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

[anb]

Right. On summer weekends, even the HOV lanes are jammed on the QEW/403 because so many families are heading to Niagara Falls.

Ironically, the HOV lanes are the ones that bypasses traffic on the 410, only to have it end before Queen

I feel like HOV is something we should have for long distance. For example, 401 from Kitchener to the GTA, QEW/403 from Mississauga to Niagara, 410 from Queen to the Highway 10 interchange, and 404 from where it ends currently to Newmarket. If you think that we shouldn’t have this, think about the merging and sudden stopping and restarting on these HOV lanes. That is what also generates traffic. If we had a consistent HOV lane from the GTA to the points on a highway where traffic spontaneously dies down, we would actually have a smoother flowed experience with traffic

 

[Haljackey]

Your 401 Express Eastbound to 410 North ramp does not look feasible. It won't be able to gain the height needed to cross a 3 level structure in that short distance. Look at the same ramp from 401 collectors to 410 North. It starts long before to gain the same height.

It would stay under the 3 level structure not over it, gaining height after underpassing it to go over the 401. This is the pipe dream connection, the others are more feasible and needed.

I feel like HOV is something we should have for long distance. For example, 401 from Kitchener to the GTA, QEW/403 from Mississauga to Niagara, 410 from Queen to the Highway 10 interchange, and 404 from where it ends currently to Newmarket. If you think that we shouldn’t have this, think about the merging and sudden stopping and restarting on these HOV lanes. That is what also generates traffic. If we had a consistent HOV lane from the GTA to the points on a highway where traffic spontaneously dies down, we would actually have a smoother flowed experience with traffic

The ultimate goal of this project will see an HOV lane run on the 401 from Highway 8 in Kitchener to Highway 403/410.

 

[Deadpool X]

It would stay under the 3 level structure not over it, gaining height after underpassing it to go over the 401. This is the pipe dream connection, the others are more feasible and needed.

The curve will become too sharp then. The ramp won't be crossing 401 at the point shown on that image. Ramp will have to gain height first after going under the 3rd level ramp which means it can only cross 401 much further east from the currently shown place.

 

[CF1]

The ultimate goal of this project will see an HOV lane run on the 401 from Highway 8 in Kitchener to Highway 403/410.

At what timeline though? Based on the way things are looking at for the next 5 years, if not much longer, the Hwy 25 to Townline section will remain 6 lanes (save for the highway 6 section). I suppose HOV from Hwy 25 to 410 is still not bad.

 

[Haljackey]

...Eventually

The 401 between Highway 24 and Townline Road in Cambridge is being widened and this includes HOV lanes

The Highway 6 bypass plans around Morriston also includes widening & HOV lanes on the 401/6 concurrency between the Hanlon Parkway interchange and the new interchange to be built that bypasses the town.

So these projects plus the widening from Milton to Mississauga means you just have to fill in the gaps to push a continous HOV lane from Highway 8 to 403/410.

 

[CF1]

The remaining sections would be about 30 km I think. Unless we get one of these rare huge projects like the widening between Milton to Mississauga right now that complete in only 3 years, I think it will take at least a decade, if not much longer to widen the remaining sections.

To be honest, if I were MTO, I'd prioritize widening in Eastern GTA over that remaining 30 km section. Once the current widening work in western GTA and Waterloo Region is, the major bottlenecks in this area should be gone. Eastern GTA still has some significant bottlenecks that should be higher priority.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I don't think MTO is planning on filling in the gaps on the 401 super soon as they generally operate free flow as you said.

What I think priorities for widenings over the next 5-10 years should be:

1. 403 / QEW Oakville
2. 400 North to Bradford
3. 400 through Barrie
4. 401 through Whitby / Oshawa

After that, I would say these are the projects that need attention, likely later in the decade.

1. 403 from Burlington to Hamilton
2. QEW from Burlington Skyway to Grimsby
3. 400 from Bradford to Barrie
4. 401 from Milton to Cambridge
5. QEW through Mississauga

HOVs are good solutions for roads that experience heavy recreational travel like the QEW and 400, as is provides capacity for weekend recreation trips, which are typically made with multiple passengers, and are difficult to shift to other modes, but doesn't encourage single vehicle commuting as much, minimizing it's impact on encouraging hyper commuters to move to those areas.

 

[Haljackey]

It would at least make sense to add HOV lanes to the 401 between Townline road and the new Highway 6 interchange build. That way the lane is somewhat long and some traffic tapers off the 401 east of the Highway 6 interchanges.

 

[CF1]

It would at least make sense to add HOV lanes to the 401 between Townline road and the new Highway 6 interchange build. That way the lane is somewhat long and some traffic tapers off the 401 east of the Highway 6 interchanges.

