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

[Steve X]

If Hespeler - Townline and Highway 6 North to Highway 6 south gets done, that will leave about 30 km. Both those projects are targeted to be started in the short term.

If they issue a giant contract or two (like Mississauga - Milton widening) for the remaining parts, they can get it done in a few years. But yes, I wouldn't expect all these contracts to be completed for at least another 10 years.

That cost money that no one wants to pay for. If the government actually paid for the work to be completed in 6 months, the entire stretch could be done concurrently with multiple crews. Instead there's only a crew or two on the entire project. Look at how many workers we have working on any highway project in Ontario vs internationally. Part of the problem is our economy doesn't support that many workers at the same time since the government will run out of projects and everyone would be layoff till the next project. It'll be hard to retain expertise.

 

[CF1]

That cost money that no one wants to pay for. If the government actually paid for the work to be completed in 6 months, the entire stretch could be done concurrently with multiple crews. Instead there's only a crew or two on the entire project. Look at how many workers we have working on any highway project in Ontario vs internationally. Part of the problem is our economy doesn't support that many workers at the same time since the government will run out of projects and everyone would be layoff till the next project. It'll be hard to retain expertise.

I would not expect all the projects to happen in parallel. They could perhaps do Hespler - Townline in parallel with Highway 6 North - South. For the remaining 6-laned carriageway, if they divide it into two mega projects, one between Guelph and Milton, and second between Cambridge in Guelph, and each project takes 3 years, it is conceivable that they might complete the whole thing by 2030. But I wouldn't expect the full widening done any time before 2030.

 

[innsertnamehere]

MTO has 3 different projects that are funded right now along the 401. The first is the project this thread is the subject of, the widening from the Credit River to Highway 25. The second is from Townline to Hespeler in Cambridge, and the third is a widening of the Highway 6 concurrency south of Guelph as a part of the Morriston Bypass (which also includes the upgrade of the Hanlon Parkway interchange from a trumpet to a full flyover).


This leaves two gaps, first from Highway 25 to Highway 6, which is about 20km, and between the Hanlon Parkway and Townline Road, which is about 9km.


I imagine when those stretches do get widened it will be done on a single contract, at most two contracts doing each gap.

 

[Haljackey]

This website covers building the missing flyovers at Highway 8 and 401, as well as replacing the Grand River Bridge as that's needed for the Highway 8 connectors.

https://hwy401grandriverbridges.ca/

The 2009 plan
https://hwy401grandriverbridges.ca/...ortationEnvironmentalStudyReport-Exhibits.pdf

Another neat takeaway from the project is that HOV lanes are proposed to go to Homer Watson. Probably won't happen, but if they build the bridge deck wide enough for the buffer zone or whatever it's called than it could be put in later.

 

[innsertnamehere]

To be clear the only funded part is a widening of the bridge and an extension of the merge lanes for the King St. interchange over the bridge. No HOV lanes or missing ramps will be built at this point.

 

[mtomo]

From Mississauga Rd to Hwy 25 the entire highway is orange. There is a sign that says "Narrow shoulder next 18 km"
How can they build 3 additional lanes on each side if they haven't even built new bridges yet?

 

[KevinT]

From Mississauga Rd to Hwy 25 the entire highway is orange. There is a sign that says "Narrow shoulder next 18 km"
How can they build 3 additional lanes on each side if they haven't even built new bridges yet?

Having those extra lanes in place (at least the grading and drainage for them) gives them a lot of room for staging all of the equipment necessary for the bridge constructions. That would be my guess...

 

[drum118]

The only bridges that need widen are for 407, CN Line and Creditview that I know of. Various overpass/underpass have been widen to Hwy 25 the last few years. Creditview is under construction now as a new bridge with the northbound lane being built first. I get the impression the cut off for Mississauga Rd/Erin Mills will happen just west of the new Credit River bridge that will require an overpass for the RR.

Excavating is taking place under Erin Mills/Mississauga overpass for the new lanes on the north side. Clearing has taken place on both side from Mills/Mississauga overpass to Winston Churchill including the removal of the last remains of gas station area. Large pile of cut trees south of the ramp to go east at Winston Churchill

From hwy 25 to hwy 6, all underpass have been widen and one overpass was been rebuilt for 10 lanes when I saw it in Dec.

 

[drum118]

April 18
Creditview new bridge

401

 

[drum118]

April 20
They are getting ready to pour the last section of the westbound lanes with the pouring of the sub base. Gravel and sand place on Both lanes by the mixing plant. Most of the centre medium bearer wall still needs to be built as well divider bearer walls. Both lanes need to be pour on either side of the creek bridge. Some of the HOV signs are up, mostly for the westbound lanes.

More up on site

 

[mtomo]

I’m surprised they haven’t shut down due to Covid-19

 

[Neil]

I’m surprised they haven’t shut down due to Covid-19

That would only change the pace of construction slightly.

 

[jamincan]

That would only change the pace of construction slightly.

I know the Mavis-Credit River section seems to have taken forever, but I've actually been surprised at how quickly construction has been going. I don't know enough about road construction to really know what progress has been like, but this seems way faster than what I've seen done elsewhere.

 

[drum118]

I know the Mavis-Credit River section seems to have taken forever, but I've actually been surprised at how quickly construction has been going. I don't know enough about road construction to really know what progress has been like, but this seems way faster than what I've seen done elsewhere.

The Mavis -Credit River require a creek bridge to be rebuilt as well retaining walls built.

Also, 2nd Line bridge had to be built over the whole 12 lanes Then there was Mavis itself that require an extra section and reline the ramps. Otherwise a straight straight forward rebuilding lanes and adding new ones. With today machines, you can pour 3/4 lanes at once compared to the 1-2 a few decades ago that speed thing up sooner than later.

 

[Transportfan]

They forgot to install the Mavis exit sign at the ramp itself