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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

I think that GTA West 413 is a virtual certainty now. I would not be surprised to see 404 being extended further towards Highway 48 at Lake Ridge Road.
 
Haljackey said:
So now that we have the PCs as the ruling party, do you think the provincial government may change up some of the planned / proposed projects?

Maybe some more widening? New highways like GTA west maybe?

Or perhaps cuts / scaling down projects to save some $. Example: Extending the 400 towards Sudbury is not cheap.
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Screwing the northern voters that gave Ford their votes isn't the brightest idea. The highway only cost at the most one fifth of the Relief line. There will be a lot of unhappy citizens if they pull the plug on the 400 extension. There's only 68km left that needs to be tendered.
 
Steve X said:
Screwing the northern voters that gave Ford their votes isn't the brightest idea. The highway only cost at the most one fifth of the Relief line. There will be a lot of unhappy citizens if they pull the plug on the 400 extension. There's only 68km left that needs to be tendered.
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  1. GTA West (413) will have study completed and construction may begin, but I doubt it.
  2. Bradford By-Pass likely designed.
  3. Mid-Pen. Highway study reinstated.
  4. Hwy 400 extension will likely proceed - maybe slowed down and blame it on previous government hampering indigenous negotiations.
  5. 401 widening continuing.
 
waterloowarrior said:
Here's a map showing the status of the 400 series corridors as of 2004. It shows some of the plans the PC government had before it was replaced.
http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/law/C...40ef62a7c985256eca0053f3fb/$FILE/winfield.pdf
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Looking at map.
  1. 407 is basically done.
  2. 404 extension is partly done - I don't think any progress will be made extending it to highway 48.
  3. Bradford By-pass will likely start near the end of term.
  4. 427 extension north to Barrie will likely slowly start up the planning - but no real progress.
  5. Highway 10 extension likely nothing will be done.
  6. 413, which the Liberals cancelled at the last minute, is basically #6 on the map (the GTA West Highway). This study will start up again. This will be the route that curves down to join 401 near Milton. Extending to Guelph is not a priority and would likely be opposed by the Guelph MPP (Green) - no point wasting political capital on it.
  7. Mid-Pen highway study will likely start back up again. No construction starting though - again, the Niagara MPP's (NDP) would likely not be on board - again not worth losing political capital over.
 
I recently finished my road trip by driving a section of highway 17 from Thunder bay to Esponola, There were barely any traffic from Thunder Bay to Sault St. Marie. I was stuck in a traffic accident near Marathon, for 10 minutes, there were only 5 cars came after me. I drove the BC section of TCH a month ealier, there were noticebly more traffic from Kamloop to Golden. I rather see a increase in speed limit than widening the highway.
 
gdabx said:
I recently finished my road trip by driving a section of highway 17 from Thunder bay to Esponola, There were barely any traffic from Thunder Bay to Sault St. Marie. I was stuck in a traffic accident near Marathon, for 10 minutes, there were only 5 cars came after me. I drove the BC section of TCH a month ealier, there were noticebly more traffic from Kamloop to Golden. I rather see a increase in speed limit than widening the highway.
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There is much more commerce between Calgary/Edmonton/Fort Mac than there is through northern and northwestern Ontario, and what there is is split between Hwy 17 and 11. A few more passing lanes would help but the routes certainly don't justify overall widening beyond what is already planned.
 
What highways would I use to get to the hot, sandy beaches and resorts of Hudson Bay?

(...or will I have to wait till the 22nd century with global warming being ignored by Trump, and maybe Ford. May become a reality, and we may actually need highways for the electric vehicles to reach the shores of Hudson Bay.)
 
