Ontario Highways

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Highway 17 between Nipigon and SSM is truly a lost cause.

Has something like this happened to Highway 11 other than that sudden sinkhole near Temagami in early May?

That sort of thing has happened to most highways in Northern Ontario at different times. But it's usually worse along areas like Lake Superior because you are where lots of fast moving rivers are emptying into a big body of water.

Away from Lake Superior, repairs can usually be done faster but I've seen some washouts that were from usually small slow flowing creeks. One that I can think of about 4-6 years ago was Black Creek on Hwy 101 near Foleyet. There was lots of rain but I'm pretty sure that beaver dams also played a role.

[Dengler Avenue]

That means all the culverts on the 17 along Lake Superior Shore must be replaced with bridges then, which will require temporary bridges during construction. Once it’s done, those “temporary bridges” should stay to serve as passing lanes. Essentially twin Highway 17 near the culverts.

(It’s implied that cost will be non-trivial.)

[vid]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The example that comes to mind first for Hwy 11 is the failure of the Latchford Bridge a few years ago.

Years ago I worked for an engineering company in Kitchener, and I remember one of the projects involved building a flood control structure and road embankment for a roadway improvement project in the southwestern portion of the city. The exact proposed pavement elevation was argued about for probably close to a year before we could finally move forward with the exact roadway design, because they were concerned about exactly how much water the roadway embankment would impound during a 100 year storm.

So much of northern Ontario is still wild and unsurveyed, that I can't imagine the highway designers really have a really definitive flow number of exactly how much water would need to be drained following a large storm. It must be really challenging to design an adequate drainage system for these roads because you don't really know exactly how large the drainage catchment area is.

The solution to this is the solution they used to build bridges and high rises over a century ago: overbuild. Plan for the worst, and accommodate it in the design.

The ditches along the Shabaqua Highway could fit the Shabaqua Highway in them. Granted, it's literally built in a swamp (it travels on top of Williams Bog for the first 4 kilometers) but it's never washed out, flooded, or been left unusable. After 11 years in use now, it's actually amazing how well that road is holding up. It still drives like its brand new.

[Dengler Avenue]

That means the highway should be twinned even when AADT < 10K. #HighwayFantasy

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by vid

The solution to this is the solution they used to build bridges and high rises over a century ago: overbuild. Plan for the worst, and accommodate it in the design.

The ditches along the Shabaqua Highway could fit the Shabaqua Highway in them. Granted, it's literally built in a swamp (it travels on top of Williams Bog for the first 4 kilometers) but it's never washed out, flooded, or been left unusable. After 11 years in use now, it's actually amazing how well that road is holding up. It still drives like its brand new.

I get your point, but highways through flat lands also tend not to get washed out by rushing water irrespective of the size of the ditches.

[Dengler Avenue]

By the way, I’ve read somewhere that there’s a good poutine place somewhere in North Bay, and I may go visit the city next weekend. Does anyone know of such place and where?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

By the way, I’ve read somewhere that there’s a good poutine place somewhere in North Bay, and I may go visit the city next weekend. Does anyone know of such place and where?

I've lived in North Bay but never went out for poutine. I always prefer it in Quebec. (You're only a 45 minute drive to Témiscaming, QC)

But places to maybe try in North Bay:

Burger World
Ivan's
Hoagie's Diner

Just make sure they are making it with cheese curds.

[Dengler Avenue]

Thanks for letting me know

[Dengler Avenue]

https://globalnews.ca/news/4550727/p..._campaign=2015

I just found out about this. Any thought?

[Loco101]

I would be really surprised if insurance companies actually follow it if passed.

[Dengler Avenue]

Yesterday I was driving on 404 north of Major McKenzie Drive in York Region. The median was excavated. Today it was all filled. That means the HOV lanes should be ready soon.

I would say that’s pretty fast by Canadian standard...?

Meanwhile look at what’s happening with 401 through Cambridge, 400 through York Region and the current end of 427...

[sonysnob]

They have only started median construction on the 404 between Elgin Mills and Major Mackenzie. They still need to replace the Rouge River bridges with new bridges, and widen the 404's median southerly to Highway 7. (And northerly to the Stouffville Sideroad).

The HOV lanes on the 404 won't be open until 2020 or 2021.

[Dengler Avenue]

I just noticed that Highway 48 at Bloomington Road (York Regional Road 40) is now a roundabout. Since when has that become a thing?

[sonysnob]

^ It opened early this week, I think either late on Sunday or early on Monday:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ct18_24x16.jpg

[Dengler Avenue]

You really are everywhere.

[sonysnob]

I often have to travel the province for work.

[Dengler Avenue]

No wonder sometimes I see you post pictures of Northern Ontario too.

[Innsertnamehere]

Just drove through it my self. Pretty nice - the old light always had such a long light cycle that made it a giant pain to just miss a light. Bloomington road is already a frustrating driving experience - this should hopefully make it a bit easier.

[sonysnob]

Work is ongoing to widen the 407 through eastern Markham from six to eight lanes:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ct18_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ct18_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_4...ct18_24x16.jpg

[Dengler Avenue]

OPP really needs to crack down on drivers that refuse to keep right except to pass on the 407 (especially the section where there are only 2 lanes per direction). It sucks that Ontario doesn’t have a explicit law about it like BC does.