Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[gweed123]

construction seems to be beginning for the 407 finally.. I saw some AECON shipping containers at the end of the highway on Tuesday.

I decided to take the 'back roads' from Ottawa to Toronto (Highway 7 to Peterborough, then 7A through Port Perry, and then 12 down to 7 again). Just west of Brooklin I saw double span bridge being built for the 407. They had Highway 7 diverted around it. Both spans were in place, but there was not much for approaches to it on either side. Definitely coming along though.

 

[innsertnamehere]

That bridge has been going on for something like 2 years.. But the rest of the highway Seems to be starting this summer.

 

[gweed123]

That bridge has been going on for something like 2 years.. But the rest of the highway Seems to be starting this summer.

Makes sense. It seemed significantly further along than anything else on the route.

Is the West Durham Link opening at the same time as the 1st phase of the 407 East? I actually drove along Lakeridge Rd too, and there was absolutely nothing to indicate that a highway would be paralleling that corridor soon.

 

[UWGrad09]

That bridge has been going on for something like 2 years.. But the rest of the highway Seems to be starting this summer.

I drove by about a month ago and here are some pictures, the first three are heading west, the fourth is heading east.

 

[Dan416]

Call me ignorant but I fail to see the purpose of this bridge. It just looks like they randomly decided to elevate part of it. Someone enlighten me?

 

[UWGrad09]

Call me ignorant but I fail to see the purpose of this bridge. It just looks like they randomly decided to elevate part of it. Someone enlighten me?

I think that this is not the bridge for the 407, but for highway 7 to cross over the 407. Since the 407 dips below Brooklyn (which this bridge is just west of), it would make sense that the 407 comes under that bridge. This is just my thinking, I have no evidence to back me up.

 

[BurlOak]

I think that this is not the bridge for the 407, but for highway 7 to cross over the 407. Since the 407 dips below Brooklyn (which this bridge is just west of), it would make sense that the 407 comes under that bridge. This is just my thinking, I have no evidence to back me up.

You are correct. 407 goes north of hwy 7 just east of Brock Road and then dips south of hwy 7 just west of hwy 12. http://www.highway407east.com/plate3.html

That bridge will carry 7 over 407.

The official Highway 7 turns north onto hwy 12, but if you follow the drawings then 407 and Winchester (the straight continuation of hwy 7) a few more times.

 

[ShonTron]

And having this bridge completed first allows the MTO to complete the widening of existing Highway 7.

 

[ssiguy2]

There are many underutilized rail corridors in London but getting the province to fund a GO London system is unlikely especially considering that London itself would probably object. This is not due to not wanting the service but rather London would rather have some money for it's planned BRT/LRT system. London, unlike Toronto, doesn't get 100% of it's transit infrastructure paid by Queen's Park.

The 402 northern extension is badly needed in London and would not only get a lot of the transport and regular traffic from Sarnia diverted from the busy 401 but also greatly reduce the amount of traffic the 401 gets from London itself as it would be more convinient for half of all Londoners. London has no intercity freeways so getting from the northern areas of London to the 401 can easily be 30 to 45 minutes in rush hour. Anyone in the northern areas of the city would be in Stratford by the time they even get to the 401, which is exactly what Londoners are doing. It would also relieve traffic on London's busiest road, Wellington, which now carries nearly 50,000 vehicles a day on a regular road with lights and travelling it is a truly torturous affair.

The 402 Northern London bypass is a desperately needed roadway.

 

[dunkalunk]

Where would you put it? My main worry about any bypass north of the city would be the sprawl-inducing effects such a highway would have. I aslo do not see how that much traffic could be diverted from Wellington Street, as a new highway would likely just be a north bypass of the city.

 

[UD2]

There are many underutilized rail corridors in London but getting the province to fund a GO London system is unlikely especially considering that London itself would probably object. This is not due to not wanting the service but rather London would rather have some money for it's planned BRT/LRT system. London, unlike Toronto, doesn't get 100% of it's transit infrastructure paid by Queen's Park.

The 402 northern extension is badly needed in London and would not only get a lot of the transport and regular traffic from Sarnia diverted from the busy 401 but also greatly reduce the amount of traffic the 401 gets from London itself as it would be more convinient for half of all Londoners. London has no intercity freeways so getting from the northern areas of London to the 401 can easily be 30 to 45 minutes in rush hour. Anyone in the northern areas of the city would be in Stratford by the time they even get to the 401, which is exactly what Londoners are doing. It would also relieve traffic on London's busiest road, Wellington, which now carries nearly 50,000 vehicles a day on a regular road with lights and travelling it is a truly torturous affair.

The 402 Northern London bypass is a desperately needed roadway.

which route in London needs a LRT?

 

[ssiguy2]

For London the needed LRT?BRT lines are Wellington Road, Old South to Westmount, Dundas up to Fanshawe college, and especially a route up Busy Richmond to UWO and onto Masonville.

 

[ShonTron]

This is off-topic, but London does not need a LRT. There are a few corridors where enhanced quality buses would be useful - basically between White Oaks to UWO/Masonville via Downtown and maybe Downtown to Fanshawe College. Basically Zum Queen.

Put in queue jumps and signal priority (help with congestion on Wellington/Richmond) and minimum 10-15 minute service standards and that's all you need.

 

[ssiguy2]

I didn't mean to get off topic but someone mentioned underutilized rail corridors in London.

Anyway, London's need for a Northern 402/403 connection is dire. The only other highway that I could see taking priority would be the Kitchener/Guelph freeway connection.

Imagine having to go down Yonge Street from Sheppard all the way to the Gardiner in order to get to the 427 and then head north again to the 401 to get to London. This is exactly what Londoners have to do to get to Toronto. I have been to nearly every major city in Canada and London has, by far, the worse traffic. When traffic is moving, getting across Toronto is a breeze compared to getting across London.

This is a priority project and now more than ever as the province is going to have to 8 lane the 401 from London to Woodstock in the enar future. As I stated earlier, widened a 4 lane freeway to 6 lanes is relatively easy as overpasses can be widened fairly easily but this is not the case for an 8 lane freeway. That will require a reconstruction of every overpass and bridge from London to Woodstock.............a VERY expensive and time consuming endeveor. This money would be far, far better spent on a 402/403 Northern connector.

If they don't build it they will have to not only 8 lane the 401 but also twin the entire HWY#4/#7 route from Lon/Lucan/Strat/Kitc to handle the every increasin number of people in the northern section of the city that will take this route to get to Kitchener/Toronto.

 

[ssiguy2]

Sorry, I meant to say London has the wore traffic of any comparable size city in the country and the worse in the country save Vancouver and Winnipeg as they also do not have any urban freeways. In non-rush hour times only those 2 cities are harder to get around than London.