Highway 35/115 in Clarington. It will have eight interchanges and a 10-kilometre north-south highway, the East Durham Link, to connect it to Highway 401. The section from Harmony Road to the East Durham Link is expected to be open to traffic in late 2017, with the remaining portions to be completed by late 2020.

Highway 407 East is an example of a project that could be funded under the government's Moving Ontario Forward plan, announced yesterday by Premier Wynne. The $29 billion plan for dedicated funding would provide support for priority infrastructure projects across the province such as public transit, roads, bridges and highways.

Building modern infrastructure is part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow. The comprehensive plan and its six priorities focus on Ontario's greatest strengths - its people and strategic partnerships.

Quick Facts
-Three companies have been short-listed to deliver the project – Blackbird Infrastructure Group, East End Transportation Group and 407E Infrastructure Group.
-The first phase of Highway 407 East extends from Brock Road in Pickering to Harmony Road in Oshawa. It is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by late 2015.
-Highway 407 East will be a publicly-owned tolled highway with the province being responsible for setting and regulating tolls, which would not be higher than tolls on Highway 407 ETR. The province will retain the toll revenue.
-Approximately 115 million trips were made last year on Highway 407 ETR.

 

[waterloowarrior]

I am assuming Infrastructure Ontario will post who is on each shortlisted team here shortly
http://infrastructureontario.ca/Templates/Projects.aspx?id=2147490032&langtype=1033


FYI there are some October 2013 aerials on the Phase 1 proponents website
http://www.407eastphase1.ca/photo-galleries/


this one gives a good idea of the scale of the works going on at Lakeridge/401
http://www.407eastphase1.ca/wp-cont...otography/407-east-2013-10-25-aerial-0142.jpg

Some others here (scroll to bottom)
http://www.highway407east.com/photo-gallery/

 

[waterloowarrior]

I am assuming Infrastructure Ontario will post who is on each shortlisted team here shortly
http://infrastructureontario.ca/Templates/Projects.aspx?id=2147490032&langtype=1033

Blackbird Infrastructure Group
Prime team members:
• Holcim
• Cintra
• Dufferin Construction
• Ferrovial Agroman
• Urban Systems
• AIA Engineers
• The Louis BergerGroup

East End Transportation Group
Prime team members:
• ACS
• Fengate
• Dragados Canada
• AMICO
• BOT Construction
• AECOM
• Hatch Mott MacDonald
• Morrison Hershfield
• Exp Services Inc.

407E Infrastructure Group
Prime team members:
• SNC Lavalin
• AECON
• Miller Paving Ltd.
• MMM Group


The short-listed bidders will be given approximately six months to prepare and submit proposals.

 

[gweed123]

Thanks for the info! Does anyone know if there will be any upgrading done to the small portion of 35/115 north of the future 407 interchange? I drove that way the other weekend, and I noticed that the 400-series standard part of the highway is only a few KMs north of where the future interchange will be. Just seems like it would be logical to upgrade that small stretch between the two to "fill in the gap".

 

[innsertnamehere]

The entirety of highway 35 is built as a RIRO, it would be just over 19km of upgrades, and that is expensive. If you ever see a RIRO in this province completely upgraded I would expect it to be highway 11.

 

[gweed123]

The entirety of highway 35 is built as a RIRO, it would be just over 19km of upgrades, and that is expensive. If you ever see a RIRO in this province completely upgraded I would expect it to be highway 11.

I'm not talking about the entire thing, just the small gap between between the future 407 interchange and where the 400-series section begins. On this screenshot, the interchange will be just south of the 35 badge.