Metro Vancouver Road Infrastructure Discussion

[Sheba]

Ars takes a first tour of the length of The Boring Company’s test tunnel

Although Musk said many times over the evening that he wants to "solve traffic," The Boring Company's primary stated goal was to improve the speed and cost of tunnel digging over modern boring machines. Currently, Musk said, the fastest tunnels are built at a rate of a mile every three to six months, at a cost of up to $1 billion per mile in some heavily populated cities. Instead, The Boring Company hopes to improve its speed by automating erection of the concrete tunnel segments so that it's simultaneous with boring.

The rest of the improvement in boring speed would come from increasing the power of the boring machine by three times while also improving the drill head to accommodate the additional work. Together with automating segment construction, this should offer a 15-fold improvement in drilling speed, Musk said.

Musk said that a lot of the cost decreases would follow from the speed improvements. "If you have the same crew, and that crew is able to work 15 times faster, you’ve cut your labor cost," Musk said.

Additionally, The Boring Company makes its concrete on site, using dirt excavated from the tunnel itself, which saves on cost.

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Ars takes a first tour of the length of The Boring Company’s test tunnel

Why is this here; this has nothing to do with Vancouver. There's a general transportation thread elsewhere on SkyscraperPage Forums.

[officedweller]

Tree down on the Stanely Park Causeway due to wnds today:


https://twitter.com/DriveBC

[whatnext]

I could only shake my head at the repeated images of the trees that fell on E.12th just east of Kingsway. It's been clear for years those trees should have been taken down. There were big chunks missing where trucks had hit them. They were in way too confined a space. The city is lucky their green stupidity didn't get someone killed.

[jollyburger]

North Shore is getting a bunch of real-time electronic road signs to alert drivers of traffic and accidents:



https://www.nsnews.com/news/north-sh...gns-1.23625895

[whatnext]

Large investment in Delta's road network by the provincial, federal and TFN gov'ts:

$245 million in road improvements planned for Delta

...Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon said the upgrades will improve safety and travel time, while also reducing conflicts between commercial vehicles and other traffic.

The projects include:

Highway 91 at Nordel Interchange — Direct ramps to and from Delta, improved acceleration and deceleration lanes, additional through-lanes for Nordel Way traffic crossing over Highway 91 and relocating a portion of the Delta Nature Reserve boardwalk.

Highway 91 Connector at Nordel Way intersection — A combination of direct access roads and additional turning lanes to remove one signalized intersection and improve all movements, including significantly improved access to and from the Nordel Way commercial-vehicle inspection station and truck parking area.

New interchange at Highway 17 and Highway 91 Connector (Sunbury) and improvements to the River Road connection — Replacing the existing signalized intersection and eliminating the need for an at-grade rail crossing to access the highway.

Intersection improvements at Highway 17 and 80th Street (Tilbury) — Upgrading the connection from 80th Street to Highway 17 westbound to improve merging and reduce queuing on 80th Street.

27B Avenue and Deltaport Way access improvements -- Providing a smoother, safer merge for traffic.

27B Avenue upgrades between Deltaport Way and 41B Street -- Roadway widening and upgrading in cooperation with Tsawwassen First Nation to improve access to industrial lands and the Canadian Border Services Agency's container examination facility...

https://www.vancourier.com/245-milli...lta-1.23635997

[flipper316]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Large investment in Delta's road network by the provincial, federal and TFN gov'ts:

$245 million in road improvements planned for Delta

...Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon said the upgrades will improve safety and travel time, while also reducing conflicts between commercial vehicles and other traffic.

The projects include:

Highway 91 at Nordel Interchange — Direct ramps to and from Delta, improved acceleration and deceleration lanes, additional through-lanes for Nordel Way traffic crossing over Highway 91 and relocating a portion of the Delta Nature Reserve boardwalk.

Highway 91 Connector at Nordel Way intersection — A combination of direct access roads and additional turning lanes to remove one signalized intersection and improve all movements, including significantly improved access to and from the Nordel Way commercial-vehicle inspection station and truck parking area.

New interchange at Highway 17 and Highway 91 Connector (Sunbury) and improvements to the River Road connection — Replacing the existing signalized intersection and eliminating the need for an at-grade rail crossing to access the highway.

Intersection improvements at Highway 17 and 80th Street (Tilbury) — Upgrading the connection from 80th Street to Highway 17 westbound to improve merging and reduce queuing on 80th Street.

27B Avenue and Deltaport Way access improvements -- Providing a smoother, safer merge for traffic.

27B Avenue upgrades between Deltaport Way and 41B Street -- Roadway widening and upgrading in cooperation with Tsawwassen First Nation to improve access to industrial lands and the Canadian Border Services Agency's container examination facility...

https://www.vancourier.com/245-milli...lta-1.23635997

We have a Highway 17 SFPR Upgrades thread.

[SpongeG]

New statistics show daily commuting patterns from Fraser Valley to Vancouver

Kenneth Chan Feb 26, 2019

Statistics Canada has released new data that shows the extent of car commuting patterns and volumes between both ends of the Lower Mainland.

Of those who regularly work in Metro Vancouver and have long commutes, 9% commute from the Abbotsford-Mission area (median distance of 50 km) and another 5% from Chilliwack (median distance of 67 km), for a combined total of 14% from the Fraser Valley.

