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

[Pinion]

Interesting ideas, wave, but fantasies seem futile with the reserve owning all the land in the area. You'd think they'd like a buried highway though.

[waves]

Pretty much. It's quite the pipe dream. It makes me somewhat disappointed in the plans they do have.

I agree, the reserve would probably really like to have the tunnel because right now the highway splits their land in half. They would have the opportunity to reclaim nearly 20 acres of land.

[jollyburger]

Not sure if they've been there a while but there's some construction fencing around the Mountain Highway overpass for some reason.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Not sure if they've been there a while but there's some construction fencing around the Mountain Highway overpass for some reason.

There appears to be work underway clearing trees from the east side of the overpass, north and south of the highway.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

There appears to be work underway clearing trees from the east side of the overpass, north and south of the highway.

Website was finally updated.

Clearing along Highway 1, adjacent to the Mountain Highway Underpass will commence the week of July 4 as part of advanced site preparation works.This work will allow for the relocation of a Fortis Gas main and installation of a temporary culvert this summer, and will be managed to minimize traffic delays and impacts to nearby residences.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/tr...ments/projects

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Website was finally updated.
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/tr...ments/projects

The project page includes a link to the May 2016 Mountain Highway Interchange Project - Open House and Comment Period Summary Report. As for the project itself, they have not published plans for the design yet. I have not heard any updates as to the proposal to change the design to include replacement of the highway bridge.

[Pinion]

Half an article on Lynn Creek

In the case of the Mountain Highway interchange, the province has already committed $23.5 million for its share of the $50-million project. But in 2015, the two sides began investigating a new design, which physically separates express lanes headed for the bridge from collector lanes intended for use by people heading for the interchanges at the bridgehead. In order to do that, the old orange Lynn Creek Highway 1 bridge would have to be replaced with a wider option. The province wasn’t intending to replace the 1960 bridge, however, for another 10 years.

District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton said he questions the wisdom of proceeding with work on the old designs when it’s unclear whether the province will fund the new one.

“The district’s position is quite clear – that we don’t think it makes sense to move ahead without … widening the orange bridge simultaneously,” Walton said. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Obviously, if you’re going to try to improve the traffic flow through there, you need to deal with the one choke point that seems to be causing a lot of problems.”

North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite said she believes staff and elected members from all three levels of government are on board for a new bridge, but determining the cost and how much each level will pay is expected to take some time.

“I know that everybody would like to do it and my understanding is that our people are talking to the federal government in addition to the municipality. It’s definitely not off the table. It would be compatible with the construction that’s going on right now because the ministry has made sure that anything that comes available in the near future can be easily incorporated into what they’re doing now.”

As part of the project, Mountain Highway will be closed for the entire weekend from 7 a.m. Saturday, until 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 while FortisBC moves a natural gas pipeline.

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/north-van....nZS9yvcP.dpuf

[jollyburger]

Looks like they've cleared a big section and started excavating south of the highway near the existing overpass.

[djmk]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Looks like they've cleared a big section and started excavating south of the highway near the existing overpass.

I think that was cleared a little while back. Fortis was doing some work there

[Tvisforme]

Anyone have inside knowledge (or any details) as to what is happening with this project? There were rumours a while back that the overall concept was being revisited to consider advancing the replacement of the orange bridge, perhaps by delaying the final phase (the Dollarton/Main Street interchange). Another change would be to consider separating local and regional traffic through dedicated lanes starting near the bottom of the Cut. However, I can't really find any updates in the past long while.

[Pinion]

I'm dying for info too. Ever since Trudeau promised he'd fast track the orange bridge replacement I've been hoping for some kind of movement. This post from June is still the last info I've seen - Thornwaite never updated and never replies to her twitter.

Originally Posted by Pinion

MLA Jane Thornwaite posted this on twitter saying an update is coming soon. Not sure what to make of the drawings - looks like the bottom/left one is the updated version with a new Lynn Creek bridge and collector lanes?! Thoughts?! Can anyone make out the text?

When I took the seabus last week I was right next to Naomi Yamamoto (in black). Wanted to pester her too but the wife wanted to talk on the phone the whole way across.

[POCO]

Enhance!

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by POCO

Enhance!

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by djmk

I think that was cleared a little while back. Fortis was doing some work there

The clearing down to Keith Road seems even more cleared out now since the last time I drove by.

And there was an MLA report a few weeks ago that says the Ministry is still reworking the design.

At a public open meeting earlier this year, hosted by the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, we took in feedback from the community. I also received feedback in my constituency office and at the doorsteps. Since those meetings, the ministry has gone back to the drawing board and is looking at their plans to better meet the needs of local commuters.

