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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

There was another PIC for the QEW-Dixie area.

http://qewdixieea.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/3211155-PIC-2-Text-Displays-Oct-25.pdf

The highlights

  • New Dixie Road Bridge with direct access ramps from QEW.
  • Freeway entrance loops located in the NE and SW quadrants.
  • Addition of "auxiliary" lanes on the QEW between Cawthra and Dixie.
  • Replace QEW/Etobicoke Creek Bridge.


  • The one thing I am a bit surprised at is the demand in the subdivision in the SE quadrant (Orchard Heights). Would it not be o.k. to eliminate the Boxwood Way access from Dixie and rely only on Rometown Drive.
  • The other thing is that "auxiliary" lanes means speed change lanes - probably extending the on ramp from Cawthra into the off ramp for Dixie and vice versa for the Westbound direction.
 
BurlOak said:
Also, the Credit River Bridge, 16 Mile Creek Bridge, Bronte Creek Bridge and the Henley Bridge (St. Catharines) are all better examples of spandrel arch bridges.
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I agree, those are all examples of spandrel arch bridges, I understand that the Etobicoke Creek Bridge has been surrounded, but the Etobicoke bridge isn't really too much of a "bridge," but it is arched enough to count as an arched bridge. :p
 
Hi everyone, I've been reading threads on this forum for years, but this thread was the one that motivated me to register.

I grew up in Oakville and became accustomed to the GTA highway system. Now I live in London and am absolutely astonished by how outdated the infrastructure is. A northern bypass of the city just north of Masonville makes a lot of sense.

I do a lot of travelling for work, and to get from my office by White Oaks/401 to the Masonville area, it's faster to take Adelaide or Wonderland than to use Richmond (although once the bridge by Western is complete it should be a lot better). A 10 km trip shouldn't take 30-45 more when you only live in a CMA of 477,000.

The 401 doesn't need to be widened here. AADT between Veteran's and 402 is only 65K. Adding a northern bypass should be far higher on the priority list.

On a different note, I've spent a few years of my life in Hamilton, and am still confused why the 403 is reduced to 4 lanes between Main East and the mountain. Also, almost the entire stretch of 403 through Hamilton isn't even lit! It needs a lot of improvements.

Lastly, one thing I'm surprised to find no one has commented on is the excellent on ramps we have in Ontario. On ramps on 400 series highways must have at least 100 meter room to merge in. The entire US interstate system you typically have about 30 meters from arterial road interchanges.
 
I love driving on the 407, hate the bill that comes at the end of the month, haha.

One thing I'd like to see over here are mandatory truck lanes for small stretches on highways. I've seen it on a few videos of US freeways. It makes a lot of sense, really frees up the traffic.

Truthfully, the only highways I've driven in the States are in the Detroit metro, but it seems to me that the speed limit of 70 mph (113 kph) is high enough that people are less inclined to speed. I'd love to see our rural stretches upped to 110 kph.

On a side note, innsertnamehere, I've seen your posts on a few different sites and always enjoy your input.
 
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407 isn't that bad with a transponder. $21 annually, but you avoid the $3.80 video charge. People act as though simply getting on the highway will cost you $10-$20, but a trip from the 400 to the 404 is only really $4-5. (with a transponder of course)
 
innsertnamehere said:
407 isn't that bad with a transponder. $21 annually, but you avoid the $3.80 video charge. People act as though simply getting on the highway will cost you $10-$20, but a trip from the 400 to the 404 is only really $4-5. (with a transponder of course)
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I wish that the 407 and EZ-Pass were compatible with each other. There's one place in Ontario where EZ-Pass is accepted as toll payment, BTW.
 
BurlOak said:
This Etobicoke Creek bridge has been surrounded on either side by widenings.

Also, the Credit River Bridge, 16 Mile Creek Bridge, Bronte Creek Bridge and the Henley Bridge (St. Catharines) are all better examples of spandrel arch bridges.
Click to expand...

Actually, the fact that Shawn Micallef posted that on Twitter is enough to highlight its survival as a *positive* thing and something to be potentially cherished and celebrated...regardless of (or even enhanced by?!?) its having been hidden and forgotten after all these years. Regardless of whether the other examples you list are "better": yeah, more spectacular potboilers, but, so what. Why not have the obscure-and-minor with the major?

Then again, you probably don't even know or care who Shawn Micallef is.
 
Yes London sucks when it comes to highways. To this day I am confused why the north end is growing way more than the south. It can take half an hour to reach the 401/402 from there.

innsertnamehere said:
407 has almost 300 meter merge lanes, its really insane.
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I think modern designs call for acceleration lanes as long as 500m now. I wonder if these are being built on the 400, 401 and 407 extensions.
 
adma said:
Actually, the fact that Shawn Micallef posted that on Twitter is enough to highlight its survival as a *positive* thing and something to be potentially cherished and celebrated...regardless of (or even enhanced by?!?) its having been hidden and forgotten after all these years. Regardless of whether the other examples you list are "better": yeah, more spectacular potboilers, but, so what. Why not have the obscure-and-minor with the major?

Then again, you probably don't even know or care who Shawn Micallef is.
Click to expand...

You are correct on both counts. Does he suggest that no structure (building or bridge) that is old needs to be preserved. There is a huge cost to maintaining heritage infrastructures and is seems reasonable to only retain the better examples.

I do, however, care about Arthur Sedgwick, the Chief Bridge Engineer for the Department of Highways for 25 years. His early accomplishements include the Spandrel Arch bridges along the QEW, of which the Etobicoke Creek Bridge is the least impressive example. His most notable and largest work was the Burlington Skyway. He was also instrumental in introducing the concrete rigid frame bridge to Ontario.
 
BurlOak said:
You are correct on both counts. Does he suggest that no structure (building or bridge) that is old needs to be preserved. There is a huge cost to maintaining heritage infrastructures and is seems reasonable to only retain the better examples.
Click to expand...

Certainly, his posting the photo and highlighting it for what it is ought to be "advocacy" of a sort. So yes, indeed, he's implicitly suggesting that it's worth preserving.

The fact that you admit to not knowing or caring who Shawn Micallef is just shows the kind of philistine jerk you are--and besides, consider that there could be "added incentive" (related to, say, parkland, trails, etc--something that'd "draw attention") that might actually justify the added cost in this case.


I do, however, care about Arthur Sedgwick, the Chief Bridge Engineer for the Department of Highways for 25 years. His early accomplishements include the Spandrel Arch bridges along the QEW, of which the Etobicoke Creek Bridge is the least impressive example. His most notable and largest work was the Burlington Skyway. He was also instrumental in introducing the concrete rigid frame bridge to Ontario.
Click to expand...

Now that you mention him, so would Shawn Micallef--indeed, to the heritage-infrastructure-sensitive among us, what you're saying about Arthur Sedgwick actually makes the Etobicoke Creek bridge *more* cherishable, *not* less--even if it's what you call the "least impressive example". So if you care so much Sedgwick, why are you willing to let it go? Methinks that by highlighting your "care" for Sedgwick, you shot yourself in the foot there.

You might as well be excusing this because it was less impressive than the Guggenheim.
 
adma said:
The fact that you admit to not knowing or caring who Shawn Micallef is ...
Click to expand...

If you feel this is important, you could help the situation by starting a Wiki page on him. He's won a handful of minor awards for his writing but that should be enough to warrant a page.

I couldn't name off all of our current city councillors, let alone previous ones. Not knowing a journalist who writes in a niche paper, and a minor Toronto Star column, isn't unreasonable.
 
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