Roads: Highway 401 Widening - Highway 8 to Highway 410 (MTO, U/C, Planned)

[vebski]

It was pretty bad west of the 410 on the 401 today, whereas yesterday it was okay.

Well, hopefully when they finish this section, they will be re-designing the lanes just east of the new stretch so that the right lane in the express does not cut out (does the collector merge from 3 to 2 lanes here as well?). This would then allow for a continuous section of 3-lanes throughout the system. Actually, from what I understand, another lane should OPEN; the HOV lane.

 

[ShonTron]

This stretch?

View attachment 15459

Does not look like there is a lot of room to widen anything there!

There isn't the room. The MTO did partially address it though by widening the section under the 427 between the Eglinton ramps and Carlingview to 4 from 3 lanes. And as far as traffic jams on the 401 go, it isn't the worst. (Eastbound in Pickering/Ajax, where the 401 goes from 6 to 3 lanes between Brock and Salem Road might be the worst for the 401. Now that's a bottleneck.)

The reason why there's express/collectors between the 403 and 427 is that section carries traffic to the 403 that would have otherwise been directed straight across the original 403 alignment that follows Eastgate Parkway and into the Richview Expressway. With the proposals for Highway 410, the decision was to take 403 up its current alignment and widen the 401 to feed the traffic that would disperse eastbound at the Airport and 427. Leaving open the possibility of the Richview being built, high-speed freeway-to-freeway grade ramps to Eglinton Avenue were built making a simple Richview to Highway 403 connection.

Similar thinking is behind the idea to route the "413" between Guelph and Halton Hills via the 401 using express/collector arrangement rather than a new alignment cutting through the Escarpment.

 

[TOareaFan]

There isn't the room. The MTO did partially address it though by widening the section under the 427 between the Eglinton ramps and Carlingview to 4 from 3 lanes. And as far as traffic jams on the 401 go, it isn't the worst. (Eastbound in Pickering/Ajax, where the 401 goes from 6 to 3 lanes between Brock and Salem Road might be the worst for the 401. Now that's a bottleneck.)

The reason why there's express/collectors between the 403 and 427 is that section carries traffic to the 403 that would have otherwise been directed straight across the original 403 alignment that follows Eastgate Parkway and into the Richview Expressway. With the proposals for Highway 410, the decision was to take 403 up its current alignment and widen the 401 to feed the traffic that would disperse eastbound at the Airport and 427. Leaving open the possibility of the Richview being built, high-speed freeway-to-freeway grade ramps to Eglinton Avenue were built making a simple Richview to Highway 403 connection.

Similar thinking is behind the idea to route the "413" between Guelph and Halton Hills via the 401 using express/collector arrangement rather than a new alignment cutting through the Escarpment.

I think, if I remember correctly, the original purpose of the 409 itself was to relieve pressure on that stretch of the 401 that can't possibly be widened. It may not seem so now that it is, essentially, just a route into and out of the airport.

Originally the road was meant to divert traffic headed to the growing town/city of Brampton by taking them off of the 401 onto a NW direction road and into Brampton. I believe opposition from a, then, independant town of Malton (which was right in the path of it and would have seen some property exprorpiations and demolitions) caused a re-think and it ended up just ending at the airport.

Imagine how different that stretch of the 401 from, say, 410 to 427 might be today if 409 had continued NW to Brampton.

 

[vebski]

I think, if I remember correctly, the original purpose of the 409 itself was to relieve pressure on that stretch of the 401 that can't possibly be widened. It may not seem so now that it is, essentially, just a route into and out of the airport.

I use the 409 for exactly this! Everyday, there is a slowdown in the morning hours between the 427 to about the 400 so I just get onto the 427NB and head to 409EB. The 409 is typically open for the most part and probably saves me about 5-7 minutes. I doubt most non-commuters that are unfamiliar with the area have any idea it exists or how to get to the 409 and get back onto the 401.

 

[Transportfan]

Unfortulately, though, Creditview Road was similarly disconnected from the grid at Derry Road, with Financial Drive being its replacement. To the north, Brampton is extending Financial Drive to Mississauga Road, while James Potter replaces Creditview north of Steeles to preserve the little bit of the Credit Valley around Eldorado Park. The new James Potter corridor will seemlessly cross the CN tracks north of Bovaird where it will become new Creditview Road.

I find it stupid that Creditview was tied in to Meadowvale Blvd. (and thus ultimately swinging over two concessions to 5th Line/Heritage Rd.) rather than connected to Financial Dr. directly to continue straight over the 407. It seems like such a crazy oversight.

 

[vebski]

Seems likely that the EB side will be opening soon! They have all the lines painted and today they are putting up moveable barriers of the left most side of the highway, like the WB side. They also seem to have finished up most of the construction near the far west part of the section, where the new section begins. Can't wait!

