News   Apr 23, 2024
Shimmy
 67     0 
News   Apr 22, 2024
Ferris + Associates Merges with NAK Design Group, Reshaping the GTA Landscape
 830     0 
News   Apr 22, 2024
UrbanToronto Webinars: Building Sustainably — Industry and Individuals
 286     0 

Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

Jasmine18 said:
401 needs to be 6 lanes from Windsor the 416 imo
Click to expand...

That would be roughly 720km of 6-lane highway and a concrete median, assuming the eastern stretch gets built this way (the grass median is wider here compared to the Tilbury-London stretch).

I wonder what the record is for a continuous concrete median length.
 
Haljackey said:
That would be roughly 720km of 6-lane highway and a concrete median, assuming the eastern stretch gets built this way (the grass median is wider here compared to the Tilbury-London stretch).

I wonder what the record is for a continuous concrete median length.
Click to expand...
I think interstate 75 is 6 lanes?
 
Only to Findlay, so about 100 miles.

There are other 3 lane sections.

In terms of barriers, the PA turnpike might take the cake, at least in North America.
 
Haljackey said:
That would be roughly 720km of 6-lane highway and a concrete median, assuming the eastern stretch gets built this way (the grass median is wider here compared to the Tilbury-London stretch).

I wonder what the record is for a continuous concrete median length.
Click to expand...
Jasmine18 said:
401 needs to be 6 lanes from Windsor the 416 imo
Click to expand...

Forget that, right now it's a pipe dream to widen it 6 lanes up to Kingston. Cobourg to Kingston is about 130 km and there's no pressure on MTO to widen that to 6 lanes. The median in that section is quite wide, and in the narrow sections they have concrete barriers. I think I'll see pigs flying if anything significant is done in the next 15 years, other than widening very small sections of that 130 km.

We'll be lucky if even Tilbury - London is widened in the next 10 years.
 
Just wondering about this, what are considered thresholds for upgrading to 4 lane freeway, 6 lane freeway?
 
NotAToy said:
Just wondering about this, what are considered thresholds for upgrading to 4 lane freeway, 6 lane freeway?
Click to expand...

Mostly politics, as mentioned in the post above. However, the pressure to widen to 6 lanes can build be due to any of the following reasons:

1) Safety concerns, as was the case in the Windsor - Tilbury section and is currently the case in Tilbury - London.
2) Helping certain far flung communities, e.g. Highway 69 from 400 to Sudbury (although that section is being widened to 4 lanes instead of 6)
3) Helping alleviate traffic issues, e.g. 401 from 403 to Kitchener
4) Pandering to communities that voted for the current provincial government. Tilbury - London widening has elements of this as well.
 
Yep the 401 Tilbury-London stretch isn't in dire need of 6 lanes, but you may as well do it if putting in the concrete median.

That's exactly what was done in the Windsor-Tilbury stretch. If feels a little odd having the concrete median and third lane end here. Usually that occurs at some kind of major interchange or geographic obstacle.

One plus is that there are a ton of trucks that use this stretch (being a major border route and just-in-time inventory manufacturing does this). Having a third lane means you will be able to pass these truckers more easily.

The cops in Chatam are going to hate it however. They like to use the grass median emergency turnarounds. When they're bored or want to make their quota they seem to pull over anyone. I know someone who got pulled over going 105. I always slow down a bit driving through Chatam, especially if no one is around me. If a bunch of cars are around you, make sure you're not the fastest one.
 
The problem with the median in much of the 'unimproved' sections of the 401 is that it is largely narrow and steeply angled. It serves virtually nothing as a safety zone and actually makes an incursion into it dangerous since it tends to launch a vehicle into the oncoming roadway. If they are going to do all the civil work to build a safety barrier and maintain drainage they might as well widen the road surface. Whether they can maintain a third lane would depend on interchanges and bridges.

The only other alternative would be to further separate the roadways which would be enormously disruptive and costly.
 
I believe all but 2 overpasses between Tilbury and London can support 6-lanes without any modifications or replacement work.

Funny enough these two already have the concrete median, but it would make little sense to keep these 4-lanes since the 6-lane stretch east of the 402 is just a few kms away

Location of both:
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com

The horribly obsolete cloverleaf at Highway 4 could have all of its loop ramps removed to squeeze in a third lane.
-This is how several interchanges were reconfigured when the 401 was widened between the 402 and 403
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com

This overpass would have to go bye-bye however. Farmers nearby are delaying it's demoliton until they have assurance it will be replaced.
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com


Of course any bridges on the 401 itself would need to a third span in the middle to join the two existing ones. This one going over a now non-existent rail line could be removed however.
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
Haljackey said:
I believe all but 2 overpasses between Tilbury and London can support 6-lanes without any modifications or replacement work.

Funny enough these two already have the concrete median, but it would make little sense to keep these 4-lanes since the 6-lane stretch east of the 402 is just a few kms away

Location of both:
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com

The horribly obsolete cloverleaf at Highway 4 could have all of its loop ramps removed to squeeze in a third lane.
-This is how several interchanges were reconfigured when the 401 was widened between the 402 and 403
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com

This overpass would have to go bye-bye however. Farmers nearby are delaying it's demoliton until they have assurance it will be replaced.
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com


Of course any bridges on the 401 itself would need to a third span in the middle to join the two existing ones. This one going over a now non-existent rail line could be removed however.
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...
Hwy. 4 and Glanworth are under preliminary design for replacement on new alignment (straightening out the roads a bit. The cloverleaf will be gone.

I am not certain of this rail bridge, but what often happens is they are converted to trails. The rail clearance is 7.2m, so they put in a box culvert about 6m span and 4m high. Then either fill the space between culvert and bridge with unshrinkable fill (sort of very weak concrete), or close the 401 overnight, demolish the superstructure, back-fill and pave.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top