Reading the comments here and elsewhere about the delays in the area, I don't disagree that things suck there right now. No one is going anywhere fast, at least not during the daylight hours.
But to call it a "failure" when quite literally 50% of the project hasn't been built yet is a bit hasty.
This is why I'm sceptical of projects which promise a "limited shutdown of specified duration for make great benefit people of Toronto" since the reply is invariably a deluge of "We don't like even a little inconvenience, and your project will overrun anyway"
This is why I'm sceptical of projects which promise a "limited shutdown of specified duration for make great benefit people of Toronto" since the reply is invariably a deluge of "We don't like even a little inconvenience, and your project will overrun anyway"
March 7
The old eastbound bridge for Bloor/Dundas will have all the excavation done on Friday of the earth at each end for the road, slopping grade to Kipling and other work. This will allow fast removal of the 2 Kipling bridges over the weekend. It will allow part of the old road elevated area to be remove on both sides of Kipling to help grade the area to the new Bloor road connecting to Kipling without interfering with traffic on Kipling. The westbound Bloor/Dundas bridge is free standing now.
The existing road on both side of the bridge was removed this week and stock pile at the south-east corner of Bloor and the new Dundas intersection.
People can't read sign if they see one to the point they are in the wrong lane for turning east onto Bloor or going through the intersection to Dundas. Then, you still have clueless driver going west on Bloor and stop on a green light to figure which way they should be turning to the point they back up traffic badly.
Does anybody remember when the renewal of all those bridges happened? Or how much that project cost? Demolition is unavoidable if the city centre is to proceed, but I can’t escape the feeling that we are demolishing things that only just got rebuilt. Maybe it’s longer ago than I think - time passes quickly. Just hate to see new money spent before end of life.
Does anybody remember when the renewal of all those bridges happened? Or how much that project cost? Demolition is unavoidable if the city centre is to proceed, but I can’t escape the feeling that we are demolishing things that only just got rebuilt. Maybe it’s longer ago than I think - time passes quickly. Just hate to see new money spent before end of life.
Probably more than a decade ago - I remember them tearing down bridges that were in really sad shape and the new ones going on the way to Islington. Ah ha - from my post back in 2007:
For all those who wondered why the empty land west of the police station remained undeveloped despite all the condos going up around it, the reason was that it was for snow storage :rolleyes:.
urbantoronto.ca
The Staff Report cited states:
In the absence of any firm plans or funding commitments to reconfigure the interchange, a program to rehabilitate the interchange was initiated in 1996 in response to concerns regarding the age and physical condition of bridges within the interchange. All existing bridges were subsequently rehabilitated between 1998 and 2000. (p. 5)
So not near end of life, but not exactly something that could have been avoided. But 20+ years to go from multiple redesign(s) to implementing an interchange redesign. I do wish they can reuse those beams elsewhere - they look like they are still in fine shape.
^ Wow - time sure flies by. Twenty years of use isn’t so terrible, although if we replaced all our infrastructure that frequently it would be very expensive. I envy other parts of the world where road and sidewalk stones are a century old, or more.
^ Wow - time sure flies by. Twenty years of use isn’t so terrible, although if we replaced all our infrastructure that frequently it would be very expensive. I envy other parts of the world where road and sidewalk stones are a century old, or more.
Be careful what you wish for - parts of the world where road and sidewalk stones are a century old probably are also areas that have seen little development activities on the ground. Unless the area is historical, it isn't a good problem to have.
Be careful what you wish for - parts of the world where road and sidewalk stones are a century old probably are also areas that have seen little development activities on the ground. Unless the area is historical, it isn't a good problem to have.
You can have higher quality and longer lasting infrastructure, while experiencing development.
There are other differences at play here, than just quality of construction/materials (though they do play a role)
Winter takes a real toll on infrastructure, this is particularly true of bridges/elevated structures which are very heavily salted, in part because we don't usually insulate the under side of decks, which is why they ice more easily than adjacent roadways.
We could insulate the underside of decks, it's the sort of innovation that needs more discussion here (Canada).
Another factor though, is that we allow much heavier trucks than many parts of world and that adds stress and reduces lifespan.
Our personal cars, on average, are larger and heavier as well.
Probably more than a decade ago - I remember them tearing down bridges that were in really sad shape and the new ones going on the way to Islington. Ah ha - from my post back in 2007:
For all those who wondered why the empty land west of the police station remained undeveloped despite all the condos going up around it, the reason was that it was for snow storage :rolleyes:.
Ah the good ol' days, when the Bell office building wasn't a butchered ugly condo, Bloor-Islington place wasnt painted black, and who could ever forget about the giant snow mountains! These were around the times I took my driver's ed course inside the old Westwood theaters.