...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metr...cs-canada-2019

[SpongeG]

Gas line replacement leads to traffic disruptions in Coquitlam

Maria Weisgarber, Reporter, CTV Vancouver @ctv_mariaw
Published Monday, March 11, 2019

Work is underway to replace a section of aging gas line under a major artery in Coquitlam, and drivers are being warned to expect disruptions.

Crews and equipment are digging up pavement near Como Lake Avenue at North Road, and a partial lane closure is in effect in the area.

On Wednesday, work will begin on another section of the avenue between Blue Mountain and Porter Street.

...

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/gas-line-repla...tlam-1.4331611

[officedweller]

This Week in History: 1967 — Wacky Bennett and Tom Terrific team up to push for a third crossing

Some of the lesser known proposals...
See article for more...


Model of a proposed causeway, tunnel and twin bridge from Downtown Vancouver to the North Shore in 1967.
DAN SCOTT / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Alternate view of a 1967 model of a proposed causeway, tunnel and twin bridge from Downtown Vancouver
to the North Shore. DAN SCOTT / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Sept. 11, 1967. A model of the ventilating system for the proposed new First Narrows crossing gets close inspection
from Vancouver Mayor Tom Campbell, recently returned from holidays in Hawaii. The working model, built in Montreal,
is on display at the Bayshore Inn. SAN WIEBE / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Aug. 5, 1965. Vancouver Sun illustration of a bridge or tunnel by Brockton Point proposed by Social Credit
Highways Minister Phil Gaglardi. PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing



Map of a proposed 1960 ‘waterfront parkway,’ six-lane freeway that would have been built in English Bay.
The present beach would have become a ‘bay lagoon’ if it had gone through. The plan also shows a second bridge
to the east of the Lions Gate Bridge. SUN FILES
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing

You can see what the Granville Bridge was to link up to...


An artist’s conception of a 1960s’ freeway in Vancouver, showing the unbuilt east-west freeway that
would have sliced through East Vancouver to Burnaby, and a freeway that would have gone through the West End.
Note there is no Carrall Street freeway. VANCOUVER SUN

[Vantage]

That "bay lagoon" would've been pretty gross if what was proposed was built.

[osirisboy]

Ugh. All those proposals and they couldn't even get one freeway built. Too bad

[Metro-One]

The full extent was too much and would have been terrible, but would have been great if at least some of those projects / aspects came to be (the east west freeway link between the #1 and downtown and some form of a third crossing).

Also note the none viewcone limited towers.

A midground between this version of Vancouver and the Vancouver we have would have been best.

Also funny that the Vancouver of that day was not to reject the freeways and build a robust transit system in its place, but to reject it and do nothing.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by officedweller

This Week in History: 1967 — Wacky Bennett and Tom Terrific team up to push for a third crossing

Some of the lesser known proposals...
See article for more...


Model of a proposed causeway, tunnel and twin bridge from Downtown Vancouver to the North Shore in 1967.
DAN SCOTT / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Alternate view of a 1967 model of a proposed causeway, tunnel and twin bridge from Downtown Vancouver
to the North Shore. DAN SCOTT / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Sept. 11, 1967. A model of the ventilating system for the proposed new First Narrows crossing gets close inspection
from Vancouver Mayor Tom Campbell, recently returned from holidays in Hawaii. The working model, built in Montreal,
is on display at the Bayshore Inn. SAN WIEBE / PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing


Aug. 5, 1965. Vancouver Sun illustration of a bridge or tunnel by Brockton Point proposed by Social Credit
Highways Minister Phil Gaglardi. PNG
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing



Map of a proposed 1960 ‘waterfront parkway,’ six-lane freeway that would have been built in English Bay.
The present beach would have become a ‘bay lagoon’ if it had gone through. The plan also shows a second bridge
to the east of the Lions Gate Bridge. SUN FILES
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...third-crossing

You can see what the Granville Bridge was to link up to...


An artist’s conception of a 1960s’ freeway in Vancouver, showing the unbuilt east-west freeway that
would have sliced through East Vancouver to Burnaby, and a freeway that would have gone through the West End.
Note there is no Carrall Street freeway. VANCOUVER SUN

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


my photos

[Klazu]

A twin bridge would still make sense, but that ocean parkway... Yikes.

[Alex Mackinnon]

I've always liked the Brockton Point causeway alignment the best. It could have been a very cool way of accessing a fairly remote part of the park. Run a road from just beside the convention centre on some fill, connect to the underground roads. Put the road on a causeway and build a pedestrian deck above it. Connect the pedestrian path over to Stanley Park and bury the freeway in a submersed tube.

The concept would have worked pretty well for the Skytrain as well...

[p78hub]

Man, that 3rd crossing would have been the bee's knees. Can you imagine not having to drive 10km east in heavy traffic when there's an accident on the Lions Gate?

[DKaz]

Great find on that bit of history.

[Alex Mackinnon]

I just noticed something fun in this model. British Columbia Centre got built in this version of the future.

British Columbia Centre was what eventually turned into the Robson Square. The tower would have huge, instead it got built on it's side.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by p78hub

Man, that 3rd crossing would have been the bee's knees. Can you imagine not having to drive 10km east in heavy traffic when there's an accident on the Lions Gate?

Yep it is ridiculous it did not get built. If I recall the final proposal had the road network running underground from the Granville St Bridge to the crossing. As the LGB aged, it could have been decomissioned and traffic to the NS would have run under downtown rather than on surface streets and the West End would not have been a through route.