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

[Fritter]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see some more 400 widenings moving up towards Bradford. I believe the entire 400 is going to be "widened" up to Hwy 9 other than like a small 2km stretch in a few years due to interchange rebuilds, I imagine MTO will simply build the remaining 2km and bring the HOVs up to Hwy 9.

The other day I drove to Barrie and joined the 400 at Bradford. I noticed several new bridges that are now double wide span from the current 400 lanes. to me it looks like a major widening is in the cards.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.2361...FDpnSXLKlTqFaYoglOcA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

 

[innsertnamehere]

The other day I drove to Barrie and joined the 400 at Bradford. I noticed several new bridges that are now double wide span from the current 400 lanes. to me it looks like a major widening is in the cards.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.2361...FDpnSXLKlTqFaYoglOcA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Yup. MTO has plans to long term widen to 4 general purpose and 1 HOV lane.

Right now the only part officially funded and getting built however is a new HOV lane between Major Mackenzie and King Road.

MTO is spending a frig ton of money up and down the highway on bridge and interchange replacements though, and as they do this, they prepare the highway for widening. Interchange replacements like Highway 9 actually widen the highway for a kilometre or so on either side of the highway, and simply not paint the new lanes. This means that as time goes on there is less and less work to do to actually open a new lane in either direction.

That's what I meant when I said that there is only a 2km gap to bring HOVs to highway 9. With the Highway 9 and Aurora Sideroad interchange rebuilds, the highway will actually be fully widened for about 9km, just without the new lanes painted and opened. It wouldn't take much to widen the remaining section and open the lanes.

 

[gweed123]

I'm thinking the 403 south of 407 will be next so the proper connection can be made to the EB and WB QEW and the HOV lanes can be extended. I also hope MTO will consider widening the 403 through Mississauga as it could realistically use another general purpose lane. A lot of bottlenecks in that stretch even with the HOV lane.

I really wish the MTO would consider building HOV-only ramps to connect HOV pieces like this. The current configuration is fine since the HOV lanes only exist on separate sections of highway, but if the N-S section of the 403 ever gets them, it would be nice to travel from the QEW EB to 403 NB to 403 EB without ever having to leave the HOV lanes. It would need to be a left-hand exit, but it could be done. Both directions could be done using a single bridge with a tall wall down the middle.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I really wish the MTO would consider building HOV-only ramps to connect HOV pieces like this. The current configuration is fine since the HOV lanes only exist on separate sections of highway, but if the N-S section of the 403 ever gets them, it would be nice to travel from the QEW EB to 403 NB to 403 EB without ever having to leave the HOV lanes. It would need to be a left-hand exit, but it could be done. Both directions could be done using a single bridge with a tall wall down the middle.

There is sort of precedent for it with the HOV tunnel from 404 Southbound onto the westbound 401.

 

[Translude15]

I really wish the MTO would consider building HOV-only ramps to connect HOV pieces like this. The current configuration is fine since the HOV lanes only exist on separate sections of highway, but if the N-S section of the 403 ever gets them, it would be nice to travel from the QEW EB to 403 NB to 403 EB without ever having to leave the HOV lanes. It would need to be a left-hand exit, but it could be done. Both directions could be done using a single bridge with a tall wall down the middle.

It's certainly doable. I saw something like that when I was in LA last year. There is some separation of HOV/HOT lanes from general traffic on certain freeways in the form of ramps and flyovers. I-105 and I-10 interchange being one prime example:

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[timio]

The top layer of asphalt is going down on the stretch of 401 between 8 and Hespeler.

There's also looking to be some lane configuration changes happening tomorrow night on the eastbound flyover/onramp from 8 to 401 with a full closure scheduled.

 

[drum118]

A few weeks ago as we headed to the states, slow going westbound, but wide open yesterday from 25 to 8. Still not finish westbound, especially at 8 for the 401.

Slow going coming off 8 onto the eastbound lanes as they were paving the 2/3 south lanes up to 25.

No signs up up yet in the centre area.

New bridge being built to the east to replace the current one and it will be wider than the current one. One hope they are going to 16-20' under the new bridges like they are doing in the US.

Got off at Mississauga Rd as it was a stop and go before Winston Churchill and made better time to Mavis Rd.

 

[gweed123]

It's certainly doable. I saw something like that when I was in LA last year. There is some separation of HOV/HOT lanes from general traffic on certain freeways in the form of ramps and flyovers. I-105 and I-10 interchange being one prime example:

Google Maps

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

www.google.ca

Google Maps

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

www.google.ca

The I-75/I-85 split heading northbound out of downtown Atlanta is another great example. It can certainly be done, I just don't know if the MTO has the appetite to do it.

