Highway 91 / 72nd Ave. Interchange | Completed

[Gordon]

It doesn't seem that the new interchange at 72nd & highway 91 is making muc difference to the traffic on 91, which stilll backs up to or past 64th(google traffic)

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by Gordon

It doesn't seem that the new interchange at 72nd & highway 91 is making muc difference to the traffic on 91, which stilll backs up to or past 64th(google traffic)

If you are talking about the NB traffic on the 91 in the morning rush hour. Then yes removing the light was never going to fix the back up. Since the choke point has always been the bridge.

However what it should of improved the mid day / evening rush hour. Since the choke point at that time of day NB on the 91 was the light.

One thing to always keep in mind. You never really remove a choke point, you just move it to a different location.

[Klazu]

I noticed on the morning news that the overpass is now open. Wow, they constructed that thing quickly.

Any news on installing the zipper and 7th lane on Alex Fraser Bridge?

[logicbomb]

Traffic is only increasing out of that North/Delta/Newton/South Surrey area. The population and amount of drivers are increasing out of that area. It's ridiculous how many cars one house will have in these neighborhoods. Common to see 4+ cars parked in a driveway with 2-3 more in behind the house or on the street.

Ultimately traffic and congestion will be a way of life here.

[Dengler Avenue]

That begs the question: Why did Translink reduce the midday, evening and weekend frequency on the 340? Coming every 20 minutes vs every 30 minutes makes a huge difference. That bus has high ridership too (the one time I saw it on Alex Fraser Bridge on the Sunday before Christmas 2012).

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Joe Fraser

Went and toured the interchange last night. Not quite a "full-blown" interchange as often dubbed/forecasted by AM730traffic radio. There is still a light-set; it's just been moved to the 72Ave access ramps and affects only (Hwy91-SB to 72Ave-EB) and (72Ave-WB to Hwy91-SB).

The main benefit in the re-design is that Hwy91-NB, with it's higher traffic volume, is no longer interrupted by the original light-set. Also better for (Hwy91-SB to 72Ave-EB)) and (72Ave-WB to Hwy91-SB) as they no longer have to wait for Hwy91-NB to stop.

With development and population expected to increase in the 72Ave area, I expect there will one day be a calling for dedicated fly-over ramps as the light-set becomes inadequate for modulating the increased traffic volume.

I was expecting something more free-flowing like the 64Ave interchange, but IDK; maybe there were space or costs restraints. Anyways, this does work better for now, and will hopefully reduce the incidence and severity of collisions. The original design was a recipe for disaster of the severest kind and should never have been implemented in the first place.

64th Avenue is anything but free flowing. Only 1 direction. If you are Northbound and you exit, you can sit for decades trying to turn left onto 64th Avenue.

[osirisboy]

In what universe are you people living in? This is a full interchange!!! I have no idea why people expect 72nd to be free flow. Is Hastings? Willingdon? King George? 16th? etc. Weird

[makr3trkr]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

In what universe are you people living in? This is a full interchange!!! I have no idea why people expect 72nd to be free flow. Is Hastings? Willingdon? King George? 16th? etc. Weird

I think people were hoping it might be (that was the original plan, although closing WB access) and because there is ample room. In the end, it was determined protecting the bog was more important, which is ultimately an acceptable compromise.

[moosejaw]

Again i made this point
What were you expecting for $30m?
Free flow interchanges are anywhere from $90m to 150m

[makr3trkr]

Originally Posted by moosejaw

Again i made this point
What were you expecting for $30m?
Free flow interchanges are anywhere from $90m to 150m

it's impressive what we got for that 30 million ... a very wide overpass and almost the entire interchange is on piers, presumably because of settlement issues but also to protect the bog's delicate hydrology.

by way of example, the Nelson road interchange, with a single directional flyover ramp and a two lane exit ramp cost 23 million (2011 dollars), which is very similar to what the Ministry originally wanted (no WB ramp)

https://www.richmond-news.com/news/2...opens-1.493483

[BCPhil]

I've taken the 72nd overpass several times now (I usually get off at Nordel), and I have yet to stop at the traffic light. It's really not a big deal.

