Ottawa Highway Bypass Corridor/Ring Road

[Ottawaresident]

True. Maybe we should be discussing the Corridor, not the truck tunnel?

[ya boy]

nonononononononononono

[Ottawaresident]

As far as Nicholas and Colonel By merging, I'm envisioning a two way interchange. Colonel By Northbound can only merge into Nicholas Northbound, and only Nicholas Southbound can merge into Colonel By Southbound. This way the Nicholas, King Edward and uOttawa area won't descend into total traffic chaos while creating new recreational space. After all access to Colonel By south of the 417 is bad, so it won't be too bad on Colonel By.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

As far as Nicholas and Colonel By merging, I'm envisioning a two way interchange. Colonel By Northbound can only merge into Nicholas Northbound, and only Nicholas Southbound can merge into Colonel By Southbound. This way the Nicholas, King Edward and uOttawa area won't descend into total traffic chaos while creating new recreational space. After all access to Colonel By south of the 417 is bad, so it won't be too bad on Colonel By.

That was exactly my thought. No need for connections between Colonel By and the 417.

As for the northern end, I would either remove the branch in front of DND and the Shaw Centre (preferred) or else I would make it for southbound traffic only, south of Daly.

[Ottawaresident]

Originally Posted by roger1818

As for the northern end, I would either remove the branch in front of DND and the Shaw Centre (preferred) or else I would make it for southbound traffic only, south of Daly.

I guess. I am on Nicholas/Waller Northbound regularly, but almost never use Nicholas Southbound, almost always use King Edward. Only ever been on Nicholas Southbound north of Laurier once.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

I guess. I am on Nicholas/Waller Northbound regularly, but almost never use Nicholas Southbound, almost always use King Edward. Only ever been on Nicholas Southbound north of Laurier once.

Same here.

[lrt's friend]

If you use the Rideau Centre parking lot, you will going southbound on Nicholas.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

If you use the Rideau Centre parking lot, you will going southbound on Nicholas.

I was just going to say that coming out of the Rideau Centre parking, or coming off Laurier are the only two easy, practical ways to get to Nicholas southbound.

Coming from Rideau, the Market, King Edward, the M-C bridge, the U of O, etc. it's just an impossible maze of one-way, no left turns, no right turns, do not enter, reserved bus or truck lanes and other shit.

If I am on the 417 and going home to Gatineau, I always use Nicholas northbound and the Waller, etc. maze (not as bad the one in the other direction though) to get to K-E and the M-C.

But coming off the M-C bridge to get to the 417, I never use the maze and Nicholas southbound.

[Ottawaresident]

I use the MC Bridge if going to Autoroute 5 and rarely Autoroute 50. Going home into Ottawa, I almost never use the MC Bridge, unless I forgot to exit onto Des Maisoneuves. After all, Des Maisoneuves is also a good route, but only coming from Carling onto the Parkway. All the downtown routes are riddled with traffic lights, and it takes forever. If there was a freeway from the Queensway onto Portage Bridge, it could work. But only if Maisoneuves was cleaned up.

[MichelKazan]

Funny those of you that mention not using Nicholas southbound to get to 417. Currently, the only way to get onto 417 East is by using Nicholas southbound since you can't get on by Lees Avenue since that ramp currently for buses only, hence there would be no use to go down King Edward to get to 417 East.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

Funny those of you that mention not using Nicholas southbound to get to 417. Currently, the only way to get onto 417 East is by using Nicholas southbound since you can't get on by Lees Avenue since that ramp currently for buses only, hence there would be no use to go down King Edward to get to 417 East.

We're just talking about coming from certain routings. Coming off the M-C bridge if I am going to the 417 East I take St. Patrick and then Vanier Parkway. If going in the direction of Prescott-Russell I sometimes take Sir George-Étienne Cartier and Aviation. I never take Rideau-Waller-Besser-Whatever... too much of a pain in the ass.

And from downtown Ottawa CBD you can also get on 417 East by going straight down O'Connor.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

Funny those of you that mention not using Nicholas southbound to get to 417. Currently, the only way to get onto 417 East is by using Nicholas southbound since you can't get on by Lees Avenue since that ramp currently for buses only, hence there would be no use to go down King Edward to get to 417 East.

Maybe for 417 East but the on ramp from Mann Ave onto the 417 West is still open AFAIK.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I was just going to say that coming out of the Rideau Centre parking, or coming off Laurier are the only two easy, practical ways to get to Nicholas southbound.

Coming from Rideau, the Market, King Edward, the M-C bridge, the U of O, etc. it's just an impossible maze of one-way, no left turns, no right turns, do not enter, reserved bus or truck lanes and other shit.

If I am on the 417 and going home to Gatineau, I always use Nicholas northbound and the Waller, etc. maze (not as bad the one in the other direction though) to get to K-E and the M-C.

But coming off the M-C bridge to get to the 417, I never use the maze and Nicholas southbound.

You are selling the Kettle Island bridge idea which would provide such direct access to Gatineau without having to go through the 'maze' that is downtown. In the long run, it makes downtown, especially Lowertown and Sandy Hill, more pedestrian friendly throughout. I hate how Nicholas Street has turned into almost a Freeway digging deep into downtown.

