Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[drum118]

Any thoughts on the 403 through Hamilton and up the mountain? I am not sure if GO has ever looked at regional rail to Brantford, but given commuting numbers…..

Tough and costly trying to get an extra lane each way though Hamilton. Once west of Hamilton, the 403 is built for 10 lanes to the 401.

Having all day service from Hamilton-London servicing most current VIA stops is a must and will be costly since this is CN Mainline to the US. It has to be 4/5 tracks to deal with CN and VIA trains with a number of pinch points getting 3 tracks in is all you going to see.

Service will not be hourly and it needs to use DMU only as an 2/3 car train.

Hamilton needs to be an hub itself with service to Kitchener-Guelph-London-?

 

[innsertnamehere]

Ludicrous.

The report itself says that the intent is for it to be a 12-lane structure (2 additional lanes in each direction) like I suggested, but they drew it with 16 to "allow for long term expansion and construction staging in the future", apparently.

Regarding the 403 through Hamilton - The very same study looked at that as well:

The same report also reviewed at a high level widening the 403 through Aldershot, the Freeman interchange, the 403/QEW interchange in Oakville, upgrading the RHVP / QEW interchange, and twinning the Garden City Skyway. several of these have since proceeded to full EAs and are even advancing to construction (Garden City Skyway twinning), including the 403/QEW Oakville interchange, Freeman Interchange, and 403 through Aldershot.

you can see all the long term lane widenings MTO has planned on this graphic - I will note that the 403 through Aldershot has since been changed to an additional general purpose lane, not a HOV.

 

[just east of the creek]

The report itself says that the intent is for it to be a 12-lane structure (2 additional lanes in each direction) like I suggested, but they drew it with 16 to "allow for long term expansion and construction staging in the future", apparently.

Regarding the 403 through Hamilton - The very same study looked at that as well:

View attachment 471065View attachment 471064View attachment 471063

The same report also reviewed at a high level widening the 403 through Aldershot, the Freeman interchange, the 403/QEW interchange in Oakville, upgrading the RHVP / QEW interchange, and twinning the Garden City Skyway. several of these have since proceeded to full EAs and are even advancing to construction (Garden City Skyway twinning), including the 403/QEW Oakville interchange, Freeman Interchange, and 403 through Aldershot.

you can see all the long term lane widenings MTO has planned on this graphic - I will note that the 403 through Aldershot has since been changed to an additional general purpose lane, not a HOV.
View attachment 471067

Thanks to you and Drum both for this information.

Some thoughts. Although I do not support it, I think you can see where some of the rationale of the Mid Penn highway comes from. With planned growth, the 403 through Hamilton, the Red Hill, the Linc, and the QEW through Burlington become potential major choke points.

Hamilton as a regional transit Center re rail certainly makes sense if you are extending better GO services into Brantford and down the Penninula. Not sure how all the current rail line situations play out, but certainly a situation where you may not be wanting to give away a ROW ( like occurred with Orangeville)

Thanks again

 

[gweed123]

believe it or not MTO has background plans to allow for the widening of the Burlington Skyway - it's not an immovable object, especially since they are doing the Garden City Skyway already.. Not sure why you are proposing a 10-lane cross section across the Garden City Skyway but only an 8-lane cross-section on the Burlington Skyway. It would be expensive, but given the traffic over it I could see it happening at some point.

I just figured since they recently finished rehabbing it that they wouldn't be touching it for a pretty long time. The Garden City Skyway on the other hand has been mentioned for replacement.

Any thoughts on the 403 through Hamilton and up the mountain? I am not sure if GO has ever looked at regional rail to Brantford, but given commuting numbers…..

Extremely tricky given the grades involved. It would likely involve either a pretty substantial rock cut or building some kind of double decker structure to add lanes. And then there would be widening through the Chedoke Creek section.

 

[jmi22]

The QEW is nearly at capacity with Hamilton and Niagara region growing faster than the provincial average

That growth will need to be met with GO and expanded local transit service. Ontario has been undergoing a literal case study on the failure of highway widenings with the 401 over the past 50 years.

 

[W. K. Lis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652492155326459910

 

[Morriston1986]

I am curious if anyone has any update on the highway 6 bypass project. Last I heard it has been "deferred" for the 413 highway.

It was announced by Mulroney/Arnott just a few years ago as a priority, Im curious if it is truly on the back burner

 

[Haljackey]

I am curious if anyone has any update on the highway 6 bypass project. Last I heard it has been "deferred" for the 413 highway.

It was announced by Mulroney/Arnott just a few years ago as a priority, Im curious if it is truly on the back burner

Hi there! According to the MTO, the Highway 6 bypass project is still labelled as a 'upcoming expansion'. That's another way of saying it is on the back burner.

Ontario’s highway programs

Learn about the 2023 Ontario highways program. Find highway expansion and rehabilitation projects that are planned or underway.

www.ontario.ca

 

[PinkLucy]

Ask anyone from Waterdown about that bypass. It’s a sore subject there for sure.

 

[Morriston1986]

Yes, the section where HWY 5 and HWY 6 meet does need improvement, I drive it weekly. The project I am hoping has some sort of near goal is the Hwy 6 / Hanlon re-alignment in Guelph, bypass and 401 widening

[img[https://www.puslinchtoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/map2016-sm.jpg[/img]

 

[innsertnamehere]

Ask anyone from Waterdown about that bypass. It’s a sore subject there for sure.

The Waterdown Bypass is a different project, a municipally led one. Every year it's happening "next year" so who knows when it will actually be built, but it's not an MTO Project.

The Highway 6 bypass is further north at the 401.

MTO Does have the Highway 5/6 interchange in Waterdown on their 5-year expansion plan list now, but it was only added last year so it's likely towards the end of the 5-yar schedule.

 

[PinkLucy]

Ok thanks. That whole area has become so much busier, hwy 5 from Hwy 6 for miles east, and Hwy 6 from the 403 to the 401.

 

[drum118]

This is so, I have now passed this test and I have to say it was one of the hardest I have had. Sounds like you're right.

I took my test at Downsview in the day of real road testing that was tough and pass. . Even though you were to told to drive from x-y for various routes, the tester would requested changes of the fly without warning to see how I react to to the change and had no issues doing it. A few other changes were done as well.

A number of family members went outside the city to be tested as it was a lot easier after a few fail their Downsview test.

I prefer the real road testing as you are dealing with real traffic and if you can't pass that testing, you shouldn't be driving in the first place like the 70% that shouldn't be on the road today.

 

[Transportfan]

Ok thanks. That whole area has become so much busier, hwy 5 from Hwy 6 for miles east,

"Hwy 5" is now mostly-urbanized eastwards as just Dundas St. so it's a regional arterial road issue, not an MTO one.

 

[tstormers]

New bike lanes opened up downtown Toronto...