New Interchanges and Bypasses in MB / SK

[jw6969]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

As promised a couple of pictures from the West Regina Bypass and Trans-Canada.

When I drove under, I can't shake the feeling like these are not that high up. We have so many problems with vehicles hitting the bottoms of the bridged in Regina. Maybe I'm wrong but??

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by jw6969

When I drove under, I can't shake the feeling like these are not that high up. We have so many problems with vehicles hitting the bottoms of the bridged in Regina. Maybe I'm wrong but??

They do seem short, however as with the Lewvan Bridge will be 5.2M Clearance. The reason it feels shorter is the fact that it is longer which draws your eye along the horizon which in comparison to the height is long. Therefore an optical illusion.

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by Saskie

I have a few questions and a potential solution, and I was hoping to see if anyone out in the blogosphere agreed with me.

To get the trucks and some of the traffic off of the Circle Drive Bridge and
"42nd Street" in Saskatoon, I think we all agree that a perimeter highway around Saskatoon is needed. Circle Drive between Airport Drive and Warman Road is a nightmare, and specifically the interchange at the Travelodge (Circle and Idylwyld) is kind of an embarrassment.

I've heard some say that trucks will go around Saskatoon to the west (on Circle through Confed and across the new South Circle Drive Bridge) but this still involves using Circle Drive by the Travelodge.

So, the perimeter highway is probably in our near or distant future

http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/...ic_PerimeterRd

What I don't get is why does the perimeter end at Highway 14? Highway 7 from Calgary is one of the most important highways (after the Regina and Edmonton highways probably) and it won't connect at all to the perimeter? I don't get it.

What the grand scheme looks like from the city webpages I've looked at has Highway 7 (and Highway 14) traffic funnelling past the high schools, Shaw Centre, and Confederation Park - permanently. Already there are complaints about 11th Street becoming the new shortcut it was not designed to be. Why is the main highway to/from Calgary designed like this? And the interchange with 22nd does not answer the question. Unless you are speeding off to Dalmeny Road, you will be stuck at traffic lights and right angle turns here too.

So...how do you kill two (or more) birds with one stone? Why doesn't Highway 7 connect directly with the South Circle Drive Bridge? A new highway, south of the CN yards, connecting with the already built interchange at Valley Road? And connect (or plan to anyways) the perimeter road south 2-3 more km with Highway 7?

I see mostly pros and very few cons with this idea:
- get most Highway 7 and 14 traffic off 22nd and 11th Streets residential areas and schools, and instead past a rail yard and on to an existing freeway.
- no traffic lights potentially from east to west
- if then the west perimeter highway was built from Highway 16 West to Highway 7 West south of the CN tracks to connect with my proposed road going east to the new bridge, you could have truck traffic going from Edmonton to Regina (or Yorkton) and no traffic lights.
- I'm pretty sure most truckers and much through traffic would take this way, leaving the north Circle Drive Bridge with less traffic
- the most critical infrastructure is already in place! It doesn't involve a bridge across the river, and most (all?) of the work would be out of the developed areas of the city. Compared to some of the other projects planned, this would probably be less expensive. 4 or 5 interchanges (and no bridges) at most between Highway 16 West and Valley Road
- could potentially delay the building of one or both of the north bridges

Two potential cons I see is that it gets close to Cedar Villa Estates - but they are already close to the noise of the CN rail yards, so I'm not sure this would be much different. The other is although it is (will be) an expressway from Valley Road to the southeast edges of the city, it will make traffic pretty heavy down in that end. I guess one other thing is distance wise it might be a few extra km getting around the west side of the CN yards and some might go through the middle of the city and Circle Drive anyways.

I don't think this is on the city's radar at all. They want to build big city yards and an off-leash dog park right in the area I'm thinking about. They also are "full-steam" ahead for the commuter (or is it Parkway?) bridge in the north. I think our limited funds would be better served in the south and the west to get the trucks out of the city. If this were built, commuting across Circle Drive North would be a lot easier and a commuter bridge up there would be less needed.

At least the city should zone for a Highway 7 extension, and then it could be built anytime.

Is this a good idea or am I missing something obvious?

I am glad to see that I am not the only one with this vision in mind. I am currently working on a road map using design speed turns and actual design criteria for interchange ramps and loops as well as distance from connecting roads in an autoCAD file to show my design.

