Trans Canada Highway Twinning: Segments U/C

[jmt18325]

I'm sure that's the long term plan. They're slowly (well, more quickly now) starting to close the gap. It's going to cost a great deal of money though.

[sauril]

No kidding about the money.

I'm really happy about the completed Kicking Horse construction that's happened already, but it was a major effort.

[jmt18325]

I think the last place that will be done will be Glacier National Park of Canada. I expect to hear some new project annoncements soon regarding the TCH thorught BC. Hopefully anyway.

[bulliver]

^Yes, Roger's pass will be difficult and expensive. They will have to replace or twin all of the snowsheds.

[Mininari]

Yeah, that makes sense.
From what I remember about my various drives along the TCH, theres a lot of 2-lane that could be twinned without too much trouble (a few new bridges, grading, etc)... theres some long straighaway sections near Revelstoke that one has to wonder why they didn't bother just going ahead with 20 years ago for the sake of having passing lanes.

But otherwise, yeah Rogers Pass is going to be a douze. They may have to go P3 with tolls on that one : /

[craner]

Originally Posted by sauril

It's a couple thousand km away, but still the Trans Canada: I was driving from Golden to Calgary last weekend, and saw a sign that seemed to imply that the highway was going to be twinned from Kamloops to the Alberta border.

I can't seem to find any info on it, however. Anyone here know anything?

I drove from Kelowna to Calgary a couple of weeks ago and saw one sign that said exactly what you describe (i.e twinning from Kamloops to the BC/AB border). I was surprised and that is why I remember it. I didn't notice any timeline either but it was exciting to see it written on the sign.

[craner]

Great to hear about the work being done (or planning underway at least) on either side of the Man/Ont. border.

[MonctonRad]

It's good to see work ongoing to improve the traffic infrastructure on the TCH.

I am a strong proponent of a federalized national highway system. This needs to extend beyond the current TCH. We need a national highway system to bind this country together and to stimulate commerce and growth. Basically, any current divided highway as well as important intercity connectors should be considered as part of this system and should automatically be eligible for federal funding for future upgrade and maintenance.

Here in the Maritimes, a lot of work has been done to upgrade the highway system over the last 20 years. You can now drive on the TCH from the NB/PQ border all the way to New Glasgow NS on an unbroken stretch of divided highway, a distance of at least 700 km. Important spurs from Truro NS to Halifax, Saint John to Moncton and Moncton to Shediac NB are also divided. There are plans underway to complete twinning from Saint John to the US border and from Miramichi NB to Shediac. This will increase the inventory of divided highways in the Maritimes to about 1200 km.

This has made a huge difference in our economy down here. We are no longer the economic basket case that most of the ROC still thinks. Halifax, Moncton and Saint John all have unemployment rates less than the national average. A lot of this is due to increased inter-urban commerce. The highways now are faster, safer and more efficient.

Other areas of the country also deserve this benefit, especially northern Ontario and areas of interior BC. Traffic volumes should only be part of the equation when it comes to determining the benefit of a high quality divided highway system. It is just as important to think of the economic multiplier effect as well as the overall safety of the highway system.

The best thing we can do at present to carry on the great spirit of nation building of our ancestors would be to complete the national highway system!

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I am a strong proponent of a federalized national highway system. This needs to extend beyond the current TCH. We need a national highway system to bind this country together and to stimulate commerce and growth. Basically, any current divided highway as well as important intercity connectors should be considered as part of this system and should automatically be eligible for federal funding for future upgrade and maintenance.

Actually, that's kind of the way it works right now. There is a designated national highway system, and the feds often do help with upgrades.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Yeah, that makes sense.
From what I remember about my various drives along the TCH, theres a lot of 2-lane that could be twinned without too much trouble (a few new bridges, grading, etc)... theres some long straighaway sections near Revelstoke that one has to wonder why they didn't bother just going ahead with 20 years ago for the sake of having passing lanes.

But otherwise, yeah Rogers Pass is going to be a douze. They may have to go P3 with tolls on that one : /

The Rogers Pass section is federal jurisdiction though, so the feds would be the ones that have to pony up there. Same with in Yoho Park. Those would be really expensive sections where some compromising may be necessary (i.e. 80 km/h speed through Rogers Pass, more frequent interchanges at times due to few opportunities for service roads). Numerous retaining walls would be necessary as well and probably the snowsheds would need to be upgraded and twinned (I would go into the mountain for that for stability).

