Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitchissippi
Although Ontario's Highway 17 won't be twinned in our lifetimes,
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I wouldn't bet on that... the freeway builders are planning to blow holes in the Canadian Shield of Northern Ontario:
http://news.ontario.ca/mndm/en/2008/...o-success.html
Quote:
Ontario is making record investments in the province's northern highway system.
A $546-million investment in 2008-09 will continue to improve the safety and efficiency of the area's highway infrastructure.
In Northwestern Ontario, critical projects include:
-Planned safety enhancements along the Thunder Bay expressway
-Continued work on Highway 17 east and west of Thunder Bay [this is twinning work]
-A major five-year rehabilitation of the Noden Causeway on Highway 11 near Fort Frances
-Detailed engineering work on the Highway 11/17 corridor from Thunder Bay to Nipigon
-Route planning studies for future four-laning for several sections of Highway 17 to the Manitoba border.
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And see also:
http://kenorachamber.com/News.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitchissippi
I'd like to see it upgraded with ample wide shoulders though its entire length as soon as possible. Bear in mind that every cross-Canada endeavour has to go though this corridor, from Terry Fox's run, to Rick Hansen's wheelchair, and every cyclist/inline skater/you-name-the-activity adventurer that hopes to go from coast to coast. There are hundreds of them each year -- I know I was one of them a couple of years back. The Northern Ontario stretch was one that left me constantly fearing for my life because of the lack of shoulders, sometimes with trucks passing my bike by mere inches (at least it felt like it). I'd love to see Ontario adopt the Route verte standards for this highway. |
Lord knows what the MTO will do about cyclists et al doing Trans-Canada tours since there are no other roads through there. Not that the MTO cares about such things anyway... where Hwy 17 turns into Hwy 417 at Arnprior there are no signs telling cyclists that they're not allowed on the 417, never mind telling them where they should go. Because of this moronic thoughtlessness on the MTO's part every now and then you see fully-laden European cycle tourists trying to navigate through the 416/417 interchange...