[junctionist]

As someone who likes higher speed limits but who also likes fiscal responsibility, it's painful to read that freeways are being designed for safe travel at 130 km/h+ yet limited to 100-110 km/h.

Surely, it costs more to build to that standard, yet we can't even use what we build the way it's designed to be used. The 6-lane section of the 401 before the new expressway in Windsor looks like it was designed for 150 km/h, being very straight, wide, and with broad curves.

 

[ericmacm]

Just reupload the damn thing.

My thoughts exactly. I’d rather see the province manage this freeway corridor again so funding can be freed up for both Windsor and Essex County to address their other numerous infrastructure deficits.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Just reupload the damn thing.

It's likely coming. I've heard the province is talking to Hamilton and London about uploading Highbury Avenue and the RHVP and Linc.. I don't see why they wouldn't be interested in uploading the EC Row as well.

The provincial freeway network is starting to have a massive infrastructure backlog in itself, uploading wouldn't necessarily be any better. The Province has seen massive increases in traffic levels across the network in the last 15 years with very minimal changes to the underlying infrastructure, especially in and around the GTA.. the network is operating at very poor levels across huge swaths of the province these days.

The province has shown a willingness to throw more money at highways in SW Ontario for whatever reason though, and provincial highways down there are operating a lot better than elsewhere already as it is. There are very few capacity-related issues on provincial highways west of Kitchener.

A lot of the GTA highways have been sitting on improvements for years now and are far more desperate for improvements.

 

[Dreambig1]

I still really wished when they extended the 401 to the new bridge and redid the E.C. Row Expressway from Huron Church Rd to Ojibway Parkway that they should have extended the E.C. Row Expressway as a freeway to the LaSalle border at Morton Dr. were it would remain an intersection but Sprucewood Ave and Ojibway Parkway and E.C. Row intersections would be converted to interchages the remaining at grade Weaver Rd. and both Broadway Streets would be removed as well as the bussiness and there entrance roads around Sprucewood Ave and Weaver Rd. that way you could travel from LaSalle through Windsor to Tecumseh on a non stop freeway with a possible provincial uploading and conversion to a 400 series highway. That was always my vision anyway. I am also hoping they redo Huron Church Rd. from the College Ave intersection all the way to the Ambassador Bridge Plaza and Wyandotte St., and hoping they eventually extend the 4 lane twinning project of Highway 3 all the way to Talbot Rd, Hwy 34 in Leamington maybe even as far as to a realigned Bevel Line Rd. and Seacliffe Dr. I am still looking forward to the eventual Lauzon Parkway and new Highway 401 interchange. I am also hoping the city of windsor ads new gateway signs across the city's borders, especially where the Gordie Howe Bridge plaza meets the 401, and probably at the future Lauzon Parkway and 401 interchange. The Windsor-Essex area and its roadways have radically changed in the past 15 years. I hope to see more.

 

[ericmacm]

I still really wished when they extended the 401 to the new bridge and redid the E.C. Row Expressway from Huron Church Rd to Ojibway Parkway that they should have extended the E.C. Row Expressway as a freeway to the LaSalle border at Morton Dr. were it would remain an intersection but Sprucewood Ave and Ojibway Parkway and E.C. Row intersections would be converted to interchages the remaining at grade Weaver Rd. and both Broadway Streets would be removed as well as the bussiness and there entrance roads around Sprucewood Ave and Weaver Rd. that way you could travel from LaSalle through Windsor to Tecumseh on a non stop freeway with a possible provincial uploading and conversion to a 400 series highway. That was always my vision anyway. I am also hoping they redo Huron Church Rd. from the College Ave intersection all the way to the Ambassador Bridge Plaza and Wyandotte St., and hoping they eventually extend the 4 lane twinning project of Highway 3 all the way to Talbot Rd, Hwy 34 in Leamington maybe even as far as to a realigned Bevel Line Rd. and Seacliffe Dr. I am still looking forward to the eventual Lauzon Parkway and new Highway 401 interchange. I am also hoping the city of windsor ads new gateway signs across the city's borders, especially where the Gordie Howe Bridge plaza meets the 401, and probably at the future Lauzon Parkway and 401 interchange. The Windsor-Essex area and its roadways have radically changed in the past 15 years. I hope to see more.

