Highway One Improvements: North Vancouver / Ironworkers Memorial Approach | Completed

[Klazu]

Keith Road bridge twinning project today.

[red-paladin]

I'm surprised they are not replacing the ancient truss bridge.
Maybe they should twin it, then replace the old one.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I'm surprised they are not replacing the ancient truss bridge.
Maybe they should twin it, then replace the old one.

They are replacing it. It's not a twinning.

It's not part of hwy 1 either so this isn't really the right thread. But I appreciate the pics Klazu.

edit: here's the video that I have posted before in the road infrastructure thread

• Video Link

There is another old truss bridge to the north that is part of Hwy 1, but no one has announced anything about that - despite being right in between the two interchanges that are being re-done.

[red-paladin]

Ah, the video shows exactly what I had in mind
Also, they mention that the bridge replacement and road rerouting is partially to accommodate future freeway improvements.

As for the freeway orange arch bridge there they did some massive rehab work on the bottom not too long ago, so I guess it's staying for the foreseeable future.
I sure wish that they'd paint the entire thing though.

[Klazu]

Highway 1 bridge next door.

[WarrenC12]

Highway 1 Improvements in North Van:

$100M investment.

http://www.news1130.com/2015/04/17/h...rth-vancouver/

Was this expected? I'm afraid I don't pay much attention to North Van.

[osirisboy]

Yes. And I think it had its own thread

[SOSS]

That's what I had in mind for that section. Interesting though how there is yet any announce improvements regarding increased lanes for hwy 1. Also why are they announcing these improvements in sections instead of one large project? PR is the only reason I can think.

[SOSS]

Wait a minute. This image implies that Fern and Lilloet interchange not intersection. I assume it's going to be a intersection.

[Metro-One]

Looks like decent a set of decent improvements.

As much as SSP comments can annoy me at times, just a quick glance at the comments below the article above makes me realize how educated people are on this forum are compared to most. Honestly, even on this small article, the comments are amazingly annoying...

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by SOSS

Wait a minute. This image implies that Fern and Lilloet interchange not intersection. I assume it's going to be a intersection.

Yeah, that's weird.
The map in the story implies that Fern & Lilloet crossing will be an interchange (it's labelled "interchange") . I also assume it will remain an intersection and the interchange will be with the TCH.

[Klazu]

I hope they build it to fit six lanes.

[Pinion]

Replying to this in the correct thread

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Highway 1 Improvements in North Van:

$100M investment.

http://www.news1130.com/2015/04/17/h...rth-vancouver/

Was this expected? I'm afraid I don't pay much attention to North Van.

This was expected but I think this is the first time we see the final layout. It will be weird to have a seamless east-west transition from Keith to Mt Seymour parkway, it's always felt so disconnected. But uh... it looks like there are no southbound highway on-ramps?? What am I missing?

The southern one is a bit underwhelming and might make the trip even slower for me in Lower Lonsdale. The pedestrian overpass is a welcome addition to what hopefully is a full mall one day.


news1130.com

Here's the north shore news article:

Highway 1 upgrades announced

$100-million makeover for approaches to Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing

Cursing in stop-and-go traffic on The Cut could become a thing of the past after 2020, with a financial commitment from all levels of government to ease congestion at the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing.

A service road at the north-end bridgehead was the scene Friday of a $100-million funding announcement for the Lower Lynn Corridor Improvement project — part of a three-piece, $140-million overhaul of the interchanges in the area.

Political leaders from all levels of government — including North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton, MLA Jane Thornthwaite and MP Andrew Saxton — were on hand for the unveiling of the Lower Lynn corridor redesign.

But it was Minister of Industry James Moore that a couple of protesters who highjacked the press conference were there to see. Dressed in white haz-mat suits and dust masks, the protesters shoved pieces of oil-covered driftwood in the faces of Moore and Saxton, demanding answers from the federal government to last week’s fuel spill in English Bay.

There were 10 minutes of awkward exchange between the protesters and a bewildered Moore before the politicians returned to the original item at hand.

Moore went on to announce the interchange project would be eligible for $34.1 million in federal funding under the New Building Canada Plan in B.C. The remaining $65.9-million balance will be cost-shared by the province and the District of North Vancouver.

Among the improvements announced under the project, which is expected to be completed by 2020: a Crown Street cycling and pedestrian overpass, a new Dollarton Highway on-ramp overpass, a new bus signal, and intersection improvements for the Highway 1 off-ramp at Main Street and Seymour Boulevard connector.

“To put it in plainer terms . . . it means that what has over time become a bit of a tangled mess of off-ramps here on the north side of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge will be cleaned up with state-of-the-art infrastructure that will be wider, that will be safer and more conducive to public transit . . . ,” said Moore.

B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone talked about the positive economic impacts that will come with easing the Second Narrows congestion.

“We know how important the movement of people and goods is to the local economy and indeed the provincial economy,” said Stone. “We are also aware of the need to reduce congestion to allow business, trade and tourism to thrive.”