Under BC jurisdiction, once Kicking Horse Pass is done, their toughest sections are likely to be the Albert Canyon area, Taft-Revelstoke (I'd build a new straighter alignment in the valleys to the north) and the Chase/Squilax area (although a bypass option does exist through Turtle Valley if a couple mountains are tunnelled or blasted through). A large bridge over Shuswap Lake and a new/twinned Columbia River bridge would likely be necessary as well.

Turtle Valley, Sicamous-Taft, the section east of Revelstoke and Donald Station-Golden are pretty easy.

[jmt18325]

It's exciting as one of the remaning big gaps in the coast to coast highway is being bridged. I'm glad that Ontario is starting with their section, but at 10kms a shot, that's going to take a long time.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

The Rogers Pass section is federal jurisdiction though, so the feds would be the ones that have to pony up there. Same with in Yoho Park. Those would be really expensive sections where some compromising may be necessary (i.e. 80 km/h speed through Rogers Pass, more frequent interchanges at times due to few opportunities for service roads). Numerous retaining walls would be necessary as well and probably the snowsheds would need to be upgraded and twinned (I would go into the mountain for that for stability).

Under BC jurisdiction, once Kicking Horse Pass is done, their toughest sections are likely to be the Albert Canyon area, Taft-Revelstoke (I'd build a new straighter alignment in the valleys to the north) and the Chase/Squilax area (although a bypass option does exist through Turtle Valley if a couple mountains are tunnelled or blasted through). A large bridge over Shuswap Lake and a new/twinned Columbia River bridge would likely be necessary as well.

Turtle Valley, Sicamous-Taft, the section east of Revelstoke and Donald Station-Golden are pretty easy.

While I'd love to see the entire section twinned, I don't think that will be happening any time soon. Hopefully we will see steady progression towards that goal though. Once the Kicking Horse project is wrapped up it might make more sense for government to focus on these 'easy' sections next. You would get the most distance twinned for the investment involved. True, it would not solve the worst bottlenecks, which are the passes and narrow valleys, but it would go along way towards improving safety and efficiency. If people knew there was a twinned section a few km down the road they might be less inclined to try and pass as soon as they see a narrow window of opportunity.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Actually, that's kind of the way it works right now. There is a designated national highway system, and the feds often do help with upgrades.

Perhaps I should have been clearer. What I support is a fully federalized national highway system, just like the interstate system in the US. This would allow highways of national interest and importance to be built to the same exacting standards from coast to coast.

I am well aware that the feds already substantially fund the existing national highway system, but these roads remain under provincial jurisdiction and the provinces often will neglect areas of the network that are in more remote areas and thus the existing system tends to be discontinouous. These areas of neglect frequently are interprovincial connectors well away from the majority of each individual provinces population centres. For example, here in the east, while it is possible to travel all the way from Halifax to the NB/PQ border on a modern four lane expressway, you then have to traverse a dangerous 100 km section in Quebec before you can connect onto the autoroute system at Riviere-du-Loup. In a fully federalized national highway system, I don't think this would happen.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

You then have to traverse a dangerous 100 km section in Quebec before you can connect onto the autoroute system at Riviere-du-Loup. In a fully federalized national highway system, I don't think this would happen.

Thats dangerous, but I travelled on it thousand times, and nothing happened.

By the way, the Quebec's government works on it, the road will be fully twinned by 2013 :

Opening autumn 2009 : St-Louis du Ha! Ha! to Cabano

2010-2011 : Notre-Dame du Lac to St-Jaques (NB)

2011-2013 : St-Louis du Ha! Ha! to RDL.

Furthermore, I hate centralization, hence I do not want to see Ottawa to put his nose in it.


PDF :
http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/pag.../ream_vue3.pdf

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/pag.../ream_vue4.pdf

[jmt18325]

I don't think that ottawa should be handling infrastructure. Provincial governments are more likely to be in sync with the needs of their province.

In other news, I know it's not exactly the Trans Canada, but the Southern portion of Calgary's right road is starting construction. The southern route wil lbe much shorther than the northern one that opens at the end of this year.

http://actionplan.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1483

[sauril]

Re: Roger's Pass. They've actually done a fair amount of work on that section over the last few years. There are kilometers of new passing lanes on both sides, but obviously they haven't twinned the sheds yet.

I think twinning the easier sections first would be a good start, like the stretch just west of Golden.

I know that the AB gov and Feds have committed to twinning Highway 1 from Castle Junction to the border, which at the current rate of construction, should only take another 20 years.

It will be great for travellers and for truckers if this gets done.