This leads to one of the things I have been trying to figure out lately. The widening between the two highway 6 interchanges - does that widening include replacing the two highway 6 bridges over the 401, or just an interchange reconfiguration. If it does include replacing those two bridges, I think there are not a ton of remaining bridges over the 401 between Milton and Cambridge that would need replacement to support 10 lanes. I'd have to look into it but I'd imagine it's in the mid single digits.

 

[drum118]

This leads to one of the things I have been trying to figure out lately. The widening between the two highway 6 interchanges - does that widening include replacing the two highway 6 bridges over the 401, or just an interchange reconfiguration. If it does include replacing those two bridges, I think there are not a ton of remaining bridges over the 401 between Milton and Cambridge that would need replacement to support 10 lanes. I'd have to look into it but I'd imagine it's in the mid single digits.

Yes the interchange for Hwy 6 will be rebuilt as well all overpass and underpass between London to Region Road 25 to support 10 lanes. 6 will be rebuilt to go south as well if I remember correctly and long over due.

MTO is currently rebuilding existing bridges to support 10 lanes as they need rebuilt or replace.

All the underpasses between Tower Line and Trafalgar Rd were expanded a few years ago and rebuilt the existing ones. Any creek bridges needed for the expansion are being built now with one by Line 6 new overpass.

There are still a few overpasses between Tower Line to Region Road 25 that need to be replace before work takes place on the 401 widening.

The section between the 403 to London is being prepare to be 10 lanes with only about 2 bridges need to be rebuilt for 10 lanes and one underway now. A few have been replaced the last few years.

 

[gweed123]

I don't think MTO is planning on filling in the gaps on the 401 super soon as they generally operate free flow as you said.

What I think priorities for widenings over the next 5-10 years should be:

1. 403 / QEW Oakville

Are you specifically referring to the section between the 403/QEW merge (or split) at Ford Dr to Trafalgar, or the entire section through Oakville?

If it's the former, then yes absolutely. If it's the latter, I don't think that's being touched anytime soon. Construction to add the HOV lanes was finished just over 10 years ago, which is pretty short as far as infrastructure timelines go.

Personally, I'd much rather see the Wyecroft Rd bridge built before new lanes on the QEW. The fact that the QEW is the only crossing between Rebecca and Dundas in that area doesn't help things much.

 

[11th]

Particularly frustrating when you slow to a crawl, and the express is fine. I keep trying to connive on how to go up the 427, and get onto Eglinton or the express lanes somehow. Google suggests taking the 401 eastbound to Dixon, and looping there to westbound - but I've never tried it.

And then there's this ... seems a bit rude though ...

View attachment 292371

Take 401 east, exit at Dixon, and hop back onto 401 west. Usually that's the better option than going through Eglinton West/Martin Grove.
You can also do the 27 north, Dixon, 401 west loop.

 

[Steve X]

Particularly frustrating when you slow to a crawl, and the express is fine. I keep trying to connive on how to go up the 427, and get onto Eglinton or the express lanes somehow. Google suggests taking the 401 eastbound to Dixon, and looping there to westbound - but I've never tried it.

And then there's this ... seems a bit rude though ...

View attachment 292371

DO NOT ATTEMPT in pre-pandemic afternoon rush. You'll be stuck there for over 20 min when traffic is back up on Eglinton beyond East Mall. Might as well exit Rathburn and head north onto Martin Grove and make a left on Eglinton back to the 401 west instead.

Take 401 east, exit at Dixon, and hop back onto 401 west. Usually that's the better option than going through Eglinton West/Martin Grove.
You can also do the 27 north, Dixon, 401 west loop.

The 427 express to 401 east, exit Dixon and back onto the 401 west is simple but could be bad if traffic is back up.
The 427 collector/27, exit Dixon, south on Martin Grove onto the 401 west is probably better if you don't get stuck behind some 52/952 bus.

 

[jamincan]

Beyond the work that has been started at the Hespeler Rd. interchange in Cambridge, they have recently also cleared vegetation on both sides between Hespeler and Franklin Blvd.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Are you specifically referring to the section between the 403/QEW merge (or split) at Ford Dr to Trafalgar, or the entire section through Oakville?

If it's the former, then yes absolutely. If it's the latter, I don't think that's being touched anytime soon. Construction to add the HOV lanes was finished just over 10 years ago, which is pretty short as far as infrastructure timelines go.

Personally, I'd much rather see the Wyecroft Rd bridge built before new lanes on the QEW. The fact that the QEW is the only crossing between Rebecca and Dundas in that area doesn't help things much.

Yes, that's what I meant.

Wyecroft bridge has funding and is going to be built soon. Though the stretch of the QEW is actually one of the best operating stretches in Oakville as there is a 4th GP lane across the river.