Transportfan
Senior Member
There are already exit numbers for Finch (#17) and the 407 (#19).
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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion
- Thread starter Haljackey
- Start date
There are already exit numbers for Finch (#17) and the 407 (#19).
Megaton327
Senior Member
Yes, I've had the same opinion driving through it. Major Mack to Elgin Mills has been finished, including repaving all of the lanes and putting them back to full widths as opposed to narrow construction widths, since mid or late 2019 if memory serves (I used to commute that way). Elgin Mills to 19th Ave was pretty much finished earlier this year. I last drove the 404 about a month ago and they were very nearly done up to Stouffville, seemed like they had done some of the paving and were preparing to finish the rest. I think honestly they could easily enough open this stretch by the end of this year if they wanted to, though of course they won't with the Mack-407 stretch unfinished.
But yeah, the Major Mack to 407 stretch is not even close. I don't see it even being finished next year. They really ought to have started that stretch much earlier so that it could all open this year or early 2021, instead we'll have the HOV lane from the 401 to the 407, then a construction zone, then a fully finished HOV lane barricaded off from Major Mack to Stouffville, for a couple of years.
Goodness sake, though, they really need to get to work on widening the Aurora Rd-Green Lane stretch to 3 lanes. The northbound 404 at Aurora Road at most times of day has been a death trap for about a decade, with people swerving out of the right lane at the last minute--apparently there are so many people every hour of every day driving that stretch for the first time in their lives--and during/around PM rush hour the traffic regularly backs up almost to Bloomington. Even when I drive north from Aurora Road to Davis or Green Lane, or south through the same stretch, on weekdays around 11AM or 1PM while doing some shopping, the two lanes are just not sufficient for the traffic volume much of the time. It is common, at these off-peak times, to see a convoy of cars back to back close to each other in both lanes until you get out of that stretch.
Obviously eventually the same problem will appear at green lane, but in my experience right now the vast majority of the traffic is south of Green Lane. Another thing is that having the right lane exit is just a recipe for disaster, sooner or later...IMO they should have the right lane end maybe 1km after the exit, so that all of the merging for the off- and on-ramps has concluded, mixing all of that merging together in the same spot is awful. For now I don't think it would be a huge issue to have the new northbound right lane exit at Green Lane, but by 2030, it'll probably end up just as bad as Aurora Rd has been for the past decade.
Deadpool X
Senior Member
Current progress on Leslie interchange reconstruction on 401. Looks like the new lanes are concrete. The exit ramp is also taking shape.
I am still not sure why they reconstructing the interchange. It looks alright to me.
I am still not sure why they reconstructing the interchange. It looks alright to me.
nfitz
Superstar
I wasn't aware they were doing that - sigh, never go anywhere these days ... I used to use that exit all the time!
That was always a very tight curve - I've not seen an accident there, but it might simply be a safety issue. Also the exit (heading eastbound) was right after the express lanes - so if you followed the signage, and exited the express after Bayview, you had to very quickly cross 3 or 4 active lanes and get off. If they are sensible, they'll move the exit back back a bit, and force everyone to use the earlier transfer.
That was always a very tight curve - I've not seen an accident there, but it might simply be a safety issue. Also the exit (heading eastbound) was right after the express lanes - so if you followed the signage, and exited the express after Bayview, you had to very quickly cross 3 or 4 active lanes and get off. If they are sensible, they'll move the exit back back a bit, and force everyone to use the earlier transfer.
lenaitch
Senior Member
As far as I know, the 401 through Toronto and possibly all GTA high volume highways have a concrete base capped with a Porous Elastic (rubberized') asphalt that passes water better and is quieter.
Deadpool X
Senior Member
I take this exit all the time and when coming from the west, I exit express lanes one transfer before. It is dangerous to change that many lanes in around 700 metres. Earlier I used to take Kennedy exit and it was the same problem there. I had to switch to collectors one transfer before to make a safe exit.
