Perimeter Highway | Winnipeg

[3de14eec6a]

I'm glad they included a section for Active Transportation. While it isn't amazing plans, it's not actively sabotaging it. I use both St. Anne's and St. Mary's to cycle out of the city, and would love better crossings for the perimeter.
The 75 always tempts me with it's off-street path, but that puts me on the wrong side of the river. I'd love more of that, but understand it isn't a priority.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by dmacc

I really dislike the interchanges for Portage and St. Mary's, I feel they are over complicated diamond interchanges. I don't understand the need to crisscross traffic to the left lane and back again.

It's purpose is to eliminate left hand turns across traffic. Which are the most dangerous of all movements.

It swaps left turns for a more normal 4 way type intersection. Although it's angled and can be confusing at first.

[Dengler Avenue]

And diverging diamonds should be safer for cyclists and pedestrians too.
In my impression, those 2 arterial roads have too much traffic for simple interchanges anyway.

[Eric19]

Originally Posted by dmacc

I really dislike the interchanges for Portage and St. Mary's, I feel they are over complicated diamond interchanges. I don't understand the need to crisscross traffic to the left lane and back again.

Diverging Diamonds are safer because they eliminate all left hand turns into oncoming traffic. They can also support more traffic and are cheaper to build compare to a diamond interchange.

[roccerfeller]

Seems like a good, solid study design albeit boring. In this case, boring is probably a good thing

I guess they will be starting next year with the St Marys interchange and then going from there?

[Dengler Avenue]

There is an initial stage and ultimate stage. None of which include traffic signals, except for the St Norbert Bypass initial stage.

This is actually pretty bad, though.
They always say initial stage. Then they never go back to fix it.

[bomberjet]

If the initial stage dead ends and there's traffic lights there, fine. But ya if it's actually the full bypass with traffic lights in the middle, not the best.

I'll have to read it again. Seemed like it was basically for the south leg of the initial Kenaston interchange.

[Wpg_Guy]

This is interesting:

TRANSIT PLAN
Winnipeg Transit is considering: park-and-ride sites at PTH 1W (Portage Avenue, north side on Red River Exhibition lands), PR 200 (St. Mary’s Road), Dakota Street, and St. Anne’s Road; possible median rail rapid transit system in the long term along Portage Avenue; and a rail maintenance yard outside the Perimeter Highway. If these plans go forward, joint planning would be needed to determine if that can be accommodated, and if so, what reconstruction would be needed.

[bomberjet]

Neat.

[bomberjet]

So there would be traffic lights on the st Norbert bypass.. for all the work and cost in that document, they cheap out on one of the most important aspects. The connection to the US.

I also dont quite understand the Kenaston staging. They're bascially doing the paeclo to save on the lifetime of the bridge over st Norbert bypass. But the functionality of the loop vs directional ramp has nothing to do with the bypass. Maybe traffic volumes play into it. I dont know.

Otherwise it looks pretty good. Boring is good in this case lol

[YWG-RO]

I like it.

Would be great to see the province commit $200 M per year for the next 10 years to get the initial stage done. Freeway standard 4 lanes is much more important than a complete rebuilding with perfect interchanges. I think the initial goal can be done in a decade. Let’s hope.

[esquire]

The study notes that the freeway upgrade was recommended back in 1988 yet there was literally no progress for 30+ years until they started closing down some of the median openings last year.

There is no excuse for not doing it this time.

[bomberjet]

Agreed.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

The study notes that the freeway upgrade was recommended back in 1988 yet there was literally no progress for 30+ years until they started closing down some of the median openings last year.

There is no excuse for not doing it this time.

And then the province spends another $3.6M for a study telling them they need to upgrade the south perimeter with overpasses at St. Mary's and St. Anne's and limiting access points, friggin brilliant! What a shock!

[Luisito]

I heard something about this on the radio. They said it will take until 2048 to turn the entire south perimeter into a freeway. Sad I probably wont be alive to see it. Guess I will have to be happy with pretending I am on a freeway for now.

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by Luisito

I heard something about this on the radio. They said it will take until 2048 to turn the entire south perimeter into a freeway. Sad I probably wont be alive to see it. Guess I will have to be happy with pretending I am on a freeway for now.

LMAO classic Manitoba. Taking 28 years to get a 10 year project done? Sounds about right. By then we'll have teleportation technology.

Wouldn't want to invest too much in infrastructure - might actually make us competitive and we can't have that happening. 1950's is where it's at!

[bomberjet]

The 'initial' phase is based on 2048 traffic flows. So 30 years out from 2018 when the study was actually done. So pretty much ya they'll be doing 1 project at a time type thing forever.

I don't think it actually says anything that it will take until 2048. Just based on 2048 volumes. It also says timing of the ultimate phase s uncertain. By that time I'd presume they will have already reassessed based on actual traffic volumes. 30 years is a long time.

[ywgwalk]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

30 years is a long time.

Especially with autonomous vehicles on the horizon.

[Biff]

It is in 2 phases. The first phase is built out to freeway standards...but only 4 lanes and will use some of the existing grade separations. The final build out and upgrade will be a 6 lane divided freeway with upgraded or rebuilt grade separations...it will likely take 30 years for it to reach this level.


I am fine with that time frame. I think all of us on here feel that even the current 4 lane set up will be safer and acceptable to traffic flow if completely grade separated. My guess would be the 10 year range for phase 1.

[Wpgstvsouth94]

I was driving westbound from st Mary’s to Pembina and noticed they have begun taking down the light standards and are moving them further outward. Looks like pre construction has begun.