Calgary Stoney Trail [Ring Road]

[mersar]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

The Metis Trail interchange just is massive for the current amount of traffic that goes over it. Three lanes going northbound over the bridge. I understand that once the area is built out, that will be necessary, but it's mostly abandoned right now. I drove North from the interchange to 144th Ave, does anyone know if 144th Ave west of Metis turns towards the north and goes past Cross Iron Mills?

It used to come out on the service road that runs parallel to the QE2, with the recent road work it may not anymore though. Once Metis is built all the way north to 566 it will be a much better option.

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Also, it hadn't occured to me until yesterday that Metis Trail will have a railway crossing there at 144th Ave.

A very, very low usage track fortunately. I've only ever seen a train on it once, and it was only a half dozen cars

[Seadood]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Drove the ring road again last night, first from Country Hills Blvd E to Beddington- then Beddington back to Metis.

The Metis Trail interchange just is massive for the current amount of traffic that goes over it. Three lanes going northbound over the bridge. I understand that once the area is built out, that will be necessary, but it's mostly abandoned right now.

Would there be a possibility that this might be a LRT ROW? Since it was a P3 the city might have put their 2 cents in and requested a bridge to accommodate, since it wasn't on their dime.

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by Seadood

Would there be a possibility that this might be a LRT ROW? Since it was a P3 the ciy migth have put their 2 cents in and requested a bridge to accommodate, since it wasn't on their dime.

No, the LRT right of way was originally at the future 60th Street Interchange, but now I think its where 36th Street is (west of Metis)

I have no doubt that the Metis interchange will eventually need to be that big, it's just that, right now, it serves the people of Skyview Ranch, and the few businesses North of Stoney.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Why didn't the NE section get flat lensed streetlights? Those things that they have for the NE section are horrible for light pollution. I'm very surprised they were allowed. They should replace them all immediately.

Agreed, but I don't think the province has quite the light pollution regulation that Calgary does.

I drove North from the interchange to 144th Ave, does anyone know if 144th Ave west of Metis turns towards the north and goes past Cross Iron Mills?

I think so. I drove out of CIM a few days ago and there were signs saying "alternate route to Calgary", as opposed to going up to Balzac. It's a new road that detours around a little, and you end up on this really crappy gravel road which eventually hits Metis, right by the tracks. I didn't even realize where the heck I was until getting to Metis/Stoney. Tons of new roadwork going on and I imagine this new road from CIM will connect to Metis eventually.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Why didn't the NE section get flat lensed streetlights? Those things that they have for the NE section are horrible for light pollution. I'm very surprised they were allowed. They should replace them all immediately.

It met the specs for the ring road, so there's technically nothing wrong with it though. I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but it was likely cheaper to use those lights, plus the light spread they have allows the ring road to be lit from the (wide) median.

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

The Metis Trail interchange just is massive for the current amount of traffic that goes over it. Three lanes going northbound over the bridge. I understand that once the area is built out, that will be necessary, but it's mostly abandoned right now. I drove North from the interchange to 144th Ave, does anyone know if 144th Ave west of Metis turns towards the north and goes past Cross Iron Mills? Also, it hadn't occured to me until yesterday that Metis Trail will have a railway crossing there at 144th Ave.

It was built to ultimate right away because of the proposed industrial/commerical development in the area directly to the South. It was a huge development, but I bet much of it being held off with teh economy the way it is.

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

The cloverleaf ramps at some interchanges - like Country Hills Blvd E - almost seem unnecessarily large. Better than too small I suppose.

This may sound funny, but this is to normal design standards...almost all the time you find them building ramps to sub design standards with really slow ramp speeds. We're so used to tight loops that it's like a miracle. There's a reason the TUC juts out so far at the interchanges!

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

I laugh at the bridge clearance signs on the tall Deerfoot bridges - something like "10.6 M". What's the point of putting up a sign like that when the bridge right beside is obviously much lower?

No one's really sure about this one haha. We all laugh at it. I think they took the "bridges need clearance signs" comment too literally. That being said it was put on the bridges when the girders were fabricated so it's not like they went out of their way to do it.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by mersar

It used to come out on the service road that runs parallel to the QE2, with the recent road work it may not anymore though. Once Metis is built all the way north to 566 it will be a much better option.

144th Ave still goes westward to the old service road (range road 295?). I was out that way a week ago and saw that the deck for the railroad crossing was poured and awaiting lights and bells. Just north of the crossing, range road 293 was paved to Crossiron Drive (township rd 261) and thought i saw lines marked...

