2009 Budget: Money for improving Highway 1 through Headingley

[Mininari]

Its in the budget, but at this point it seems pretty vague as to what this actually means.

Does this mean that Highway 1 will be upgraded to a full freeway through Headingley?

[hexrae]

Depends on the amount of money. I'd guess at the very least that the highway will be split (it's a dangerous stretch since the road is connected for traffic in both directions).

[flatlander]

It would be cheaper to move Headingley.

[hexrae]

Tories call for twinning of highway by Headingley

Progressive Conservative MLA for Morris Mavis Taillieu is calling on the NDP government to move quickly to twin what she is calling a dangerous stretch of the Trans Canada Highway in Headingley, Manitoba.

"The federal government obviously realizes the importance of this project, having singled it out in their recent budget documents," Taillieu said.

"This recognition is certainly appreciated. It is now time for the provincial government to give this project the same high priority and to get shovels in the ground this construction season," she adds.

Taillieu says the six-kilometre stretch of Trans Canada Highway in Headingley is extremely busy, averaging 18,000 vehicles daily.

The Tories say the road is also one of the few remaining stretches of undivided highway in Manitoba, and it has seen more than 100 accidents in recent years, some of them fatal.

In the fall of 2007, Taillieu says she called on Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Ron Lemieux to make the dangerous stretch an urgent construction priority in 2008 but says no action was taken and Taillieu is again urging the NDP to make this project a priority.

"People have needlessly died on this highway," Taillieu said.

Taillieu says between the Building Canada Fund and the other funding allocated for infrastructure in the federal budget, there is no reason to delay construction.

Minister Ron Lemieux's office say that safety improvements to that stretch of highway is in their five-year plan, but say safety improvements have already been made with the addition of centre-line and edge-line rumble strips.

As for the funding, the Doer government is still waiting to see what Federal money will be available, saying they cannot spend it until they know what it is exactly, noting the devil is always in the details.

Charleswood-St. James MP Stephen Fletcher has also made this issue a priority.

There, twinned at the very least. I doubt we see a full freeway though as this doesn't exist (in it's pure form) anywhere in this province that I recall. There are plenty of access roads intersecting even Trans Canada.

[Spocket]

I thought I heard something about a Headingley by-pass but to be honest, I neither recall where I heard about it or how it would be configured anyway.

[1ajs]

they should of never let any ne build along the trans like they did in headinly....

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Spocket

I thought I heard something about a Headingley by-pass but to be honest, I neither recall where I heard about it or how it would be configured anyway.

It was going to be north of Headingley but I thought the idea was abandoned.

[Biff]

"Minister Ron Lemieux's office say that safety improvements to that stretch of highway is in their five-year plan, but say safety improvements have already been made with the addition of centre-line and edge-line rumble strips."

This quote actually made me laugh out loud at work. This is what the NDP thinks will make our highways safer. Lets put a centre line on a busy 4 lane undivided hwy - a centre line should stop a sleepy 18 wheeler from crossing into oncoming traffic.


Regarding the Headingley bypass - it is alive again as part of the CentrePort plans.

[hexrae]

If a bypass is North of Headingly, where would it originate? As soon as you cross the Perimeter, there's a traffic light intersection (Cemetery to the South, Autopark and Exhibition grounds/Assiniboia Downs to the North).

Perhaps an interchange can be built North of the downs (around Sask Ave.) and run along the train tracks towards where the Trans Canada is twinned.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by hexrae

If a bypass is North of Headingly, where would it originate? As soon as you cross the Perimeter, there's a traffic light intersection (Cemetery to the South, Autopark and Exhibition grounds/Assiniboia Downs to the North).

Perhaps an interchange can be built North of the downs (around Sask Ave.) and run along the train tracks towards where the Trans Canada is twinned.

This makes the most sense.
Link the bypass into a new interchange at Sask. Ave, and link the bypass back into the TCH where the divided highway begins. This creates a direct highway route to the Perimeter highway AND the land to the west of the airport.

The existing highway through headingley can be designated highway 1A (or whatever).

As for Saskatchewan Ave twinning....