IMO Windsor’s next big roads projects should all be rail grade separations. The number of at-grade railway crossings along major roadways in the city is significant.

The Tecumseh Road W intersection with the CPKC Windsor yard and parallel ETR line is probably the worst offender, followed by the CN corridor hairpin at Walker Road/Provincial Road near the 401. There are many more that need to be addressed but those 2 should be priorities. The ETR corridor that runs right in front of the Ambassador Bridge should also have been solved at some point too, but it might not be relevant anymore with the GHIB opening up soon.

 

[Dreambig1]

I agree with what you are saying about the at-grade rail crossings. I lived not far from the one on Tecumseh Rd, next to the Home Hardware, when I lived in Windsor as a student from 2012 to 2021. That one does tend to clog up Tecumseh Rd. I noticed the whole time I lived there, trains tend to idle in the middle of the tracks crossing roads sometimes for 20 mins plus. I used to walk to the superstore on Dougal Ave and had to stand around waiting for the train to finally pass. There are many city road widening and rehab projects that also come to mind, as well as the redevelopment of the Dougal Parkway. The 2 interchanges and bridges are outdated, and it's poorly lit.

 

[Dreambig1]

It's likely coming. I've heard the province is talking to Hamilton and London about uploading Highbury Avenue and the RHVP and Linc.. I don't see why they wouldn't be interested in uploading the EC Row as well.

The provincial freeway network is starting to have a massive infrastructure backlog in itself, uploading wouldn't necessarily be any better. The Province has seen massive increases in traffic levels across the network in the last 15 years with very minimal changes to the underlying infrastructure, especially in and around the GTA.. the network is operating at very poor levels across huge swaths of the province these days.

The province has shown a willingness to throw more money at highways in SW Ontario for whatever reason though, and provincial highways down there are operating a lot better than elsewhere already as it is. There are very few capacity-related issues on provincial highways west of Kitchener.

A lot of the GTA highways have been sitting on improvements for years now and are far more desperate for improvements.

Agreed. The highway network between Toronto and Niagara Falls, Toronto and Kitchener, Toronto and Barrie, and Toronto and Port Hope needs a lot of attention. The only major exemption would be the 417 in Ottawa. I hope the future redevelopment of the 401 east of Toronto through Oshawa and other communities will drastically improve that stretch of road.

 

[Dan416]

I don't really see what new highways the GTA needs though? Yes the highways are crowded. But that's why we're building all this transit because there's nowhere to put new highways. That's why Dougie has this dumb 401 tunnel idea. Like other than the 413 and Bradford Bypass, is there anything else needed?

 

[ARG1]

I don't really see what new highways the GTA needs though? Yes the highways are crowded. But that's why we're building all this transit because there's nowhere to put new highways. That's why Dougie has this dumb 401 tunnel idea. Like other than the 413 and Bradford Bypass, is there anything else needed?

404 to Hwy 48 or 12 would be great, but besides that there isn't much.

 

[north-of-anything]

I don't really see what new highways the GTA needs though? Yes the highways are crowded. But that's why we're building all this transit because there's nowhere to put new highways. That's why Dougie has this dumb 401 tunnel idea. Like other than the 413 and Bradford Bypass, is there anything else needed?

I would say a few shorter-distance routes and upgrades would be helpful, like a continuous freeway from Hamilton to Kitchener via Guelph, or making the 115 fully separated from the 407 to Peterborough.

Maybe they can connect the Caledonia Bypass to the freeway section near YHM, and finish the 404 to Sutton, but I'm not sure if those expenses are justified (or how well the former would go over with the nearby indigenous communities).

 

[innsertnamehere]

I don't really see what new highways the GTA needs though? Yes the highways are crowded. But that's why we're building all this transit because there's nowhere to put new highways. That's why Dougie has this dumb 401 tunnel idea. Like other than the 413 and Bradford Bypass, is there anything else needed?