Some of the most prominent feedback from constituents calls for an expansion of the Lynn Creek bridge, which would allow for east to west travel in North Vancouver without getting stuck in Highway 1 traffic, and for direct southbound access to the highway from Mountain Highway in Lynn Valley. It is our hope that in the coming months the best possible solution will be agreed upon.

http://www.nsnews.com/deep-cove-crie...lief-1.2735758

[Klazu]

Has it been mentioned before that there is a sign southbound Highway 1 stating that construction of the Dollarton Highway ramp will begin in summer 2019 and complete in 2021? First time I saw that sign today and if indeed the case, it seems like we have to wait quite a while for that area to improve.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Has it been mentioned before that there is a sign southbound Highway 1 stating that construction of the Dollarton Highway ramp will begin in summer 2019 and complete in 2021? First time I saw that sign today and if indeed the case, it seems like we have to wait quite a while for that area to improve.

Well, practically, they're just informing people that the interchange improvements are being delivered to them in a phased approach so that the corridor won't be an absolute construction nightmare at three different locations at the same time, but spread out over the next 5 years, so to savour the experience of the construction speed zone limit, narrow lanes, etc.

Or, a Provincial election is on the horizon, they don't want to fork out the money to get it all done ASAP, and instead are taking the liberty to remind us this will happen in 3-4 years time.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Has it been mentioned before that there is a sign southbound Highway 1 stating that construction of the Dollarton Highway ramp will begin in summer 2019 and complete in 2021? First time I saw that sign today and if indeed the case, it seems like we have to wait quite a while for that area to improve.

The signs have been up (and occasionally down) for some time now. One rumour from a few months back was that the Dollarton upgrade might be considered for postponement if it would free up funds to advance the replacement of the Lynn Creek bridge. However, in the absence of anything official the accuracy of that is unclear.

[malabrat]

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017TRAN0014-000173

"Work includes the construction of a westbound collector lane from Mount Seymour Parkway to Mountain Highway, a new two-lane bridge on each side of the existing Lynn Creek Bridge, and an eastbound on-ramp from Mountain Highway onto Highway 1."

[Pinion]

Finally!!! Here's the north shore news article:


http://prod-admin1.glacier.atex.cniw...nge%202017.pdf

Two new bridges announced to cure Cut traffic

Plans to alleviate the traffic on the Cut and Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing got a big boost Friday with the announcement of two new two-lane bridges over Lynn Creek shouldering the existing orange Highway 1 bridge.

The project expands on the already-in-progress Mountain Highway interchange redesign. With it, the cost is going up by another $60 million to be shared equally by federal, provincial and District of North Vancouver taxpayers. The total cost of the project is now just under $200 million.

When the project is complete, which is targeted for 2020, the Cut will be divided up into express and collector lanes, similar to what’s used at the Port Mann Bridge now, with local east and westbound traffic crossing the new bridges.

The design is meant to physically separate east-west traffic trying to get across the North Shore from traffic bound for the Ironworkers. About 20 per cent of the drivers on the Cut during the evening rush hour are exiting before the bridge.

It will also mean less weaving and merging of vehicles at multiple entry points on the highway, which creates inefficiencies.

The express/collector distribution system will be an adjustment at first, with a few people likely getting caught in the express lanes and missing their desired exit, said Gavin Joyce, the district’s general manager of engineering.

“You have to make that decision early,” he said. “You’ll get used to it pretty quickly if you live on the North Shore.”

Part of the $20 million from District of North Vancouver taxes will go towards the purchase or expropriation of private land on the north side of the existing bridge, and more trees will have to be removed from Bridgman Park to accommodate the new bridges.

There had been talk of replacing the orange 1960 Highway 1 bridge over Lynn Creek, but the structure has at least another 15 years of life left in it.

Compared to previous iterations, the concept unveiled Friday adds the ability for Mountain Highway drivers to get on Highway 1 eastbound though it does not offer a way for drivers exiting the Cut at the new interchange to turn north onto Mountain Highway.

Eventually, the province will also look to totally revamp the Main Street/Dollarton Highway interchange as well, although what that might look like hasn’t even been put on paper yet.

- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/two-new-b....mCDUVSIL.dpuf

It's a shame it won't be widened through the reserve, but I guess that was predictable. Looks identical to the "meeting" photo up-thread.

Interesting that it says the Main Street/Dollarton Highway interchange plan isn't on paper yet too, can only hope for something more appropriate than a slightly longer on-ramp.

[jollyburger]

And that clear cut section between Keith Road and the highway is pretty massive now.