[St. John's] Transport development (Highways, Airport, and Public Transit) - Page 53

rthomasd · #**1041** Posted **Oct 29, 2017, 6:35 PM**

Yes, some real progress over the past month.

The overpass at Old Pennywell is now paved and they have built up the road-approach on both sides. The bypass is no longer in use. Looks like they will pave the approaches soon.

At the Redmond's Road, the overpass has also been paved (it's a really wide overpass, 5 lanes maybe?) and a new on-ramp has been constructed and has paving-gravel installed. There's a brand-new paving machine and rollers, etc parked at that site, so maybe some paving soon, although not for the TGH itself, and not likely this year.

statbass · #**1042** Posted **Oct 30, 2017, 3:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rthomasd

Yes, some real progress over the past month.

The overpass at Old Pennywell is now paved and they have built up the road-approach on both sides. The bypass is no longer in use. Looks like they will pave the approaches soon.

At the Redmond's Road, the overpass has also been paved (it's a really wide overpass, 5 lanes maybe?) and a new on-ramp has been constructed and has paving-gravel installed. There's a brand-new paving machine and rollers, etc parked at that site, so maybe some paving soon, although not for the TGH itself, and not likely this year.

Good to hear that some significant progress has been made over the past couple months.

jjavman · #**1043** Posted **Oct 31, 2017, 3:14 PM**

Offshore1 · #**1044** Posted **Nov 1, 2017, 1:47 AM**

Good progress on this overpass since I was there about a week and a half ago.

Now if only they could have this level of activity throughout the WHOLE construction season we might have a highway to drive on next fall - as far as Topsail Road anyway.

Offshore1 · #**1045** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 12:40 PM**

From The Telegram, here's the best visual update on Team Gushue Highway I've seen.

http://www.thetelegram.com/news/dron...pening-163573/

rthomasd · #**1046** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 1:55 PM**

The article claims that the section from Kenmount to Topsail Rd will be open next summer ! I think that's an assumption based on the Topsail Rd Overpass construction signs that say expect delays till Summer 2018 - that doesn't mean the road will be open then, only that the overpass delays will be over.

That's a lot of work to be done in a few months - there's no pad yet for the Sobey's Sq over/underpass so how's an over/underpass to get completed in less than a season when all the others have taken two (or more) full construction seasons? More likely end of 2019 around election time.

Work continues on the roadbed for the collector road to Penneywell, drilling/blasting ongoing. The Roundabout at Redmonds/Empire/Blackmarsh is progressing, looked like it was ready for pavement but they are now installing culverts and cisterns and have dug up a lot of the roundabout. I think the asphalt plants close in a couple of weeks so not likely any pavement there this year.

goodgrowth · #**1047** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 2:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Offshore1

From The Telegram, here's the best visual update on Team Gushue Highway I've seen.

http://www.thetelegram.com/news/dron...pening-163573/

Nice video...but just looking at how much work was required just to put a small strip of highway in that location...one wonders if there were not any alternative routes that would have required less blasting and overpasses...

goodgrowth · #**1048** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 2:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rthomasd

The article claims that the section from Kenmount to Topsail Rd will be open next summer ! I think that's an assumption based on the Topsail Rd Overpass construction signs that say expect delays till Summer 2018 - that doesn't mean the road will be open then, only that the overpass delays will be over.

That's a lot of work to be done in a few months - there's no pad yet for the Sobey's Sq over/underpass so how's an over/underpass to get completed in less than a season when all the others have taken two (or more) full construction seasons? More likely end of 2019 around election time.

Work continues on the roadbed for the collector road to Penneywell, drilling/blasting ongoing. The Roundabout at Redmonds/Empire/Blackmarsh is progressing, looked like it was ready for pavement but they are now installing culverts and cisterns and have dug up a lot of the roundabout. I think the asphalt plants close in a couple of weeks so not likely any pavement there this year.

Would they really need the Topsail Rd over/underpass to be completed for Topsail Rd-TGH access though? All you really need is the on/off-ramping completed to Topsail Rd. Though even that looks like it's going to require it's own separate small over/underpass.

statbass · #**1049** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

Nice video...but just looking at how much work was required just to put a small strip of highway in that location...one wonders if there were not any alternative routes that would have required less blasting and overpasses...

Thanks for posting the aerial video of the TG extension, Offshore. As for alternate routes - there was definitely a lot of blasting done here, but I don't think there was any way around it. Kenmount hill runs pretty much the entire length of Kenmount Rd so I don't think you'd get around that. Any further east or west and you'd pretty much be running through residential areas. This place is just to hilly and rocky!

