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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion
- Thread starter Haljackey
- Start date
Mapleson
Active Member
While it doesn't give you a comparison of other world leaders, you can find segment AADT for the 401 at:
http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=1
HWY 400 to Dixon Rd all have over 400k AADT in 2008. Ontario/Toronto is a rarity in the world only having one major east-west highway. Other world cities like New York or London have multiple through routes.
nfitz
Superstar
London doesn't have any through routes - they were cancelled, some half-completed, years ago. Instead there's an orbital around the city.
Though if your counting London, I'm not sure why you aren't counting the 407 ...
Juan_Lennon416
Senior Member
Just curious but was there ever a plan to have the 407 ETR run westward and parallel Highway 401 to Guelph or Kitchener?
Dan416
Senior Member
I think that's a good question seeing as the 407 took the 403's routing west of Mississauga.
I wonder if when the 99-year lease is up they'll renumber that part of the 407 to 403...
That would certainly be welcome, especially if it connected to the 400 series Highway 7 planned between K-W and Guelph. Ultimately, I'd like to see an "Ontario Turnpike" using the designation 407 running from Ottawa to Kitchener.
Mapleson
Active Member
London has the M1, A1(M), A2, M2, M3, M4. While they don't keep their motorway designation all the way though, you can stay on one road any get through London. I viewed the 407 like the M25 orbital, a way to by-pass the city, not go through it.
nfitz
Superstar
I'd have thought the M40 was the best example of that ...
The M1? It does terminate completely - no way to stay on the same road. The A1(M) ... good grief, Holloway Road is a 2-lane street. The M2 (A2) ... you can't even stay on the A2 very long without changing roads. The M3 and M4 aren't much better.
How is this any different than the old piece of the 401 (Highway 2a) that turns into Kingston Road? Why don't you consider that ... or Dundas Street ... the same as your "motorways" across London. Have you driven on these "roads" through London (well, I confess I haven't either ... I never drive in London, always leaving the car well outside the city ... but I've walked several of those, and apart from the Westway, few look anything like a motorway.
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Mapleson
Active Member
I haven't driven all of them, but when I worked in the UK we had the contracts for south London as well as most everything south of the M4 (Devon, Corwall, Summerset, Dorset). It has been a couple years now, and I probably relied on my GPS too much. Our basic assumption was you can't go inside the M25 ring without compensating for congestion.
My main thrust was more along the lines that the majority of Ontario population is along the 401, whereas in England there are different roads leading to population centres giving a better distribution of the traffic loads.
rfid
New Member
Does anyone know when MTO plans to use the colour functionality of the newer electronic highway signs? I've seen 407 use blue on the small eastbound one in the west end near the 400.
Also, what exactly is happening at the Hogg's Hollow bridge? Are the four carriageways rerouted to three of the bridges during the rehabilitation in stages (like how I notice in US and Quebec if one carriageway is being repaired the road will merge through the emergency vehicle U turn to the other carriageway)? I drive here regularly, but not long enough to know, and for the longest time the regular east express entrance has been closed with temporary entrances/exits in both directions around the area. Seemed backed up today with some work going on.
Are trucks obligated to clear their roofs when driving on the highway? Pretty big chunks of ice tend to fly off into other vehicles
Also, what exactly is happening at the Hogg's Hollow bridge? Are the four carriageways rerouted to three of the bridges during the rehabilitation in stages (like how I notice in US and Quebec if one carriageway is being repaired the road will merge through the emergency vehicle U turn to the other carriageway)? I drive here regularly, but not long enough to know, and for the longest time the regular east express entrance has been closed with temporary entrances/exits in both directions around the area. Seemed backed up today with some work going on.
Are trucks obligated to clear their roofs when driving on the highway? Pretty big chunks of ice tend to fly off into other vehicles
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GTS
Active Member
My wife had me take the kids out for a drive while the inside of our house was being painted. I left Toronto (put a DVD in for the kids to watch) and drove down the QEW to St. Catharines- I have driven that route many times but this time, when I got to St. Catharines I took the 406 south! What a nice highway that was- curved along a river bed for a while in St. Catharines and then Lake Gibson, after climbing the Niagara Escarpment near Brock University and then the Welland River in Welland. It was a very nice highway to drive on and I have lived most of my life in BC and have driven some nice ones there but this was as good as any I have driven so far.
As the 406 nears its end their is some construction near Main St. in Welland- It is a signalized intersection on a 400 series highway. I googled it and Wikipedia says they are getting rid of the signalled interesections near the end of this highway and putting in on/off ramps with these city or regional roads crossing it.
Wikipedia says their are no plans, as of yet, to extend this highway south of Main St. in Welland yet, but (after they divide the southern part of the highway and build overpasses and ramps I hope this great highway heads east after Main St. and hooks up to the QEW in Fort Erie- to take some load off that busy highway. This short, still being worked on Highway 406, is my favorite highway in Ontario so far- haven't done the northern highways yet- will do some day soon though.
As the 406 nears its end their is some construction near Main St. in Welland- It is a signalized intersection on a 400 series highway. I googled it and Wikipedia says they are getting rid of the signalled interesections near the end of this highway and putting in on/off ramps with these city or regional roads crossing it.
Wikipedia says their are no plans, as of yet, to extend this highway south of Main St. in Welland yet, but (after they divide the southern part of the highway and build overpasses and ramps I hope this great highway heads east after Main St. and hooks up to the QEW in Fort Erie- to take some load off that busy highway. This short, still being worked on Highway 406, is my favorite highway in Ontario so far- haven't done the northern highways yet- will do some day soon though.
BurlOak
Senior Member
I believe the immediate plan is to have a traffic circle at Main St. In the long term (25 yr), they somehow want to connect to QEW but the steep grades to get under the Welland canal probably means it will not be to a full freeway design speed. Highway 140 going farther South to Port Colbourne would become a 4 lane arterial.
My favorite drive is Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie up to Nipigon or Thunder Bay. Beautiful views of Lake Superior. Its a 7 or 8 hour drive, but, its about 7 hours to get to the start from Toronto.
Haljackey
Active Member
Highway 406's fate also lies on weather or not the Mid-Peninsula Highway will be built. I believe if yes it will terminate on that route which continues to Fort Erie.
Another proposal I recall is seeing Highway 420 extended west to Highway 406 if the mid-pen is not built. That will create a full bypass of St. Catherine's and Niagara Falls.
Another proposal I recall is seeing Highway 420 extended west to Highway 406 if the mid-pen is not built. That will create a full bypass of St. Catherine's and Niagara Falls.
jn_12
Senior Member
Being from Welland and seeing the expansion work that they're doing to the 406 is rather funny and even a bit of overkill given that there isn't a plan to extend to Port Colborne/Highway 3. There's already one "overpass to no where" built for Merritt Road and expanding the highway to 4 lanes within the city's limits just seems so unnecessary given how little traffic there is. Then they're going to add a roundabout at Main St. which has people rather worried given that the city's population is amongst the oldest in the province and very few people there have ever encountered a roundabout, nevermind one that would involve having to negotiate a highway. I had a conversation about this with family and friends when I was home at Christmas and there's a genuine sense that this could be a disaster.
And the Mid-Penn highway is dead, as it should be.
And the Mid-Penn highway is dead, as it should be.
unimaginative2
Senior Member
Don't count on the Mid-Pen being truly dead. Dormant is probably the better term. Obviously it's never going to be built while the Liberals are in power, but if the Tories get elected it's a different story. And oh, look at where the Tory leader's riding is located!