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by hexrae

If a bypass is North of Headingly, where would it originate? As soon as you cross the Perimeter, there's a traffic light intersection (Cemetery to the South, Autopark and Exhibition grounds/Assiniboia Downs to the North).

Perhaps an interchange can be built North of the downs (around Sask Ave.) and run along the train tracks towards where the Trans Canada is twinned.

The newly announced $212 million Centreport Way does include interchange intersecting the Perimeter Highway, near Saskatchewan Ave. This new expressway project is expected to begin consruction later this year. In time I expect it will lead to a complete bypass of Headingly all together.

[Spocket]

What I'm still not clear on here is what exactly we're supposed to getting. What is supposed to be done to improve that stretch of the TCH ? Just as important though is what are we supposedly doing with this CenterPort Way and how will it connect to the highway system ?

Does anybody have any idea where we can get a hold of some sort of schematic for all this stuff ? Even if it just shows the routes these roads will take.

[vid]

Only 18,000? In Ontario, 18,000 cars is the threshold at which they add a passing lane every 2 kilometres.

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Spocket

What I'm still not clear on here is what exactly we're supposed to getting. What is supposed to be done to improve that stretch of the TCH ? Just as important though is what are we supposedly doing with this CenterPort Way and how will it connect to the highway system ?

Does anybody have any idea where we can get a hold of some sort of schematic for all this stuff ? Even if it just shows the routes these roads will take.

I am not sure if the plan is finalized yet .. but I would expect it will be a divided twinned highway, like the rest of the TCH in Manitoba, hopefully with service roads built beside the TCH to minimize slow traffic on the highway. It only makes sense the Trans Canada Highway leading into Manitoba's major city would be at least as capable as it is leading into Brandon or Portage. Come on .. this should have been done many decades ago. The fact this stretch of highway has been ignored this long is completely irresponsible.

[Spocket]

^Very true. I think that it might have been quasi-neglected because for so many years it was a part of the city of Winnipeg.

As for service roads, actually they just finished some on either side of the TCH in this general area.

The part that I don't really get though is how any direct link to CentrePort Way would lead to a decrease in accidents. I say this because if you think about it, most traffic is still going to run along the same route as it always has. Portage Avenue becomes the TCH so I wouldn't expect anybody to take the Perimeter north to a new interchange just so they can wind their way back to the same road they left. It's not a traffic issue per se so it's not like anybody will use it to avoid congestion or anything. Seems to me that no matter how it's all configured in the end we'll still have to upgrade the existing route.

[Andy6]

The plan that was being talked about a few years ago had a new highway veering northwest off Portage just west of the Perimeter and bypassing Headlingley's built-up area to the north before rejoining the current highway. At least that's how I remember it.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by Spocket

What I'm still not clear on here is what exactly we're supposed to getting. What is supposed to be done to improve that stretch of the TCH ? Just as important though is what are we supposedly doing with this CenterPort Way and how will it connect to the highway system ?

Does anybody have any idea where we can get a hold of some sort of schematic for all this stuff ? Even if it just shows the routes these roads will take.

Not sure if this will work.



I can upload it if needed.

[Spocket]

^Ahh...thank you very much for that.

Now that I see it I wonder though ; Would it be more cost effective to extend Bishop Grandin and then loop it over to the Charleswood Parkway right now instead of spending so much to expand Kenaston ? A two lane link would suffice for the time being since it would handle mostly truck traffic anyway and that's what seems to make up so much of the traffic on Route 90.

Just a thought anyway.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Spocket

^Ahh...thank you very much for that.

Now that I see it I wonder though ; Would it be more cost effective to extend Bishop Grandin and then loop it over to the Charleswood Parkway right now instead of spending so much to expand Kenaston ? A two lane link would suffice for the time being since it would handle mostly truck traffic anyway and that's what seems to make up so much of the traffic on Route 90.

Just a thought anyway.

When you look at that map and think of the IKEA and this airport development, the amount of work they have Kenaston doing seems totally unrealistic. You probably need an expanded Kenaston *and* the Bishop Grandin extension.

[Spocket]

^That's true and that's what I was thinking anyway to be honest.
Actually, if anything, I'd prefer to see the Perimeter upgraded to a fully free-flow route before we built an inner-ring.