Highways in Canada

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

From Parks Canada website:



http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...tes/index.aspx

CEAA granted the amendment and from their website:



http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/details-en...984&ForceNOC=Y

I wouldn't, however, expect funding for that to be announced for another few years perhaps, although substantial completion of the Alberta portion will be fall, 2012, over 30 years after Banff NP twinning initially commenced.

Here is the real cool thing that Parks Canada is doing as it twins the TCH through Banff:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...s/routes2.aspx

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Speaking of BC, the Coquihalla should take on the TCH designation (being the main direct route) while the Fraser Canyon highway should get a new designation (what would be available?)

It makes sense in some way, although confusion for reversing the numbers would occur.

Perhaps extend Highway 7's designation north to Cache Creek, have Highway 5 start in Princeton and go through Merritt, and have Highway 1 & 5 share designations from Merritt to Kamloops, in which south of Merritt, the Coquihalla would be the new Trans-Canada.

It's quite funny how the numbering works if you're heading eastbound to Hope.

Highway 1 exits the freeway, in which the "freeway" turns into Highway 3, which about 6-7 km later, exits the "freeway", in which the road turns into Highway 5.

Same road that goes from Highway 1 to Highway 3 to Highway 5 in less than 10 km, and none of it is multiplexed!

[Metro-One]

What do you mean multiplexed?

Anyways, here is another video I took last week.

Thus stretch of highway is not well known and is often very quite, and yet is is absolutely breathtaking!

This is Highway 5A, from Kamloops to Merritt, instead of cutting across the plateau like the Coquihalla, it winds its way through the Nicola Valley.

in the end it is only about 20 minutes longer of a drive, but the scenery is 100 times better.

• Video Link

This is why I love British Columbia! The video starts in Kamloops and ends just east of Merritt.

Cheers!

[SignalHillHiker]

^ Only 20 seconds in and already paused to raise my drink to you and say BEAUTIFUL! Ok, back to it...

EDIT: Got a little too into you passing the truck. "PASS THE ****ER, COME ON! YYYYEEEAAAAHHHHAAAARRRRRGGGGGLLLLLL!!!"

EDIT 2: Starting around 2 mins, the sweep downhill into the valley... breathtaking. LOVE it!

EDIT 3: Does it always look so dry?

EDIT 4: Love the second song. GREAT VIDEO!

[Metro-One]

Haha! Thanks man, I am happy you are enjoying it! If you ever come to BC hopefully you get to drive it for yourself on a hot sunny summer day, you feel straight out of California.

I know eh! Every so often you get a trucker or two who also enjoys the scenic route!

Yes, it is a semi arid area bordering on arid. If you were to go walking in those grasslands you would fins many prickly pear cactuses on the ground. It is very hot in the summer and year round is very dry.

Yeah, the dip into the valley is my favorite part as well.

FYI - It was around 35 degrees when I drove this, so the windows and sunroof were down with the hot dry air blowing through the car! I love summer in the BC interior!

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

What do you mean multiplexed?

That segment of roadway never carries two highway designations simultaneously. Highway 3 begins where Highway 1 exits off, and Highway 5 begins where Highway 3 exits off.

Great vid. I've driven that section once - except it was in December, so it wasn't nearly as lush. Great drive, especially compared to the Coquihala.

Any reason why they decided not to twin the now 5A instead of build a completely new parallel expressway?

And any-time I see a trucker on those roads, a part of me assumes he has an illegal load that he's carrying and trying to avoid the truck inspection checks...

[Metro-One]

Thanks again guys, I encourage anyone east of the Rockies to come to BC one summer and see all the different landscapes. The semi-arid ones, with the sage and grasslands with ponderosa forests, are my favorite and these have been just 2 of many scenic drives through such valleys.

Again SignalHillHiker, I absolutely love your comment about passing the truck! I have to remember that everyone can watch my driving habits here, haha!

I am actually thinking of buying a gopro HD Hero 2 camera, and strapping it to the grill of my car, hood, or roof for my next video.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

That segment of roadway never carries two highway designations simultaneously. Highway 3 begins where Highway 1 exits off, and Highway 5 begins where Highway 3 exits off.

Great vid. I've driven that section once - except it was in December, so it wasn't nearly as lush. Great drive, especially compared to the Coquihala.

Any reason why they decided not to twin the now 5A instead of build a completely new parallel expressway?

And any-time I see a trucker on those roads, a part of me assumes he has an illegal load that he's carrying and trying to avoid the truck inspection checks...

Likely they looked at the cost of trying to twin the Fraser Canyon (Hell's Gate) area and figured a route through Merritt would be easier.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Likely they looked at the cost of trying to twin the Fraser Canyon (Hell's Gate) area and figured a route through Merritt would be easier.

You misinterpreted me. I'm wondering why the MOT didn't twin Highway 5A between Merritt and Kamloops instead of constructing a completely new alignment between the two cities/towns.

Twinning through the Canyon would be extremely expensive, plus it's a far longer route to Kamloops or Kelowna.

[dmuzika]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Speaking of BC, the Coquihalla should take on the TCH designation (being the main direct route) while the Fraser Canyon highway should get a new designation (what would be available?)

I agree. In addition to that, I've never been a fan of the multiple '97' suffexes, currently there is BC 97A (north of Vernon), 97B (near Salmon Arm), 97C (Ashcroft-Merritt-Peachland), and 97D (Logan Lake-Hwy 5).

