Brunette Interchange and United Boulevard Connector

[Millennium2002]

I'm leaning towards Option A, but am not quite sold on three things.

Firstly, Brunette is meant to be grade-separated from Blue Mountain and Lougheed. The only way I can see that happening is via a tunnel or overpass. The overpass would loom like an eyesore over historic Malliardville... the tunnel method is passable, but might cut off local businesses if it starts in the village proper. Now, there isn't really a lot of space to move things around, but I tried to do that below:



Legend:
- yellow dots = traffic lights

You will also see on my concept that I added back the ramps to and from Brunette, but only on the Vancouver direction. That is just to make it easier for local residents to get in and out, and could be deferred until traffic levels warrant it.

The other thing that I'm not sure about is the diamond interchange where United meets Brunette. I know there's not a lot of space there either, but I thought they were falling out of style in other parts of the continent in favour of other kinds of interchanges (e.g. a SPUI). But I might be wrong.

[Metro-One]

You are thinking about clover leaf interchanges. Those have been largely deemed an obsolete design.

Diamond interchanges are still very popular where free flow movement is not needed for both intersecting routes.

Diamonds are generally a good choice for areas with space constraints.

[Millennium2002]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

You are thinking about clover leaf interchanges. Those have been largely deemed an obsolete design.

Diamond interchanges are still very popular where free flow movement is not needed for both intersecting routes.

Diamonds are generally a good choice for areas with space constraints.

I knew the cloverleaf was falling out of style for sure, but I also have heard of things like the SPUI and the diverging diamond interchange... and both of them seem to be geared towards replacing clogged up traditional diamond interchanges. In any case, I'll leave it to the experts to decide that one...

[GeeCee]

Option C seems to have been included only to placate New West. Spending all that money for such a small improvement overall to traffic flow? Putting the truck traffic underground is an out of sight, out of mind thing, I suppose..

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

I knew the cloverleaf was falling out of style for sure, but I also have heard of things like the SPUI and the diverging diamond interchange... and both of them seem to be geared towards replacing clogged up traditional diamond interchanges. In any case, I'll leave it to the experts to decide that one...

I think it depends on how heavy traffic flows are expected to be for the cross road and other factors (such a topography and area constraints).

[makr3trkr]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

Holy smokes Batman! The 3 options have a price-tag ranging from $510 - $620 million. Likely the most expensive interchange to ever be built in BC and even Western Canada.

Looks like Option A provides the highest net benefits on an evaluation basis.

About 80% of the cost of the PMB itself.

Although I do wonder why they don't just make Lougheed an over/underpass at this point. There's an empty field and a parking lot it's not like there isn't room.

[BCPhil]

I think we should just take out that tire place and put in a giant European style traffic circle. We could put a big monument to Gordon Campbell in the middle of it and call it Gordo's Circus.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Does anyone else think this is a giant amount of money that should be directed at building a Stormont Connection instead? It would definitely ease congestion at Columbia.

[DKaz]

I don't think any of the options will solve anything. Braid, Brunette, and Lougheed Hwy will still be gong shows.

[rickvug]

I found these renders posted on Twitter. Not in the discussion guide but were on display at the consultation. Maybe the MOT is hoping people won't notice?

Option A


Option A - Rousseau flyover over Brunette


Option A - Brunette underpass at Lougheed


Option B


Option B - United to Brunette interchange


Option C


Option C - Columbia to Edworthy Way tunnel

[rickvug]

Wow, images were larger than expected! Sorry about that.

[BCPhil]

Interesting the renders in B and C show Bernatchy connecting through to Tupper at an intersection with Brunette while the discussion guide does not.

[Millennium2002]

That Brunette-Malliardville underpass already makes me cringe... and this is only the draft render. Really wishing now that they consider moving it further south so the existing shops at the corner aren't as badly overshadowed by it. Not to mention, the way they drew Lougheed Highway on top at that spot makes it seems less steep than it actually is...

[DKaz]

That underpass is a lot better than what I envisioned it to be. Not like it's a pedestrian friendly corner right now.

[Mininari]

I have to say, I'm now pleased they didn't rush ahead with an expensive 'band aid' improvement to the Brunette Interchange as part of the PMH1 Project (that said, they did reconfigure the offramps). At first, I was pretty angry they appeared to have 'cheaped out' but it was clear they wanted to see how traffic patterns shifted WRT the Gateway projects (HWY 1 and SFPR) and then assess the road system as a whole. Including the United Boulevard connector in the project is great; the Province effectively takes leadership of getting that done, as well as making a significant improvement at Brunette. Will it make a difference? I don't know, but surely their traffic modellers are telling them something good will come of it (I am personally watching the McKenzie Interchange project here in Victoria with the same wonder) -- some movements will definitely improve, but probably not all. This project won't make the crawl through New Westminster go away though.

500-600M though; not a cheap project, but thats to be expected with the number of structures and also land expropriation requirements.

[red-paladin]

New West at least says that it wants to come to an agreement with Coquitlam on this project, then go to the Province with a common preferred design.

http://www.newwestrecord.ca/news/new...ffic-1.2078404

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

New West at least says that it wants to come to an agreement with Coquitlam on this project, then go to the Province with a common preferred design.

Given the past record of New West's ability to agree with Coquitlam on anything, that may just be code for "over our dead body".

[GeeCee]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Given the past record of New West's ability to agree with Coquitlam on anything, that may just be code for "over our dead body".

The article is also about 13 months old, so I imagine that if they were going to come to an agreement on anything (ha!), they would have done so by now.

[osirisboy]

Option a just makes so much sense. So that's probably the one we won't get lol

[GeeCee]

Option A seems to include a considerable amount of land acquisition, also includes the ICBC Claim Center.