11th
Senior Member
They don't have much of a choice here, given the transfer before this is at Allen Road. It's either short lane changes, or overburdening the collector between Allen Road and 404/DVP. If you move back the transfer, then it also shortens the weaving section to the next collector-to-express transfer.
nfitz
Superstar
From the photo, it looks like the exit will be earlier than before - I wouldn't want to make that an even shorter period to change lanes!
At the same time, it isn't a particularly busy exit - and many already seem to be on the collectors. I don't think much changes by having it exit from the collectors only - other than less flexibility when the collectors aren't moving, and express is okay. Though if that's the case, might be easier to come off the express to the DVP, and just come off at York Mills instead, if you are heading to the Lesmill area.
Steve X
Senior Member
I always thought all the 400 series highways and some high volume highways are build with a thick concrete base to support trucks and other heavy vehicles. Asphalt is paved on top as the driving surface. When they repave the highways, they just remove the asphalt and that groove surface that everyone hates during construction zone is the concrete base we drive on. The shoulders are just paved with asphalt without a concrete base as they aren't meant to be driven on.
drum118
Superstar
There are photos of the ramp in GO Construction thread going back many months due to work taking place at Oriole Station.
They had to build a new walkway bridge to the south before they could removed the old one that was in the way of the ramp. The old walkway was removed about 6 weeks ago with forming taking place over the track and station the last time I was there. You can see a lot of the ramp work in those photos on both side of the station..
QEW
Work taking place on the centre section over the Etobicoke Creek as well moving the Evan Ave ramp to the south. Most of the new sound barrier wall in place on both side of the QEW. No easy location to get shots of the area other than a drone or shooting from a car.
They had to build a new walkway bridge to the south before they could removed the old one that was in the way of the ramp. The old walkway was removed about 6 weeks ago with forming taking place over the track and station the last time I was there. You can see a lot of the ramp work in those photos on both side of the station..
QEW
Work taking place on the centre section over the Etobicoke Creek as well moving the Evan Ave ramp to the south. Most of the new sound barrier wall in place on both side of the QEW. No easy location to get shots of the area other than a drone or shooting from a car.
lenaitch
Senior Member
You could be right. I don't recall seeing concrete in the Hwy 400 northern extension and haven't been near any of the major Hwy 401 east or west west. Then again, it's not something I paid a whole of attention to. I have no clue what the criteria is.
Haljackey
Active Member
Hi!
I have an answer why 401/Leslie is being reconstructed.
All of the 401 bridges over the Don River are to be rebuilt in the coming years. To do this, a brand new bridge will be built, then traffic shifted to it. Then one of the existing bridges will be closed and rebuilt, then the next, then the next, then the next, then... maybe the next too if they want to widen the highway?
This project is a precursor so there will be enough room to work with.
I have an answer why 401/Leslie is being reconstructed.
All of the 401 bridges over the Don River are to be rebuilt in the coming years. To do this, a brand new bridge will be built, then traffic shifted to it. Then one of the existing bridges will be closed and rebuilt, then the next, then the next, then the next, then... maybe the next too if they want to widen the highway?
This project is a precursor so there will be enough room to work with.
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Deadpool X
Senior Member
I read that 401 will be shifted 19 m to the south at Leslie interchange after this reconstruction. I don't understand the reason to shift the roadway south. Is it because of the bridge replacement that the new lanes added on the south will become permanent and the bridge carrying westbound collectors on the north side will be permanently removed? 19 m sounds like a 4 lane corridor with shoulders. So will we have one new carriageway to the south and one less in the north?
Neil
Active Member
There may be multiple reasons but on some UT thread a long time ago it was stated the primary goals were less radius and a full 2-lane exit.
nfitz
Superstar
Seems odd to be working much on that station, without moving it further north, as long-planned.
Hopefully they've added a pedestrian exit (which would be nothing more than an asphalt path) from the south end of the existing platform to the existing sidewalk just south of Leslie and Lesmill, where there's that major employment node. It was always odd that instead of a 150-metre pathway, you had to walk all the way up to the parking lot, and out the car entrance - which is over a 500 metre walk (and not particularly pedestrian friendly).