I will post it here when I am done. But it does use existing and new roadways as well as the new Circle drive South Bridge. I am also including a small report that I will submit to the City Urban planner Alan Wallace.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Is there any work being done on the Yellowhead - TCH interchange west of Portage la Prairie? Or is that project dead now.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Is there any work being done on the Yellowhead - TCH interchange west of Portage la Prairie? Or is that project dead now.

I haven't heard anything to suggest that the project is dead, but they sure are taking their sweet time with it considering it was announced in October 2007 (!). There are no signs of any actual construction on the site whatsoever.

Here is the project website with a few more details: http://1and16interchange.ca/

[Jeff]

flood-related funding problems have delayed this plus the 59 @ lagimodiere projects from my sleuthing.. all pushed back indefinitely from the reports I've read.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Jeff

flood-related funding problems have delayed this plus the 59 @ lagimodiere projects from my sleuthing.. all pushed back indefinitely from the reports I've read.

That's consistent with what I've heard... with flood costs running into the billions it's easy to see how discretionary expenses like new interchanges can get pushed back.

But still... it's pretty amazing how few interchanges get built in Manitoba. The CentrePort Canada Way interchange with the Perimeter Highway (which will probably open in 2014) is, as far as I can recall, the first brand-new interchange in this province since one on the Portage by-pass was built a good 20 years ago or so... it must have been around 1992 or 1993.

It has been even longer inside the Perimeter. I'm pretty sure that the last new interchange to get built in the City of Winnipeg was the one at Bishop Grandin and Pembina which opened in 1990.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Is there any work being done on the Yellowhead - TCH interchange west of Portage la Prairie? Or is that project dead now.

It is what they call "on hold indefinitely"........due to the flooding.

[dsmmace]

Has anything ever happened at the Bridge in St. Louis, SK? I haven't been out that way in a loooong time.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

It is what they call "on hold indefinitely"........due to the flooding.

Neither of the planned interchanges (1+16, 101+59) are on the just-released highway capital project list for 2013/14.

Once the interchange at 101+190 opens sometime next year, that will become the one and only new traffic interchange built in Manitoba in the last two decades.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by esquire

Neither of the planned interchanges (1+16, 101+59) are on the just-released highway capital project list for 2013/14.

Once the interchange at 101+190 opens sometime next year, that will become the one and only new traffic interchange built in Manitoba in the last two decades.

The detailed design is expected in 2014 for 101 & 59. 1 & 16 is really up in the air now.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Biff

The detailed design is expected in 2014 for 101 & 59. 1 & 16 is really up in the air now.

Is it because 1&16 is outside of the Perimeter?

[micheal]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Is it because 1&16 is outside of the Perimeter?

maybe it has something to do with the recent budget?

[bomberjet]

From all accounts (and common sense) the billions of dollars spent on flooding issues has again delayed these projects and others. One of the interchanges is out at Lake St. Martin in the form of a floodway channel.

[sask1982]

Results from the 2nd open house (Tues Apr 16)
http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/adx/as...tation+(2).pdf

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

From all accounts (and common sense) the billions of dollars spent on flooding issues has again delayed these projects and others. One of the interchanges is out at Lake St. Martin in the form of a floodway channel.

Remind us how well that floodway channel at lake St. Martin worked.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Remind us how well that floodway channel at lake St. Martin worked.

It worked just as intended.

[jmt18325]

It worked extremely well.

[North_Regina_Boy]

Originally Posted by sask1982

Results from the 2nd open house (Tues Apr 16)
http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/adx/as...tation+(2).pdf

Thanks bud! Looks like it is moving right along! Functional planning drawings to be next. I would best by late this year early next they have funding in place with construction to start Spring 2014! I base that on level of need (lots of trucks) and growth of the Regina area.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by North_Regina_Boy

Thanks bud! Looks like it is moving right along! Functional planning drawings to be next. I would best by late this year early next they have funding in place with construction to start Spring 2014! I base that on level of need (lots of trucks) and growth of the Regina area.

With the selection of Tower road as the eastern terminus of a new Ring Road it looks like Regina will be developing to the west and south. Pilote Butte, White City and Balgonie will continue to develop on their own but interchanges and service roads will be built along this corridor to ensure the free flow of traffic from the east.