In my childhood, Nicholas Street was just a connecting street to a quiet country road that was Hurdman Road.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

You are selling the Kettle Island bridge idea which would provide such direct access to Gatineau without having to go through the 'maze' that is downtown. In the long run, it makes downtown, especially Lowertown and Sandy Hill, more pedestrian friendly throughout. I hate how Nicholas Street has turned into almost a Freeway digging deep into downtown.

In my childhood, Nicholas Street was just a connecting street to a quiet country road that was Hurdman Road.

Yeah my purpose was not to sell Kettle Island but my post does happen to cover a lot of the arguments in favour of it.

Kettle Island wasn't chosen as the best new crossing option for nothing.

[MichelKazan]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Maybe for 417 East but the on ramp from Mann Ave onto the 417 West is still open AFAIK.

Yes this is correct. But you need to be on Nicholas to access 417 East

Originally Posted by Acajack

And from downtown Ottawa CBD you can also get on 417 East by going straight down O'Connor.

You sure can get to 417 East via O'Connor. But find a way to O'Connor from the Pont MacDonald-Cartier that's not awkward. Almost worth taking le pont des Portages if you can and you're going to go to O'Connor.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

Yes this is correct. But you need to be on Nicholas to access 417 East



You sure can get to 417 East via O'Connor. But find a way to O'Connor from the Pont MacDonald-Cartier that's not awkward. Almost worth taking le pont des Portages if you can and you're going to go to O'Connor.

That's why most people coming off the M-C and headed for the 417 take St. Patrick and Vanier Parkway.

[Ottawaresident]

Originally Posted by Acajack

That's why most people coming off the M-C and headed for the 417 take St. Patrick and Vanier Parkway.

It's easier to take the Portage onto Lyon. If you really were persistent, I like to take Kind Edward onto Greenfield.

Irt's Friend said how Nicholas is an urban at grade expressway into downtown. There are no other routes into Sandy Hill, Lower Town, Byward Market and U of Ottawa. Sure you can take the Vanier, but that is awkward and Vanier is congested just the same. Rideau, St Patricks and Sussex are the only bridges from Vanier to Byward. They are all awkward. And coming from Centertown and Downtown, the hell bridges on Laurier Mackenzie King and Wellington are the only way to Byward. Sorry for the rant.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

It's easier to take the Portage onto Lyon. If you really were persistent, I like to take Kind Edward onto Greenfield.
.

Sorry I should have specified I meant 417 eastbound. I still think St. Patrick and Vanier Pkwy is generally the best of a bad bunch of options for this. Under normal daytime traffic conditions. If it's 2 am I might do the maze around the Rideau Centre (Waller, etc.) to Nicholas southbound though.

When the ramp to the 417 East was open on Lees I'd sometimes shoot straight down King Edward through the campus if late at night or on Sunday morning. I almost never used the campus route during normal daytime traffic conditions.

[Acajack]

Going anywhere near the A-5 or the A-50 in Gatineau and headed to the 417 West, GPS systems almost always tell you to exit at Maisonneuve and go the Portage Bridge, and then turn right on the John A. Parkway, then take Parkdale to the 417 West.

I've gotten suckered into this route a few times but the traffic on Parkdale south of Tunney's Pasture all the way to the 417 totally sucks. Not just during rush hour. On a Sunday afternoon at 2 pm. On a Tuesday evening at 7:45 pm.

I avoid Parkdale like the plague.

If I am going to the 417 West I always take the A-50 to the end, turn left at Montcalm. Then left onto Alexandre-Taché and right onto the Chaudière Bridge. Then I go up Booth and turn right on Somerset and left on Rochester.

There is an on-ramp for the 417 West at Rochester.

It seems like a circuitous route but it's the consistently quickest one I've found.

[Ottawaresident]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Going anywhere near the A-5 or the A-50 in Gatineau and headed to the 417 West, GPS systems almost always tell you to exit at Maisonneuve and go the Portage Bridge, and then turn right on the John A. Parkway, then take Parkdale to the 417 West.

I've gotten suckered into this route a few times but the traffic on Parkdale south of Tunney's Pasture all the way to the 417 totally sucks. Not just during rush hour. On a Sunday afternoon at 2 pm. On a Tuesday evening at 7:45 pm.

I avoid Parkdale like the plague.

Of course you do. I do too. Our GPS says to exit at Maisoneuves too but then turn left onto Wellington and take Lyon. The traffic and lights aren't too bad, and if downtown is bad, I take the SJAM all the way to Carling. It isn't great but it works.

Originally Posted by Acajack

Sorry I should have specified I meant 417 eastbound. I still think St. Patrick and Vanier Pkwy is generally the best of a bad bunch of options for this. Under normal daytime traffic conditions. If it's 2 am I might do the maze around the Rideau Centre (Waller, etc.) to Nicholas southbound though.

When the ramp to the 417 East was open on Lees I'd sometimes shoot straight down King Edward through the campus if late at night or on Sunday morning. I almost never used the campus route during normal daytime traffic conditions.

I live in West Ottawa, coming from Gatineau I never ever go East on the 417. I never take the Vanier because the traffic is about as fast as a turtle, and it is an awkward routing. I kind of wish they kept the old cloverleaf interchange at Vanier and the old Alta Vista. If anything I prefer a routing either through Sussex onto the SGEC or Wellington onto the routes which have connections to the 417 East. Sorry for the rant!