Just imagine how simply things would be if we had the same geography as Alberta (east of the Rockies) or Saskatchewan.

rthomasd · #**1050** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 3:46 PM**

The Sobey's Sq under/overpass is a small one, the same size as the Old Pennywell Rd and Blackmarsh Rd but it took two years for both of them. Since they are putting in the major overpass at Topsail Rd, they must be going to use it so even a temp on/off ramp would have to be removed shortly. I would expect the on-ramp at Topsail Rd would be very busy.

jjavman · #**1051** Posted **Nov 21, 2017, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rthomasd

The article claims that the section from Kenmount to Topsail Rd will be open next summer ! I think that's an assumption based on the Topsail Rd Overpass construction signs that say expect delays till Summer 2018 - that doesn't mean the road will be open then, only that the overpass delays will be over.

That's a lot of work to be done in a few months - there's no pad yet for the Sobey's Sq over/underpass so how's an over/underpass to get completed in less than a season when all the others have taken two (or more) full construction seasons? More likely end of 2019 around election time.

Work continues on the roadbed for the collector road to Penneywell, drilling/blasting ongoing. The Roundabout at Redmonds/Empire/Blackmarsh is progressing, looked like it was ready for pavement but they are now installing culverts and cisterns and have dug up a lot of the roundabout. I think the asphalt plants close in a couple of weeks so not likely any pavement there this year.

I wondered about the roundabout as well. Saw it today.
Almost seems like an afterthought to start digging after the fine crushed stone was applied. I really hope they are not that disorganized!

rthomasd · #**1052** Posted **Nov 22, 2017, 1:00 AM**

Well, it would be entirely in-character for the City to have approved the roundabout and then wanted culverts, etc after it was built. Some of Danny's criticisms of City Hall aren't far off the mark.

rthomasd · #**1053** Posted **Nov 23, 2017, 4:13 PM**

Normally I want e-maps ( GPS, Google, etc) to be as accurate as possible BUT someone decided that the TGH extension is available for use and my Garmin GPS now wants me to turn here or there onto the new TGH extension whenever I'm passing an on/off ramp such as Topsail Rd, Blackmarsh Rd, Kenmount Rd.

jjavman · #**1054** Posted **Nov 27, 2017, 5:29 PM**

Found this deep in the airport site.

djslue · #**1055** Posted **Dec 14, 2017, 3:28 PM**

Just seen online that Yellow Belly and The Newfoundland Chocolate Company will be going into the new East expansion at the Airport

More info http://stjohnsairport.com/wp-content...nouncement.pdf

J_Murphy · #**1056** Posted **Dec 14, 2017, 3:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by djslue

Just seen online that Yellow Belly and The Newfoundland Chocolate Company will be going into the new East expansion at the Airport

More info http://stjohnsairport.com/wp-content...nouncement.pdf

That is awesome. Glad they are going with two local brands.

goodgrowth · #**1057** Posted **Jan 5, 2018, 12:27 PM**

May have already mentioned/complained about this before but: Is there any plan of ever getting lights on the ORR? It seems crazy to me that a busy highway within the metro area doesn't have lighting. You're just driving along @100km+/hr in the dark on this busy highway with a bunch of off/on ramping in an area with 200K people where essentially every road has lights....except this major high-speed one. It just seems weird and wrong.

Offshore1 · #**1058** Posted **Jan 5, 2018, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

May have already mentioned/complained about this before but: Is there any plan of ever getting lights on the ORR? It seems crazy to me that a busy highway within the metro area doesn't have lighting. You're just driving along @100km+/hr in the dark on this busy highway with a bunch of off/on ramping in an area with 200K people where essentially every road has lights....expect this major high-speed one. It just seems weird and wrong.

I've never heard of a plan to install lighting on the ORR, but it would be a good idea. Maybe it would reduce the number of moose/vehicle collisions?

colinpeddle · #**1059** Posted **Jan 5, 2018, 2:26 PM**

IIRC whether or not there's lighting on a highway is determined by its proximity to a residential/commercial area, it's why there is lighting on the highway near Stavanger.

I say "residential/commercial" area but I'm pretty certain it's commercial, not residential that qualifies an area for lighting.

I could be wrong on all of that.

Huge cost but what a difference it would make. In my opinion the ORR and PMD and the CBS bypass, at least till you hit the end of the divided highway, should all be lit. At this point I don't know where the money would come from...

goodgrowth · #**1060** Posted **Jan 5, 2018, 3:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by colinpeddle

IIRC whether or not there's lighting on a highway is determined by its proximity to a residential/commercial area, it's why there is lighting on the highway near Stavanger.

I say "residential/commercial" area but I'm pretty certain it's commercial, not residential that qualifies an area for lighting.

I could be wrong on all of that.

Huge cost but what a difference it would make. In my opinion the ORR and PMD and the CBS bypass, at least till you hit the end of the divided highway, should all be lit. At this point I don't know where the money would come from...

Should be based on traffic rather than proximity. Yes some areas of the ORR are not running directly through residential/commercial areas but that doesn't mean the traffic is low. I get that there are costs but this isn't some low-speed rural backroad that nobody is using...