I think it was still short of a toplift layer (maybe this spring?)

Originally Posted by mersar

A very, very low usage track fortunately. I've only ever seen a train on it once, and it was only a half dozen cars

The track is solely for the sulpher facility at the gas plant. Biggest potential problem is that trains will block the crossing as they shunt cars (remember 50th ave and ogden road?)

[Oliver Klozov]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

The track is solely for the sulpher facility at the gas plant. Biggest potential problem is that trains will block the crossing as they shunt cars (remember 50th ave and ogden road?)

Sulphur unit trains are normally 112-114 cars. That is far too long (~7000') to be assembled on the spur. I'm not sure but I would bet that the 6-axle locomotives that are used for road freights are not allowed on the spur (too heavy). That leaves the 4-axle GP-38s to pull shorter cuts of cars out of the plant and then assemble a unit train at a place called Petro which is a siding near where the spur joins the Red Deer subdivision.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Oliver Klozov

Sulphur unit trains are normally 112-114 cars. That is far too long (~7000') to be assembled on the spur. I'm not sure but I would bet that the 6-axle locomotives that are used for road freights are not allowed on the spur (too heavy). That leaves the 4-axle GP-38s to pull shorter cuts of cars out of the plant and then assemble a unit train at a place called Petro which is a siding near where the spur joins the Red Deer subdivision.

update: I was at the County offices today. Apparently the road is functional to Crossiron drive. The only thing holding up the road is the new railroad crossing which lacks power for the power to the crossing signal lights.

So a new Malzac/ metis trail route is waiting on Fortis Alberta's ability to string some wire.

[eggbert]

I was driving up past the new ped bridge this morning by Royal Oak, the sign changed again saying delays up to Dec 15th now. I think that's like the 5th time change I've seen now since the original October 20th date. On the bright side there was progress, the handrail is up for the southbound lanes now.

[Corndogger]

The province has been saying that the cost of the NW leg of Stoney Trail is $460 million. This figure has been used since about Day 1 if I remember correctly and clearly doesn't include the new and expanded interchanges. Is there a place where they list the costs of these other projects? I've looked on the AB Transportation site but had no luck.

[YYCguys]

How is it possible for the recently announced Harvest Hills/Centre Street interchange to be started in the spring and finished in the fall of next year, or am I totally missing something here?

[mersar]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

How is it possible for the recently announced Harvest Hills/Centre Street interchange to be started in the spring and finished in the fall of next year, or am I totally missing something here?

The earth work is all done, the detour is already in use and its only 2 fairly simple bridges. Essentially they just need to dig a few holes for the footings and start pouring concrete. The tuscany/scenic acres interchange took about as long to do once you take out the earth work for it

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

How is it possible for the recently announced Harvest Hills/Centre Street interchange to be started in the spring and finished in the fall of next year, or am I totally missing something here?

Crowchild/Sarcee started in April and finished in November, so it's certainly possible. It's only in the past couple of years that road construction is taking 3x as long as necessary. And, as mersar mentions, earthworks are mostly done.

[mooky]

I also remember 18th Street and Glenmore a few years back being done in record time, like one construction season, so it can be done, just some recent construction projects seem to be in a time-freeze be they NW ring road or down town LRT platforms....

[You Need A Thneed]

Earthworks is mostly done, the detour road is done, construction can start right away on the actual structure, that's how it can be done in one season.

[mersar]

Crowchild interchange has 2 of the abutments for the east ramp bridges poured and the forms removed already, the other 2 have forms in place. They've also got forms laying on the ground beside the pier for the ramp bridge on the west side of the interchange. Both abutments for that bridge have the footings finished now, so won't be long until they setup the forms and pour them either.

[Oliver Klozov]

Most of the construction delays in the past couple of years are attributable to material supply shortages, especially steel.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by mersar

Crowchild interchange has 2 of the abutments for the east ramp bridges poured and the forms removed already, the other 2 have forms in place. They've also got forms laying on the ground beside the pier for the ramp bridge on the west side of the interchange. Both abutments for that bridge have the footings finished now, so won't be long until they setup the forms and pour them either.

Sounds like your saying there's no reason why most of this interchange couldn't open by next summer.

[freeweed]

For all my kvetching about the long-delayed pedestrian bridge, this morning they have the lane detours changed, implying they're going to continue working on it today.

Some damn brave souls willing to be up there in these temperatures.

[Mazrim]

It actually doesn't feel too bad when the sun is shining. I wouldn't want to be out there if it wasn't sunny though!