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404 southbound HOV lane was being paved today southbound from 19th Avenue to Elgin Mills. Pretty good progress since I recall they only started digging up that area a few months ago. Northbound doesn't look far behind.

For anyone not keeping close track, the status is: 407 to Major Mack - just getting started, Major Mack to Elgin Mills - complete, Elgin Mills to 19th Avenue - paving, 19th Avenue to Stouffville - started a couple of weeks ago.
 
I've seen some extensive excavation work along the 410 corridor from Derry south to Courtneypark recently. Did some digging online and looks like they're going to add some on-ramps to and from Courtneypark.

The project work includes:
  • The reconfiguration of the Highway 410/Courtneypark Drive interchange including a new on-ramp from Courtneypark Drive to Highway 410 northbound.
  • Adding a new off-ramp from Highway 410 southbound to Courtneypark Drive.
  • Minor modifications will be required to the southbound Highway 410 on and off-ramps at Derry Road in order to introduce the new southbound off-ramp at Courtneypark Drive.
  • Widening of the Courtneypark Drive Bridge (Site 24-441/1&2) over Highway 410.

phpMyAdmin

highway410detaildesign.ca highway410detaildesign.ca
 
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Don't know where to put this, but the Donald Cousins extension/Steeles widening is not dead. The City this October is passing bills to this effect to dedicate lands for highway purposes. Construction according to the 2016 update is to start next year. Bit by bit....

Mods, feel free to move this as needed.

"CITY OF TORONTO Bill 1309 BY-LAW -2019 To dedicate certain lands along the south side of Steeles Avenue East, between Little's Road and Ninth Line for public highway purposes. "
 
^ That's a widening of Steeles from Donald Cousens / Ninth Line to the Morningside Avenue extension to 6 lanes, and the construction of the Morningside Avenue extension.

Amazon is building a new "fulfillment centre" (really a fancy term for a warehouse) beside the Morningside Extension and I believe is building most of the extension themselves as a part of the project.

I'm not sure if Toronto is planning to eliminate the last 2 lane portion of Steeles out to Pickering as a part of the project as well, or if that still has to wait for another deal with Durham Region to pay for part of it. It's going to be needed soon given how quickly Seaton is finally getting built.
 
innsertnamehere said:
^ That's a widening of Steeles from Donald Cousens / Ninth Line to the Morningside Avenue extension to 6 lanes, and the construction of the Morningside Avenue extension.

Amazon is building a new "fulfillment centre" (really a fancy term for a warehouse) beside the Morningside Extension and I believe is building most of the extension themselves as a part of the project.

I'm not sure if Toronto is planning to eliminate the last 2 lane portion of Steeles out to Pickering as a part of the project as well, or if that still has to wait for another deal with Durham Region to pay for part of it. It's going to be needed soon given how quickly Seaton is finally getting built.
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I’m still disappointed that they didn’t decide to go with the direct alignment through the golf course to connect Donald Cousens Parkway with Morningside Avenue without a jog at Steeles Avenue.
 
Question about the 407: if I get on at 320 and get off at 340, am I charged the off peak (before 330) or peak (after 330) rate? Or a duration weighed mix?
 
Neutrino said:
Question about the 407: if I get on at 320 and get off at 340, am I charged the off peak (before 330) or peak (after 330) rate? Or a duration weighed mix?
Click to expand...
It's when you enter the highway. So you get charged the off peak rate. Note that the time resets if you drive between the provincial and private parts of the highway. For example, if you get on the provincial extension at 3:20 and enter the private portion at 3:35, the provincial portion of the drive will be charged as off peak while the private portion will be charged as on peak.
 
If the province was to cancel the 407 contract and re-nationalize (re-provincialize?) the highway how would this go down? What are the implications? The province writes the laws, so can change the laws. I suppose no foreign firms would again want to buy up Ontario's publicly-owned infrastructure, such as electrical utilities and power generation, but that's a good thing IMO.
 
And what would be the implications for any public private partnership transit contracts? Would consortiums be less willing to sign those contracts with Ontario if the province reneged on the 407?
 
Admiral Beez said:
If the province was to cancel the 407 contract and re-nationalize (re-provincialize?) the highway how would this go down? What are the implications? The province writes the laws, so can change the laws. I suppose no foreign firms would again want to buy up Ontario's publicly-owned infrastructure, such as electrical utilities and power generation, but that's a good thing IMO.
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It would likely completely destroy Ontario's credit rating as they couldn't be trusted to not legislate away contracts and debts. They would likely end up paying much more in additional debt servicing costs than the stupid highway would ever have cost.

It would be Venezuela type socialist craziness - nationalization without due compensation. It's not going to happen.
 
I would imagine there is some international law that Ontario would be violating as well. After all we are dealing with a foreign entity here, they can't just legislate the company out of existance
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
I would imagine there is some international law that Ontario would be violating as well. After all we are dealing with a foreign entity here, they can't just legislate the company out of existance
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IDK. We canceled the Beer Store contract, or threatened to without worry about international law.

www.thestar.com

Opinion | Doug Ford should cancel Highway 407 contract

Forget about the Beer Store contract, the public interest would be best served by taking back the “revenue-generating monster” GTA highway.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com
 
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Admiral Beez said:
If the province was to cancel the 407 contract and re-nationalize (re-provincialize?) the highway how would this go down? What are the implications? The province writes the laws, so can change the laws. I suppose no foreign firms would again want to buy up Ontario's publicly-owned infrastructure, such as electrical utilities and power generation, but that's a good thing IMO.
Click to expand...

As far as I know there is no "nationalization" here as the Province never ceded ownership. The Province simply established an operating lease agreement which almost certainly has explicit termination terms in it. All leases of this scope would include termination clauses for all parties and would have precise language about how that would be done, what payments were to be made in either direction, how those payments would be calculated, and what notice period would be required before that could happen.

As for anyone actually getting their hands on that agreement, particularly a copy with all of what have no doubt been dozens of amendments over the years, good luck.
 
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