And I agree that the main beneficiary of the overpass is NB PM traffic. Before, in the PM, you had 1 lane through the tunnel, and this light almost constantly red. There's not a huge volume heading north, but it would frequently back up to 64th (or you could wait at the tunnel). Now people who aren't contributing to congestion (non peak and non peak direction) aren't stuck in it.

Also, the addition of lights on Nordel at the 91 (on the NB on ramps) have really changed things. It feels a little less hectic than before. While it might back up further than before up Nordel, you do move in large lurches forward (not the stop, move one car length, stop, as it was before).

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

so, has this overpass helped traffic at all? anyone who takes it regularly?

[Metro-One]

I think for Highway 91 northbound it would be impossible for it not too.

Even outside of rush hour traffic there was often a small wait (often one to two light cycles) when I use to drive that stretch. This is going to be the main benefit to flow / time savings regarding this project, non rush hour (and the shoulders of rush hour).

During rush hour itself the bridge is so jammed that it won’t make much of a difference.

[officedweller]

By City of Rain August 20th:

Originally Posted by City Of Rain, post: 1370363, member: 70034

Its opened for traffic!

20180820_134001 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

20180820_134019 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

20180820_134031 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

20180820_134042 by Hung Lam, on Flickr

[Klazu]

Nice. How is four-laning 72nd Avenue coming along? What's the latest on AFB zipper lane?

[Bobert]

AFB speed limit reduction:

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...-fraser-bridge

[makr3trkr]

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/08...-fraser-speed/

DELTA (NEWS 1130)
by Martin MacMahon
Posted Aug 19, 2019 11:42 am PDT

"Questions are being raised about whether a 70 kilometre per hour speed limit is actually appropriate for the Alex Fraser Bridge.

'What has happened in other areas where they’ve done this? I’d really like to have some background on what has happened in other areas and whether lowering the speed limit on such a busy thoroughfare has worked in other places,' [Louis Jackson] says.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transportation, the average speed of a car going over the Alex Fraser is about 76 km/hr — but that also includes vehicles crawling over the bridge during the commute."



The worst part is they aren't restricting commercial vehicles from using the counterflow, so when there's inevitably an accident it's also going to be more likely to damage or misalign the barrier. Heavy trucks are also going to be clogging the counterflow lane both climbing over the bridge and then merging back into general purpose traffic. It's going to be a gong show.

[osirisboy]

if the tunnel can operate fine at 80 the bridge should be that at a minimum

[stump]

Originally Posted by makr3trkr

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/08...-fraser-speed/

DELTA (NEWS 1130)
by Martin MacMahon
Posted Aug 19, 2019 11:42 am PDT

"Questions are being raised about whether a 70 kilometre per hour speed limit is actually appropriate for the Alex Fraser Bridge.

'What has happened in other areas where they’ve done this? I’d really like to have some background on what has happened in other areas and whether lowering the speed limit on such a busy thoroughfare has worked in other places,' [Louis Jackson] says.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transportation, the average speed of a car going over the Alex Fraser is about 76 km/hr — but that also includes vehicles crawling over the bridge during the commute."



The worst part is they aren't restricting commercial vehicles from using the counterflow, so when there's inevitably an accident it's also going to be more likely to damage or misalign the barrier. Heavy trucks are also going to be clogging the counterflow lane both climbing over the bridge and then merging back into general purpose traffic. It's going to be a gong show.

Reducing the limit on the bridge to 70 is a joke. I took the bridge the other day and the limit is 90 km/h on either side. Drivers have to reduce speed to 70 on the bridge. When they hit the apex and start going down the other side where they have to keep braking all the way because the momentum of the vehicle pushes it faster than 70 so now everyone is riding their brakes if they want to maintain a speed limit of 70. No one is going to do this.

i can understand during construction because safety is paramount but not once the construction is completed.

[flipper316]

I'm actually shocked the repainted lane lines on the bridge deck recently came with the installed cat's eyes reflectors. Pretty impressed. Can't say the same for the now closer to the barrier right shoulder. Still the same faded paint and no cat eyes on the shoulder line or reflective tape on the barrier. Oh and the rest of 91 and 91A still have sections where there are no cats eyes at all or they've been missing for months and there's no maintenance at all in that regard. Basically a standard BC highway.