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Coming back from a trip to niagara which involved a stop in Caledon and ended in Richmond Hill (Oak Ridges). I rely felt the inadequacy of the road network across the Western and Northern GTA. I generally am against road expansion, particulay when done in absence of transit expansion, but really the gta west corridor needs to be evaluated even if it isnt a full fledged 400 series highway.
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
Coming back from a trip to niagara which involved a stop in Caledon and ended in Richmond Hill (Oak Ridges). I rely felt the inadequacy of the road network across the Western and Northern GTA. I generally am against road expansion, particulay when done in absence of transit expansion, but really the gta west corridor needs to be evaluated even if it isnt a full fledged 400 series highway.
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In your opinion, should it connect with Highway 404 as well? Because there's not really a E-W connection between Hwy 400 and Hwy 404 between Major Mackenzie Dr and Davis Dr/Green Ln (or future Bradford Bypass)
 
Leo_Chan said:
In your opinion, should it connect with Highway 404 as well? Because there's not really a E-W connection between Hwy 400 and Hwy 404 between Major Mackenzie Dr and Davis Dr/Green Ln (or future Bradford Bypass)
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A future GTA West route would connect to the 404 under ideal circumstances but that is not likely given the existence of the Oak Ridges Moraine. A Bradford Bypass would exist as its own separate route between 400 and 404, north of where the GTA West would end in Vaughan.

In an ideal fantasy scenario, I would want to see the N-S segment of 407 in Mississauga and the E-W segment through Oakville and Burlington bought back by the province. The shortened 407 would now end at an interchange with the GTA West and 401. The N-S segment of 407 would merge together with the N-S 403 along with a rebuilt 407-403 interchange. The newly joined N-S 407 and 403 would become the southern portion of the new GTA West corridor and connect to the QEW in the south. The E-W 403 through Mississauga would then join with the E-W 407 to create the 403 route as it was originally planned.

The existing 403-QEW interchange would then be rebuilt to allow the 403 to change its routing and take over the existing QEW designation. The QEW would be switched to the existing 403 route towards Woodstock. This type of plan would allow for easier movement and access throughout the western GTA and beyond while offering multiple route options in these areas.
 
Translude15 said:
A future GTA West route would connect to the 404 under ideal circumstances but that is not likely given the existence of the Oak Ridges Moraine. A Bradford Bypass would exist as its own separate route between 400 and 404, north of where the GTA West would end in Vaughan.

In an ideal fantasy scenario, I would want to see the N-S segment of 407 in Mississauga and the E-W segment through Oakville and Burlington bought back by the province. The shortened 407 would now end at an interchange with the GTA West and 401. The N-S segment of 407 would merge together with the N-S 403 along with a rebuilt 407-403 interchange. The newly joined N-S 407 and 403 would become the southern portion of the new GTA West corridor and connect to the QEW in the south. The E-W 403 through Mississauga would then join with the E-W 407 to create the 403 route as it was originally planned.

The existing 403-QEW interchange would then be rebuilt to allow the 403 to change its routing and take over the existing QEW designation. The QEW would be switched to the existing 403 route towards Woodstock. This type of plan would allow for easier movement and access throughout the western GTA and beyond while offering multiple route options in these areas.
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So basically, something like this?
407 Reconfiguration.png
 

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The portion of the 407 north of Oakville/Burlington was originally to be the 403 to connect the 2 parts. the 407 was to end at the QEW using the current 403 alignment. I assumed the government exchanged the routes to allow the private sector to construct the 403 section of highway and get it off the government books in exchange, the private sector could continue the 407 toll system to pay the construction costs. The way it has played out, doesn't help with logical route continuation, but it is what it is.
 
Translude15 said:
Yes, precisely. Except the 403 would now reach Niagara and the QEW to Brantford/Woodstock. That QEW-403-407 interchange in Burlington is a mess and is why I would see that targeted/changed.
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But doesn't interchange design have to take into consideration where people are going? However, since the 407 at QEW would become 403, then it would potentially be free and A LOT more people would use it, and then the interchange may be better to be directional instead of semi-directional, which it is now.

Also, you want to rename part of the QEW to Hwy 403? DISRESPECTFUL! :eek:
 
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