Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[nfitz]

- Construction is supposed to begin next year, starting in Kitchener

So soon! I can't imagine what mess those signalized intersection on the Hanlon "Expressway" are going to become, when it's all the traffic from what is essentially an extension to 7/85 is completed.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The project is going to be getting rid of the northernmost stoplight on the expressway and the two rail crossings, the other stoplights will probably be slowly eliminated.

 

[Markster]

The Hanlon will have the saving grace of being a decidedly alternate route to Toronto from KW. The 8/401 is still a straighter line. Though, I know once it exists, I'll be checking traffic, and choosing my route carefully.

That said, this thing will induce a lot of traffic.

 

[nfitz]

The project is going to be getting rid of the northernmost stoplight on the expressway and the two rail crossings, the other stoplights will probably be slowly eliminated.

They've been slowly eliminating them for years. I expect that will continue. Though hopefully they'll speed up the rate from about 1 interchange per decade Still, traffic can crawl already.

 

[gweed123]

Well, this is certainly good news, as this is a much needed upgrade. Out of curiosity, does anyone know the configuration of the 7/6 interchange, and if the interchange is being designed for a continuation of 7 further east and 6 further north? I'm just thinking about the potential for a connection of 7 with the 407 or another E-W GTA highway.

And with respect to the Hanlon, I think this does increase the pressure to grade-separate at least the northern parts of it.

 

[innsertnamehere]

6 turns west and becomes 7, so not really.

7 is eventually planned (as in, 2050s) to extend to the GTA west corridor, but that is a long, long, long way away.

 

[Platform 27]

7 is eventually planned (as in, 2050s) to extend to the GTA west corridor, but that is a long, long, long way away.

Such a connection was emphatically ruled out in the most recent GTA West corridor study. The Province's plans only extend out to 2031. There isn't a secret vault full of "2050s" plans.

 

[innsertnamehere]

i thought they had ruled it as a "future corridor", not needed on the 2031 horizon. I guessed after that for a 2050's date.

 

[Dan416]

Googling found me the following website regarding the 410 widening happening:

http://www.my410.ca/index.html

I sent them a message asking when the new 403 to 401 WB and 401 EB to 403 ramps are being constructed.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Here is a reminder of what the new highway will look like:

 

[Toffy]

http://www.my410.ca/sitepages/projectbackground.html

Good find Coruscanti, it basically tells us everything that is going to be done with this project, including what's being constructed in the next year. All the work going on along the sides of the highway has to do with storm water management ponds.

Year one of construction includes:
Reconstruction of outer shoulders on the 410 NB and SB.
Construction of new storm water management ponds and sewer crossings.
Reconstruction and improvements to Derry Rd interchange ramps.
Advanced Traffic Management System improvements at the 401/410 intersection.
Courtney Park Commuter parking lot.

Unfortunately the 401/403 ramps aren't included this year, hopefully next year!

Edit: Here is the website for the 427 widening; http://www.my427.ca

 

[Dan416]

I got a response from Abby Gaffar at AECOM:

Even though the construction of the ramp could begin soon, the rest of the Contract staging that needs to be completed, does not permit it to open until 2018.

 

[interchange42]

This news release detailed what was accomplished during last weekend's DVP closure struck me as pretty interesting. Some of the numbers seem high (and difficult to believe) though, but I have zero evidence to back up my cynicism. I'll just say that I'm surprised how much dirt, sand, and silt was sitting around, etc.

City of Toronto completes significant maintenance work on the Don Valley Parkway

Last weekend's full closure of the Don Valley Parkway enabled the City of Toronto to complete a significant amount of work prior to the approaching winter season.

The work that was completed included:

• 118 tonnes of asphalt used to repair the roadway
• 358 metres of guiderail installed
• 224 tonnes of debris removed
• 230 square metres of graffiti removed
• More than 100 curb-kilometres of roadway flushed and swept
• 358 catch basins cleaned and flushed
• 33 tonnes of logs and wood chipped from overhead branches removed
• 15 hectares of grass cut
• 1,100 tonnes of dirt, sand and silt removed from shoulder of road/guiderail
• 12 bridges inspected
• Three crash systems repaired
• One bridge joint repaired
• Four culverts repaired
• Six slope/washouts repaired
• 16 bridge joints flushed
• Concrete chipped from two bridges
• 122 kilometres of pavement markings installed
• 30 overhead sign structures inspected, maintained and repaired
• One damaged overhead sign structure removed
• 150 ground-mounted signs inspected, maintained and repaired
• 60 ground-mounted signs installed or replaced

The City of Toronto would like to thank the public for its patience as Transportation Services continues to perform the necessary work to keep the Don Valley Parkway in a safe, operable condition for the thousands of motorists who use the roadway on a daily basis.

This work is part of the City's comprehensive, co-ordinated strategy to rehabilitate and upgrade Toronto's roads, transit and underground infrastructure for current and future needs.

 

[salsa]

This news release detailed what was accomplished during last weekend's DVP closure struck me as pretty interesting. Some of the numbers seem high (and difficult to believe) though, but I have zero evidence to back up my cynicism. I'll just say that I'm surprised how much dirt, sand, and silt was sitting around, etc.

Well, we had a lot of floods these days.

 

[gweed123]

Wasn't exactly sure where to put this, but I figure this is probably the best place:

http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20140411-26453.html

This algae farm eats highway pollution
NEHA KARL
TUESDAY, 04 NOVEMBER 2014

Putting an algae farm on top of a busy highway might sound bizarre, but this thriving farm in Switzerland is actively filtering pollution from the air.

Plant-like microorganisms called algae are pretty interesting little creatures - some species form expansive 'algal blooms' that harm the environment, whereas others can be used to produce biofuel and food sources. Some can even infect humans and mess with their brains.

This diverse organism uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, and produces a large amount of oxygen. A bustling highway might seem like an odd place to try to farm algae, but that is exactly what Dutch and French designers from the international design group, Cloud Collective, have done on a highway overpass in Switzerland.

As part of a recent garden festival in Geneva, the team at Cloud Collective aimed to create an algae garden that uses the highway’s excess of carbon dioxide coupled with sunlight to transform the polluted landscape into a smart space for urban farming. The system itself is quite simple, the algae are cultivated inside tubes, and a series of pumps, filters and solar panels aid the process. Once the algae mature, they can be produced into a number of different products, including biodiesel, nutrients, medication and cosmetics.

“Our site, a viaduct over a small highway, is particularly violent and quite out-of-tune with the idea of the garden as a peaceful natural haven," write the Cloud Collective team at their website. "Instead, we focus on the character of the site and try to prove that even these locations of highways and car dealers – despite their anonymous and generic character – can play an important role in the production of food and biomass."

The team hopes that the design will encourage designers to start thinking outside the box, by using existing infrastructures as agricultural sites. We think that the idea is brilliant, and our highways could certainly use a touch of greenery.

Got me thinking that this would be a perfect installation down the middle of the 401. It would act as both an algae farm and a visual barrier between traffic directions. With the amount of CO2 spewed on that highway every day, the algae would have no shortage of fuel.