[Haljackey]

Highway 401 bridges over Grand River to be replaced starting this spring

KITCHENER — Get ready for more major Highway 401 construction: the bridges crossing the Grand River in Kitchener are about to be replaced. Work will start this spring and is scheduled to finish...

www.waterloochronicle.ca

This is a precursor to finish the missing connections at Highway 8.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Highway 401 bridges over Grand River to be replaced starting this spring

KITCHENER — Get ready for more major Highway 401 construction: the bridges crossing the Grand River in Kitchener are about to be replaced. Work will start this spring and is scheduled to finish...

www.waterloochronicle.ca

This is a pre-cursor to finish the missing connections at Highway 8.

I don't think MTO plans to build the missing ramps any time soon. They completed the EA a decade ago to make sure they reserved the correct amount of land from an adjacent subdivision application from my understanding, and later to ensure the Grand River bridges could be properly constructed to accommodate it.

 

[CF1]

The article mentions that the highway will be widened to 10 lanes over the new bridges. That just sounds unlikely to me. Most likely they'll make the bridge wide enough for 10 lanes, and perhaps one of those could be for ramps to and from highway 8.

 

[nfitz]

The article mentions that the highway will be widened to 10 lanes over the new bridges. That just sounds unlikely to me. Most likely they'll make the bridge wide enough for 10 lanes, and perhaps one of those could be for ramps to and from highway 8.

I didn't think there was any imminent plans to add ramps to Highway 8 from the west.

Mind you, I wasn't aware they were widening the 401 west of 8 either.

 

[CF1]

I didn't think there was any imminent plans to add ramps to Highway 8 from the west.

Mind you, I wasn't aware they were widening the 401 west of 8 either.

Agreed, what I mean is they one of those lanes could be used as a ramp to highway 8 but will not be constructed at the moment. This is all speculation to be clear - I am sure the exact plans are out there somewhere.

 

[drum118]

Somewhere in the backroom, there is a map showing the 401 becoming 10 lanes west of 8 to London and 8/10 to Windsor with 6 on the books now. All of the bridges west of London will have to be rebuilt to support 10 lanes when a number been rebuilt for 6 the last few years..

There will be new off/on ramps on top of the 10 lanes for 8.

You can see new bridges being built for 10 lanes from 403 to London now and the last 2 years.

You have 12 lanes between 8 and 24 now, consider 2 of them were to be HOV lanes.

 

[jamincan]

If you check the Design and Construction Report on the project website, it states the following:

Highway 401
The improvement works includes three (3) km of Highway 401 improvements extending from one (1) km west of Homer Watson Boulevard to 1.5 km east of the King Street Interchange. The Highway 401 improvements include widening of the westbound / eastbound roadway, a grade raise west of the Grand River Bridge, pavement reconstruction, new median storm sewer, drainage improvements, new median tall wall, new guide rails, new overhead signage, and high mast lighting. New additional lanes on Highway 401 do not form part of the scope of this project; however, it does include extending the westbound King Street N-W ramp as a continuous speed change lane to Homer Watson W-N/S ramp. Pavement rehabilitation (mill and resurface) will take place on the Highway 401 King Street interchange ramps and on King Street within the MTO ROW.

Grand River Bridges
The existing Highway 401 Grand River structures have reached the end of their service life and require replacement. The replacement bridge structures are planned to accommodate the future ultimate widening of Highway 401 from six lanes to eight lanes through the study area

You can review the report here: https://hwy401grandriverbridges.ca/...9/11/GWP-3080-12-00-Hwy-401-GRB-DCR-Final.pdf

 

[Deadpool X]

Somewhere in the backroom, there is a map showing the 401 becoming 10 lanes west of 8 to London and 8/10 to Windsor with 6 on the books now. All of the bridges west of London will have to be rebuilt to support 10 lanes when a number been rebuilt for 6 the last few years..

There will be new off/on ramps on top of the 10 lanes for 8.

You can see new bridges being built for 10 lanes from 403 to London now and the last 2 years.

You have 12 lanes between 8 and 24 now, consider 2 of them were to be HOV lanes.

I don't think we will need 8/10 lanes to Windsor in 100 years.

 

[Haljackey]

The only 8 lane sections of the 401 I could ever see west of Highway 8 is a slight continuation west to Homer Watson to accommodate traffic generated from this interchange to Highway 8 and east as Kitchener grows. 8 Lanes could also be warranted one day between Highway 402 and 403, but probably just between the 402 and the eastern city limit of London (but not the thread to discuss this).

It's true that the highway is being rebuilt to support 10 lanes whenever reconstruction occurs, but that's a 'just-in-case' future-proofing. As working from home rises in popularity, long-distance commuter traffic between London and the Toronto area will decrease or at least plateau.

-----

With the winter shutdown ending soon I am curious just how much we'll see the 401 evolve between Milton and Mississauga this year. I'd expect by the end of 2021 that most of the 'easy' work will essentially be complete. Only the harder/more complex components would still be on the to-do list like the bridges over the Credit River, the 407 braided ramp (WB only), and whatever remaining over/underpass replacement still required to be finished.

 

[jamincan]

Based on what I've seen, it already seems they're back at it.

 

[drum118]

Had to drive today to Halton Hills and had a quick look the the work since I last saw it at year end. Steel work in place for both bridges over the Credit River to allow forming to take place to pour the beck.

More retaining wall on the east side of the new Creditview Rd that been back fill some what foe the north bound lane. Another section for the bridge for the expansion joint is form, otherwise next to no work on the bridge itself. There is a fish logo on the side of the new bridge.

Mississauga Rd north bound access to the 401 is to be close April 6-8 and no idea which direction since there is a flashing sign for this closure. Only can see the eastbound been close as too much work to be done before shifting the westbound one for both directions.

The eastbound bridge over Derry Rd is ready to have the forming place over it as the new piers are ready for it, The westbound are about a week behind the eastbound.

Lots of concrete barriers pour, but that it. Lots of new light mast on site to be install.

Most of the new Trafalgar Rd for the new bridge in place on the north side, but not on the southside until they built the new eastbound off ramp.

Other than what I posted, not much work has taken place since year end and will have a look on Sunday for the rest as we go to London.

Photos to follow.

 

[jamincan]

As of this morning, the Winston Churchill overpass has jersey barriers separating the centre lane/boulevard and is now reduced to two through lanes crossing over on the North-bound side (the right-most lane no longer exits onto the 401). Any ideas what work they're going to be starting on it?

The Franklin Rd. exit in Cambridge is also now closed as of this morning and there's a fairly major rejigging of the lanes east of Hespeler Rd.

 

[Haljackey]

The later part of this video shows the widening work from Mississauga to Milton as it was in Feb 2021.

 

[drum118]

April 3
Lot more up on site

April 9

 

[nfitz]

Is that the new bridge over the Credit? I hadn't realized they'd even tendered that piece. Not sure how I missed that on the only time I drove over it back in January since ... sigh ... late 2019.