[jmt18325]

[QUOTE=sauril;4276349]Re: Roger's Pass. They've actually done a fair amount of work on that section over the last few years. There are kilometers of new passing lanes on both sides, but obviously they haven't twinned the sheds yet.
QUOTE]

Perhaps they will not twin, but simply widen everything and put in a concrete median. They would still need new snow sheds, but it would probably be easier.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by sauril

Re: Roger's Pass. They've actually done a fair amount of work on that section over the last few years. There are kilometers of new passing lanes on both sides, but obviously they haven't twinned the sheds yet.

I think twinning the easier sections first would be a good start, like the stretch just west of Golden.

I know that the AB gov and Feds have committed to twinning Highway 1 from Castle Junction to the border, which at the current rate of construction, should only take another 20 years.

It will be great for travellers and for truckers if this gets done.

Not to dispute this, but in fact it is only the Feds who are doing this. The AB gov't (or any other provincial gov't) has no jurisdiction nor any obligation to do work inside a national park.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Yes, I think the priority right now is eliminating the 2 lane where there is no alternative route. That is one of the reasons that I think the Manitoba section will eventually be done.

I wonder if they'll think of all the trans-Canada cyclists when they go about twinning things given that "there is no alternative route". Nah... it's the MTO - the 'Ministry of cars and trucks and the occasional bus but only because we have to'. They'll probably build interchanges with all the minor highways too because that's what the MTO does.

[harls]

http://www.marketwire.com/press-rele...da-997131.html

Canada and Ontario Support Highway 69 Improvements

Project will create up to 1000 jobs, strengthen Northern Ontario's economy

SUDBURY, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 30, 2009) - John Baird, Canada's Transport and Infrastructure Minister, along with the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and MPP for Sudbury, announced today that the governments of Canada and Ontario will invest up to $128 million in a nine kilometre-stretch of Highway 69 in Northern Ontario.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Government of Canada is investing in infrastructure projects that will create jobs and stimulate the economy," said Minister Baird. "Highway 69 is a prime example of action that our government is taking to improve highway safety and efficiency across Canada. When we invest in public infrastructure, like Highway 69, we are building infrastructure that will improve the lives of people in the area for many years to come."

"The McGuinty government recognizes the importance of investing in infrastructure and opportunity for the people of Sudbury," said Bartolucci. "I am happy to say that today we are providing funding for an initiative that will not only provide jobs and opportunities for our community, but will also ensure that Ontarians have a safe and modern highway to travel on in the future."

Demonstrating their commitment to stimulating the economy and creating jobs, the governments of Canada and Ontario are moving forward with a number of large-scale infrastructure programs to assist Ontarians when they need it most.

The Government of Canada's 2009 Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years.

Through the 2009 Ontario Budget - Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future - the province is investing $32.5 billion in infrastructure for the province of Ontario over the next two years, including a $5 billion contribution from the federal government that will support more than 300,000 jobs and strengthen Ontario's economy.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Learn how the Government of Canada is investing in Ontario infrastructure (http://www.buildingcanada-chantiersc...n/on-eng.html).

Learn how the Government of Ontario is helping to build and revitalize infrastructure across the province (http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/english/infrastructure/).

Learn more about Ontario's Northern Highways Program (http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/nordev/north_highways_e.asp).

Disponible en francais


BACKGROUNDER

Creating Jobs and Improving Highway Infrastructure
in Northern Ontario

Infrastructure investment stimulates economic growth, creates jobs, supports stronger communities and enhances the overall prosperity of Ontarians.

The governments of Canada and Ontario will consider improvements to Highway 69 in Northern Ontario as a priority for infrastructure funding under the Building Canada Fund.

The project involves construction of nine kilometres of four-lane highway (six kilometres on new alignment and three kilometres of twinning existing two-lane highway) from Highway 637 northerly to Estaire. Work on this project includes construction of an interchange at Highway 637, an overhead wildlife crossing structure, two joint use culverts (for wildlife and forest management) and a structural culvert. The project's total estimated cost is $128 million and will create or sustain up to 1000 direct and indirect jobs.

The governments of Canada and Ontario will each set aside up to 50 per cent of total eligible costs, to a maximum contribution of $64 million, subject to federal Environmental Assessment approval, to be funded under the Building Canada Fund Major Infrastructure Component. Federal financial support for the Highway 69 project is conditional on the negotiation of a contribution agreement, as well as the project meeting all other applicable federal eligibility requirements under the Building Canada Plan.