It’s not so much new highway but upgrades to existing ones. MTO has had plans for things like the 400 widening, 401 widening to Kitchener, 401 widening in Durham, 403 / QEW widening in Burlington, etc.

A lot of the local highways are also over capacity these days and need upgrades too - 89 from Alliston to the 400, 9 from Orangeville to the 400, 12 around Beaverton, etc.


Regarding new corridors, I agree not too many are needed. I see 5 real new ones in the Golden Horseshoe, none particularly large, and beyond highway 6 from Hamilton to Guelph, I don’t think any are really particularly high priority:

1. 404 to highway 48. Doesn’t need to go to 12 like it was previously planned, but should fill the gap in the highway network by connecting to 48.

2. 406 extension to highway 58 - this area is growing quickly and this would improve connections to Port Colborne and south Welland.

3. 6 highway upgrade between Waterdown and the 401 - partly planned already but this should be upgraded to a RIRO Like 35 or 11.

4. The new Brantford-Cambridge highway.

5. Highway 6 extension to Caledonia. The upgrade to the airport planned right now is really probably fine for now, but there is a lot of growth ramping up in Haldimand which may make it necessary eventually. Maybe include a Hagersville bypass as well, but it only needs to be a freeway until Caledonia. It would actually likely be well received by the 6-nations as it would help their economic development to have better freeway connections.. they have not had issues with development on the north side of the Grand River either as the treaty on that side is not disputed like the south side is.

 

[6ixGod]

Rather than widening, I’d rather they build bus only lanes with barriers on as many highways as they possibly can.

 

[Dreambig1]

It’s not so much new highway but upgrades to existing ones. MTO has had plans for things like the 400 widening, 401 widening to Kitchener, 401 widening in Durham, 403 / QEW widening in Burlington, etc.

A lot of the local highways are also over capacity these days and need upgrades too - 89 from Alliston to the 400, 9 from Orangeville to the 400, 12 around Beaverton, etc.


Regarding new corridors, I agree not too many are needed. I see 5 real new ones in the Golden Horseshoe, none particularly large, and beyond highway 6 from Hamilton to Guelph, I don’t think any are really particularly high priority:

1. 404 to highway 48. Doesn’t need to go to 12 like it was previously planned, but should fill the gap in the highway network by connecting to 48.

2. 406 extension to highway 58 - this area is growing quickly and this would improve connections to Port Colborne and south Welland.

3. 6 highway upgrade between Waterdown and the 401 - partly planned already but this should be upgraded to a RIRO Like 35 or 11.

4. The new Brantford-Cambridge highway.

5. Highway 6 extension to Caledonia. The upgrade to the airport planned right now is really probably fine for now, but there is a lot of growth ramping up in Haldimand which may make it necessary eventually. Maybe include a Hagersville bypass as well, but it only needs to be a freeway until Caledonia. It would actually likely be well received by the 6-nations as it would help their economic development to have better freeway connections.. they have not had issues with development on the north side of the Grand River either as the treaty on that side is not disputed like the south side is.

I think the MTO needs to finally get on with unfinished projects or projects that have been on the books for 15 to 20 plus years. Good examples would be the extension of Highway 400 to Sudbury and widening the 401 from Tilbury to London, and many more. It seems like another 20-plus years will pass, and a lot of the projects that have been around forever will start not be done. The pace at which we move in Ontario is insanely slow.

 

[Westey]

As someone who likes higher speed limits but who also likes fiscal responsibility, it's painful to read that freeways are being designed for safe travel at 130 km/h+ yet limited to 100-110 km/h.

Surely, it costs more to build to that standard, yet we can't even use what we build the way it's designed to be used. The 6-lane section of the 401 before the new expressway in Windsor looks like it was designed for 150 km/h, being very straight, wide, and with broad curves.

Most of the design speed is governed by the safety of errant vehicles. If a vehicle goes off the road, it travels much farther at higher speeds, meaning a much wider width to be obstacle free and also flatter roadside needed to prevent the faster car from rolling.
The horizontal and vertical alignments are not the problem.

 

[narduch]

I've driven Ravenshoe Rd. At rush hour.

It is pointless to expand the 404 eastward