 

[Dan416]

Given what a mess the opening on WB side has created (having to switch over 3 lanes after merging from the 410 ramp) and the traffic chaos at the new merge, I don't look forward to this.

 

[drum118]

Well!! you 401 drivers, you should be using 2 lanes on the new eastbound express lanes on Monday or this weekend depending on when the shoulder lane paving is finish.

They were paving west of Hurontario this afternoon with a convoy of large trailers loaded with asphalt on both sides of Hurontario. Not sure why only 2 lanes are going to be put into service consider its a 4 lane road.

As for the westbound, they need to merger the express lanes sooner than where it takes place not. Again not sure why they didn't take the west (#1) lane west of where it stop now and just connect it to the existing (#1) left lane. It would make thing a lot smoother than now. The same for the eastbound (#1) lane. Maybe this will happen after they get these lanes into service in both direction.

The flyover from the collector to the express will remain close until the next phase is done from what I could see. No need to use that flyover now unless you need to close the collector for some reason until the next phase is finish.

Nearly got blown off the bridge twice due to the strong winds and not getting a good video shots. Even the trying to take photos was a lot of fun. The first video is looking east while the 2nd is looking west.

2 light mast are missing on both sides of Hurontario.

Going out on a limb and saying construction on the next phase will start next year. It may even happen this winter. Mavis Rd is going to be a mess for the next 2 years along with the 401 as the existing ramps are rebuilt as well the extension of the existing bridges.

Once this work is officially turn over to MTO, Mississauga can finish off it work for the eastbound off ramp that will connect to Britannia Rd, east of Hurontario.

Here are the videos. The photos will be up sometime this weekend.
[video=youtube;-zDI0VjGxKg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zDI0VjGxKg[/video]

 

[drum118]

The west view
[video=youtube;AcVRa8Yxv3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcVRa8Yxv3c[/video]

 

[Haljackey]

Going out on a limb and saying construction on the next phase will start next year. It may even happen this winter. Mavis Rd is going to be a mess for the next 2 years along with the 401 as the existing ramps are rebuilt as well the extension of the existing bridges.

There is nothing in Ontario's southern highways program that says the next phase will start anytime soon: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pu...hern-highway-2012/expansion-projects.shtml#s2

The stretch of the 401 between Mississauga and Milton remains a priority on the 'beyond 2016' list of projects. I assume this is when the next phase of the widening will take place: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pu...highway-2012/planning-for-the-future.shtml#s2



Good videos, but I'd recommend muting them as the wind is deafening. Did you take any pics?

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Re. lack of space to widen the 401 between the 409 and 427. Another reason I feel that the 409 should be tunneled under the aiport to connect with an extended 403 along eastgate parkway and meeting just west of Centennial park. Not only would it give vehicles from the West access to the airport without having to go through the 403/410/401/427 exchange but commuters such as vebski can use to also bypass the above mentioned interchanges and continue East on the 401.

 

[drum118]

July 19 More up on the site

Looking at this photo, the markings imply that the lanes will shift to left to line up with the existing lanes to the west

 

[vebski]

Yep, it's official, the EB express lanes are not OPEN. However, the 401 collectors past the 410 is pretty plugged; I think people may be confused about the concept of "express" and "collectors" lanes in this area as no one was in the express and the collectors was jammed today!

I am really wondering about the HOV prospect in this section. How many of you have driven down these new sections? To me it would seem that there is not going to be room for a third lane AND an HOV lane on this stretch. A good reference is driving WB, in the express, just past Hurontario; the paved parts are the shoulders and the concrete will be the driving surface and there is NO WAY there is room here for 2+ lanes in the area that is currently barricated off. OR, will it be 2 regular lanes and an HOV lane? Seems silly to me that there would not be 3 regular lanes and an HOV lane as this is what it is like on the 403 currently. What do you think?

 

[Haljackey]

From the ultimate designs I saw, express will be 2 general lanes 1 HOV lane.

Silly if you ask me. I don't think the HOV lanes will open until at least one other phase of the project is completed, as opening 2KM of HOV lanes won't do much to help traffic issues.

 

[TOareaFan]

Re. lack of space to widen the 401 between the 409 and 427. Another reason I feel that the 409 should be tunneled under the aiport to connect with an extended 403 along eastgate parkway and meeting just west of Centennial park. Not only would it give vehicles from the West access to the airport without having to go through the 403/410/401/427 exchange but commuters such as vebski can use to also bypass the above mentioned interchanges and continue East on the 401.

Tunnelling under the airport was one of the options considered (and dismissed) way back when the Malton opposition did not allow the original routing NW to Brampton.