Walton said he was pleased the need to replace the Ironworkers bridge interchanges is being recognized by the province and federal government, while Thornthwaite also shared that sentiment.

“It’s going to positively influence everybody on the North Shore, particularly in North Vancouver,” said Thornthwaite.

Last fall a total of $50 million was secured from the three levels of government for a reconfiguration of the Mountain Highway interchanges, aimed at easing the bottleneck at that approach to the bridge.

Under the conceptual design, Mountain Highway will have a new four-lane overpass, linking it directly with Brooksbank Avenue, plus new on-ramps onto the Cut, northbound and southbound.

Meanwhile, a new off-ramp from the southbound Cut will connect easily to the Fern Street overpass via the widened Keith Road bridge, which is currently being constructed.

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/highway-1....3pH9VXP8.dpuf

[Pinion]

Are there any more detailed plans on how the interchanges will work? I thought I'd be able to find something on google by now. I'm confused - are they re-opening Fern? Are they forcing all eastbound Hwy 1 traffic to either the new Brooksbank on-ramp or Main st? That would actually be ok upon further reflection, who would drive past Brooksbank anyway besides those already closer to Main?

I was in the Seylynn Village presentation centre this weekend and they make sure to mention that Fern St will remain a cul de sac in their sales pitch every time. But that doesn't look like the case.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I hope they build it to fit six lanes.

I'm with you on this. That section definitely will need 6 lanes. Anyone know why they keep announcing this project in piecemeal bits? Is it to give the appearance of a smaller sticker price?

I imagine the next announcement will be the replacement of the Hwy 1 -Lynn River bridge and 6 laning from Second Narrows up to Lonsdale 6-lane section. What does everyone think of the possibility of an additional climbing lane up the cut - making that section 7 lanes?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by SOSS

I'm with you on this. That section definitely will need 6 lanes. Anyone know why they keep announcing this project in piecemeal bits? Is it to give the appearance of a smaller sticker price?

I imagine the next announcement will be the replacement of the Hwy 1 -Lynn River bridge and 6 laning from Second Narrows up to Lonsdale 6-lane section. What does everyone think of the possibility of an additional climbing lane up the cut - making that section 7 lanes?

I think it's a good idea. Some very heavy vehicles would surely benefit from it.

[SOSS]

I'm also guessing that once they finish with this northshore section they'll move towards removing the bottle neck of the McGill exit. Only having 2 through lanes on each side makes little sense. Change the forced exit lanes into through lanes and create merge lanes for access to McGill.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by SOSS

I'm with you on this. That section definitely will need 6 lanes. Anyone know why they keep announcing this project in piecemeal bits? Is it to give the appearance of a smaller sticker price?

I imagine the next announcement will be the replacement of the Hwy 1 -Lynn River bridge and 6 laning from Second Narrows up to Lonsdale 6-lane section. What does everyone think of the possibility of an additional climbing lane up the cut - making that section 7 lanes?

It may look like the middle of the forest but there are homes right behind that thin stretch of trees. Lots of people with $2,000,000 homes would be up in arms.

I think six lanes from the new Brooksbank interchange would be fine and much more politically possible.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by Pinion

It may look like the middle of the forest but there are homes right behind that thin stretch of trees. Lots of people with $2,000,000 homes would be up in arms.

I think six lanes from the new Brooksbank interchange would be fine and much more politically possible.

I agree with this. I don't think that an additional lane south/eastbound down the cut is required. All that would do is get traffic to the bottleneck faster, it wouldn't reduce it. It may benefit the 1-in-20 cars that gets off at the new Brooksbank interchange, but that's not a priority.

A 6 lane bridge over Lynn Creek will be required though at some point. It will greatly help the merge from Mt. Seymour Pkwy -> Hwy 1 Westbound. I still think until there is a 4th lane of traffic southbound over the Ironworkers there will continue to be a bottleneck at the bottom of the hill though. There are 5 lanes of traffic (Mt. Seymour Pkwy/Fern Street, Dollarton west/southbound, and Main Street east/soundbound, plus the 2 Hwy 1 lanes) fighting for space in 3 traffic lanes over the bridge. It will never be perfect in rush hour. Getting the traffic moving east/west over the highway at Mountain Hwy/Fern St and Main Street/Dollarton is the biggest priority to reducing congestion on either side, as realistically a new bridge over the 2nd narrows isn't happening any time soon.

I'd also like to see some improvements from cyclists over the highway. Fern Street isn't so bad, but the Main Street/Dollarton transition is probably the worst/most dangerous section for bikes on all of the north shore (especially eastbound).

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Highway 1 bridge next door.

I drove over this bridge on Saturday and I think it could accommodate 6 lanes without replacement, the same way as the tunnel under Hastings Street. The bridge does look old and maybe requires replacement because of that, but I think there is enough space for the extra lanes.