Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[Kitsune]

Well good news is that around 35 kms of highway 69 will be twined as confirmed in this election budget.

Table 1.1​

Examples of Highway Expansion and Rehabilitation Projects​

Northern

• Widening from two to four lanes on Highway 69 north of the north junction of Highway 529 for 20.4 km in Britt.
• Construction of a new bridge, new culvert and widening from two to four lanes on Highway 69 north of the south junction of Highway 529 for 15 km in Pointe au

Hmm that would suggest they came to agreement with the Henvey First Nations.. .

• Widening from two to four lanes on Highway 69 north of the north junction of Highway 529 for 20.4 km in Britt. ... Highway 69 Map 1 ... All of the Middle Panel, Last Panel, and only the non-Magnetawan First Nation of the top panel./

• Construction of a new bridge, new culvert and widening from two to four lanes on Highway 69 north of the south junction of Highway 529 for 15 km in Pointe au Baril ... Highway 69 Map 2 .. Thats the last panel. The bridge mention is likely to go over Nascoot Lake.

 

[KevinT]

Interestingly, it also shows "resurfacing" work through the 401 stretch of the Morriston Bypass project in 2024-2025, which I find unusual if they are planning on reconstructing the stretch in the next few years anyway.. Wonder if that's some kind of misidentification.

There are some pretty severe potholes in the eastbound left lane along the rut lines through that stretch. Bad enough to make you think you broke a rim, and growing all the time. I'm not sure if just cold patching them would hold up for another year.

Edit to add: Never mind, it's not like 2024-2025 work is going to help with that anyway. Maybe they'll just re-strip the worst sections of the rut lines this summer...

 

[KevinT]

The recent 7/85 and Wellington Street interchange rebuild in Kitchener was supposed to be the start of Highway 7 New, but it’s been completed for several years with nothing else to show for it.

Lol, and the Guelph St underpass was widened to support an additional merge lane for the new highway 7 interchange even a few years before that:

 

[Morriston1986]

It's likely that it will be built with the two new interchanges on the 401 as part of Phase II. I am incredibly doubtful that the province would build the new bypass interchange (different from the existing interchange at Morriston which will remain in service but with additional connections) in an area that has no connecting roads and let it sit unused for many years. The 401 interchanges and the bypass to Puslinch have to be done together.

Phase I comes so soon because it's relatively easy in comparison to the rest of the project.

I believe they have broken the Morriston bypass into 3 phases, Phase one is already Complete, it was the rebuild of the concession 7 bridge over hwy 401, they are saying Phase 2 in the new midblock interchange on 6 North that removes at grade intersections etc, and phase 3 which I believe is the "giant" which is actually building the road around morriston and new connections on the 401. There is so much involved in this project that not many of the locals think it will ever happen.

I wish they would atleast say it is funded!

 

[Translude15]

I believe they have broken the Morriston bypass into 3 phases, Phase one is already Complete, it was the rebuild of the concession 7 bridge over hwy 401, they are saying Phase 2 in the new midblock interchange on 6 North that removes at grade intersections etc, and phase 3 which I believe is the "giant" which is actually building the road around morriston and new connections on the 401. There is so much involved in this project that not many of the locals think it will ever happen.

I wish they would atleast say it is funded!

Once the Morriston bypass is complete, is the eventual goal to fully twin and grade separate Highway 6 from Guelph to Hamilton?

 

[ericmacm]

Once the Morriston bypass is complete, is the eventual goal to fully twin and grade separate Highway 6 from Guelph to Hamilton?

I don't believe any government has expressed the intention to do so yet, but considering the fact that they're building an interchange at Dundas/HWY 6 on the southern end of the corridor in addition to the Morriston Bypass, this is likely what they're working toward.

The MTO retains interchange-sized grading permits at every intersection along the corridor so they have the capability to turn it into a freeway if they want to. Anything between Puslinch and Waterdown is probably going to require a new alignment though since there are so many homes along HWY 6.

 

[Allandale25]

https://www.facebook.com/110353300544051/posts/526680212244689

 

[nfitz]

Looking in Google Streetview, I don't see what that chunk of concrete is for. It doesn't look structural. Perhaps it was redundant after the 2015 renovations?

Google Maps

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

www.google.ca

 

[beatle04]

Looking in Google Streetview, I don't see what that chunk of concrete is for. It doesn't look structural. Perhaps it was redundant after the 2015 renovations?

Google Maps

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

www.google.ca

If you look at the old street view images, it looks like it used to be structural....though why only that section is a little odd.

 

[tstormers]

If you look at the old street view images, it looks like it used to be structural....though why only that section is a little odd.

In the early Google images the railing ledge was above it up until 2015/16. then the new guards look pushed back. Not sure what it was for as in 2011 it was still there. Looks like it has been redundant for at least 7 years.

 

[nfitz]

If you look at the old street view images, it looks like it used to be structural....though why only that section is a little odd.

I was wondering if the differences between the two sections of bridge means that they were twinned after the initial construction of the Brantford Bypass in the 1960s (it wasn't connected to the 401 at Woodstock until the late 1980s, and the stretch from Brantford to Ancaster wasn't finished until the late 1990s).

But looking at the 1966 aerial photographs (online at McMaster - https://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/aerialphotos/index.html) it appears that the entire overpass was under construction at that time.

I'm baffled.

 

[Haljackey]

Image found via

https://www.reddit.com/r/polandball/comments/umh5vk

 

[Undead]

Driving in the Ballantrae area today, it was frustrating seeing the Region resigning roads that have no business being resigned. Areas where people had no problem safely driving 80-90 have been downgraded to 70 and even 60 for no good reason and without any geometry/design changes. Such nonsense.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Driving in the Ballantrae area today, it was frustrating seeing the Region resigning roads that have no business being resigned. Areas where people had no problem safely driving 80-90 have been downgraded to 70 and even 60 for no good reason and without any geometry/design changes. Such nonsense.

It's happening everywhere and is extremely frustrating.

Most rural roads which historically unsigned (meaning 80) have magically shown up with 60 limits on them.

Combined with stunt driving being 40 over for speed limits under 80 now, many roads which 2 years ago you could have gone 100km/h on without a cop even pulling you over you can get your car impounded for doing the same speed suddenly today. With no geometric changes to the road whatsoever. It's absolutely insane.

 

[ARG1]

Driving in the Ballantrae area today, it was frustrating seeing the Region resigning roads that have no business being resigned. Areas where people had no problem safely driving 80-90 have been downgraded to 70 and even 60 for no good reason and without any geometry/design changes. Such nonsense.

Its called the government wants money. A lot of money was lost during COVID due to vaccination programs and lost revenue, so now they're going to try and make that money back, and if it doesn't mean by raising taxes, then it means by being more stingy with speeding fines (granted this has already been going on since before COVID so eh).