 

[BurlOak]

One hope they are going to 16-20' under the new bridges like they are doing in the US.

Are you talking vertical clearance under the bridge?

The Ontario standard is 5.0m (16'-4") for girder bridges (that potentially could be damaged when hit by overhead load) and 4.85m (15'-11") for more robust slab bridges.
Legal vertical clearance is 4.15m, and with permit is 4.3m (14')

 

[drum118]

Are you talking vertical clearance under the bridge?

The Ontario standard is 5.0m (16'-4") for girder bridges (that potentially could be damaged when hit by overhead load) and 4.85m (15'-11") for more robust slab bridges.
Legal vertical clearance is 4.15m, and with permit is 4.3m (14')

Yep!.............Saw a lot of new bridges in the US at 18-6' being built and in place. With higher clearance, less chance of being hit.

 

[BurlOak]

Yep!.............Saw a lot of new bridges in the US at 18-6' being built and in place. With higher clearance, less chance of being hit.

Building the bridge 4' (1.2m) higher up, that means that the bridge needs to be 2.5m longer on each end. Assuming a 4-lane wide bridge, with width of about 18m wide, that works out to about an extra $0.5M for each bridge. And with the bridge density in most of southern Ontario - it means that even if this bridge is higher, the neighboring one will limit the height. Prior to ~1980, the vertical clearance was 15' (4.57m). The design philosophy is that there are many parallel municipal route where any overheight loads have to go.
I have no idea how many of these super high loads actually exist, but it is not on MTO's radar, and it would likely take 75 years to slowly transition to a higher clearance corridor.

 

[KevinT]

The 401 eastbound between highways 8 and 24 now has most of the new lanes open. The flyover on ramp becomes 2 extra lanes for 5 total until the Speed River bridge where it widens to 6 lanes, 2 of which must exit at highway 24 / Hespeler Rd. It then reduces from 4 lanes back down to 3 in the next 300 meters or so.

 

[timio]

For now, the new eb configuration is working wonders on keeping traffic moving. Haven'thad to slow to less than 80 in the past week, whereas before traffic was backed up to Sportworld drive during peak and generally slow moving the rest of the day.

As of yesterday morning, no new westbound lanes are open yet.

 

[Haljackey]

I was reviewing Phase 2 plans for Waterloo Region's ION LRT and I noticed it runs along King Street between Highway 8 and 401

I also see the proposed flyovers missing from the 8/401 interchange in the plans. Probably part of a separate project? That area of King is already a mess- would be even crazier with the LRT without these put in. Should be done first if possible

Link:

http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/stage2ION/resources/Stage-2-PCC-5/Stage-2-ION-PCC-5-Preliminary-Design.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3pKeCytlKZOCbDQPcAsUzjUbevVPgbfzzdvBwlhh97RxiIuNi0b2XBaTY

 

[vebski]

Some things I thought were interesting to discuss/ask on this broad-reaching topic:

- Cambridge Expansion

No real activity the past few weeks as all lanes have seemingly been paved and are currently in use. Great traffic flow, for the most part, in this area now. Almost too wide!

- No “HOV” lanes here yet though. The lanes almost don’t seem wide enough to incorporate the “hashed” area for the division between the HOV and regular lanes. I assume they will have to realign all the lanes to incorporate this eventually? Signage is up and covered so I assume it will happen before the next phase is complete?


- Morriston Bypass

The new Concession Rd 7 bridge span is up and taking shape. Looks like the plans call for a flyover for the entrance to Hwy 6 N from the EB 401 so that will be interesting to watch construct. As for the actual bypass road, not sure what/if any progress has been made?

- East of Highway 25

So I never even realized the reason there is that hill east of 25 is because the highway goes over a set of train tracks! It would seem there is work now to expand this bridge? A lot of trucks working on the sides of the highway here so I assume this is all part of the eventual expansion on the highway here.

- Mississauga

Ok, now for the real hype. They have moved the gravel separator (is that what this is? The “little” factory that seems to spit out evenly sized rocks into trucks? Any more info on exactly what this structure does?) in order to pave/reconstruct the area it was sitting on. Also, they were supposed to squeeze the entrance onto the express lanes (EB) to one lane again (at least they put up signage for this, knowing the chaos we went through earlier) as of Nov 12th, however it was still two lanes today (12th) but I assume it is coming. The express lanes really went up quickly though. Most of the express is poured and looks great, though they have had to rip a few areas up. I also noticed more trucks around Creditview, is that bridge being redone soon? Could be related?

I pass through this area every Mon-Fri for the last 8 years and it’s been great to watch transform. Genuinely interests me to watch it all come together.