Here's a couple renumbering ideas:

Renumbering Option 1
- TCH 1 follows the Coquihalla Hwy
- Hwy 97C is renumbered as Hwy 8
- Hwy 97A & 97B between Vernon and Salmon Arm becomes Hwy 97; Hwy 97 between Vernon and Kamloops becomes Hwy 6
- Hwy 97C (Merritt-Ashcroft) & Hwy 5A (Merritt-Princeton) become Hwy 25, a current unused number
- the current TCH 1 (Kamloops-Hope) is renumbered as TCH 1A (maintains TCH for tourist traffic)
- to create a connection between Vancouver and northern BC, TCH 1 and Hwy 97 become Hwy 7 (cosigned as TCH 1A/Hwy 7 between Hope and Cache Creek



Renumbering Option 2
- TCH 1 follows the Coquihalla Hwy
- Hwy 97C is renumbered as Hwy 8
- Hwy 97A & 97B between Vernon and Salmon Arm becomes Hwy 97; Hwy 97 between Vernon and Kamloops becomes Hwy 6
- Hwy 97C (Merritt-Ashcroft) & Hwy 5A (Merritt-Princeton) become Hwy 25, a current unused number
- Hwy 99 is renumbered as Hwy 5 (continuation of I-5)
- Yellowhead 5 (YH 5) north of Kamloops and the current TCH 1 (Kamloops-Hope) becomes YH 7 (Hwy 7 between Hope and Vancouver adopts the Yellowhead designation)
- to create a connection between Vancouver and northern BC, Hwy 97 becomes Hwy 5



Any thoughts?

[go_leafs_go02]

Option 1 is preferred if I had to choose. Switching Highway 5 & 7 around would cause so much confusion in the short-term, although keeping the number to transition over from Interstate 5 isn't a bad idea to be honest.

Overall, I'd keep Highway 5 running south of Kamloops, but taking over the 5A routing and ending in Princeton.

I do like the Highway 1A to go from Hope to Cache Creek over to Kamloops, plus removing the 97B, 97C, and 97D numbers doesn't hurt either.

[Metro-One]

haha, I got a dislike on the recent highway video I posted, I am curious as to why they did not like it, hehe.

[davidivivid]

Autoroute Félix Leclerc



Retour dans la banlieue ! par micheleroy56, sur Flickr

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

What do you mean multiplexed?

Anyways, here is another video I took last week.

Thus stretch of highway is not well known and is often very quite, and yet is is absolutely breathtaking!

This is Highway 5A, from Kamloops to Merritt, instead of cutting across the plateau like the Coquihalla, it winds its way through the Nicola Valley.

in the end it is only about 20 minutes longer of a drive, but the scenery is 100 times better.

• Video Link

This is why I love British Columbia! The video starts in Kamloops and ends just east of Merritt.

Cheers!

GREAT video. All that is missing is a few Asian babes.

[Metro-One]

Thanks man! And who is to say there was not a cute Asian woman in the passenger seat during this ride

PS - My road video now has 2 dislikes, I am still curious what is so offensive about it, haha! I have a suspicion they are coming from an old forum member on here, one of his old names was volt amps, he is still active on SSC, even though he has been banned there a couple times as well, who has some bizarre irrational hate towards anything that had to do with BC's highways.

[SignalHillHiker]

A little taste of what it's like driving in St. John's. I filmed this early this morning. I start and end in the same parking space on Queen's Road and only drive a couple of blocks, but it's enough to give you an idea of how it is getting around in the city.

• Video Link

[SignalHillHiker]

I tried your fast-motion style, Metro-One.

This time it starts at Signal Hill, cruises down into St. John's, heads out Waterford Bridge Road, then heads on Pitts Memorial Drive (our ring road) from downtown St. John's to the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl.

So you'll get to see how awesomely easy it is to get out of downtown and to the suburbs. I really think, for a city of its age, St. John's has planned its ring road exceptionally well. 100 km/hr, no stops.

• Video Link

[davidivivid]

Nice! I've got to visit Canada more... I've always had the reflex to take trips abroad when in fact, there are so many different things to see here.

[SignalHillHiker]

It's true.

Quebec City is more than enough to satisfy any North American with a generic desire to visit "Europe".

Newfoundland covers much of northwest Europe (the culture is Irish, the people are mostly English, the landscape is Scottish, and the architecture is Norwegian).

The Maritimes is... it's like the early settlers came and fought against the land. In Newfoundland, nature won. In the Maritimes, man won. It's just a softer, more tamed version with a far larger population and more urban, New England feel.

Ontario is nearly the best of that North American style. The northeast United States, especially New York City, beats it - but that's all that beats it.

The prairies are cool in their own way. I've been shocked by the beauty of the countryside there, for example, these pics I took near Winnipeg:





And the Rockies are as good as the Alps.

And then coastal B.C. is awesome. It's like visiting a densely populated country elsewhere. A taste of real urban squash.

I'm starting to become more "Canadian" since joining this forum, hahaha.

[sa230e]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I tried your fast-motion style, Metro-One.

This time it starts at Signal Hill, cruises down into St. John's, heads out Waterford Bridge Road, then heads on Pitts Memorial Drive (our ring road) from downtown St. John's to the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl.

So you'll get to see how awesomely easy it is to get out of downtown and to the suburbs. I really think, for a city of its age, St. John's has planned its ring road exceptionally well. 100 km/hr, no stops.

• Video Link

What song is that? I like it.