Ottawa Bypass Corridor

[Rathgrith]

Originally Posted by flar

Are you kidding? I find that hard to believe. Where are you talking about?

Pretty much anywhere after Arnpiror to Renfrew and all the way to Petawawa at least. Its even funner with 20 cars following behind a transport trunk at dusk with little passing space to provide safe passing.

[eternallyme]

Back to the broader topic, another reason Ottawa area has not received as much money for highway improvements - there aren't a whole lot of big things necessary right now under provincial jurisdiction.

Highway 7:
-Once the section to Carleton Place is completed, no additional short-term work is necessary.
-Additional widening to 4 lanes from Carleton Place to Perth may be needed in the middle term.
-On the western side, the section east of Peterborough to Havelock should also be widened to 4 lanes.

Highway 17:
-Biggest project in Eastern Ontario, as mentioned in previous posts - replace with new 4-lane 417 extension at least to Petawawa and eventually North Bay (joining up with Northern Ontario projects).

Highway 401:
-Should be widened to 6 lanes now from Cobourg to Kingston, beginning in Belleville and at the endpoints.
-Will need to be widened to 6 lanes from Kingston to Highway 416 in the middle term (by about 2020-2025).

Highway 417:
-Should be widened to 6 lanes as far as Anderson Road, and eventually Boundary Road.
-Biggest expense on the existing highway will be rebuilding the 417/174 split, but that could be a federal project as it involves the Kettle Island bridge.
-No major widening needed (or possible) in the urban area.
-Further widening needed in the west end - 6 lanes to Highway 7, maybe with 2 extra HOV lanes as far as Palladium Drive.

On other provincial highways, including 416, nothing really is needed in the foreseeable future.

That's not to say there are other needs, but they fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government (i.e. Kettle Island) or the City of Ottawa (i.e. CR 174).

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I guess the main reason would be Petawawa, a major Forces base. In the US, the Americans would almost think it inconceivable that a military base would not be accessible by wide roads on which to transport tanks and large equipment. The Interstate system was initially designed with defense in mind after World War II, to be able to quickly move troops and weapons across the US.

I often wonder how they transport explosives and arms into the base, and whether some of this stuff actually comes down the Queensway.

There's always rail:
• Video Link

Granted, that's an equipment train but explosives and arms can be transported that way and it's good reason to keep the Beachburg Subdivision in place would be to maintain military transport options to points east.

[Dado]

Good grief... most of these are completely unnecessary and HSR should take priority before any more 6-laning goes on. With few exceptions, we've got all the freeways we'll need in a future of much higher energy costs.

We're living in the twilight years of low-cost energy. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Back to the broader topic, another reason Ottawa area has not received as much money for highway improvements - there aren't a whole lot of big things necessary right now under provincial jurisdiction.

Highway 7:
-Once the section to Carleton Place is completed, no additional short-term work is necessary.
-Additional widening to 4 lanes from Carleton Place to Perth may be needed in the middle term.

Even assuming that the energy status quo carries on indefinitely, this doesn't make too much sense. Going to Perth achieves what, exactly? Perth is a town of all of 6000 or so. You'd be better off twinning Hwy 15 to Smith's Falls. Indeed, Hwy 416 should never have been built at all - 'Hwy 415' should have been built instead following Hwy 7 & 15 (Hwy 15 used to go to Ottawa on a shared alignment with Hwy 7) and then Hwy 32 to the bridge at Gananoque (far more useful than the bridge at Prescott). Then some of the improvements to Hwy 401 that you list below would also not be needed.

It's already pretty close timewise between taking Hwy 416 and Hwy 401 to Kingston compared to Hwy 7 and Hwy 15. With Hwy 7 twinned to Carleton Place, the latter route will win so that makes the decision to build the 400-series connection to the 401 on the Hwy 16 corridor rather than the Hwy 7&15 corridor all the more short-sighted.

-On the western side, the section east of Peterborough to Havelock should also be widened to 4 lanes.

Highway 17:
-Biggest project in Eastern Ontario, as mentioned in previous posts - replace with new 4-lane 417 extension at least to Petawawa and eventually North Bay (joining up with Northern Ontario projects).

Highway 401:
-Should be widened to 6 lanes now from Cobourg to Kingston, beginning in Belleville and at the endpoints.
-Will need to be widened to 6 lanes from Kingston to Highway 416 in the middle term (by about 2020-2025).

Highway 417:
-Should be widened to 6 lanes as far as Anderson Road, and eventually Boundary Road.
-Biggest expense on the existing highway will be rebuilding the 417/174 split, but that could be a federal project as it involves the Kettle Island bridge.
-No major widening needed (or possible) in the urban area.
-Further widening needed in the west end - 6 lanes to Highway 7, maybe with 2 extra HOV lanes as far as Palladium Drive.

I thought that (6 lanes to Hwy 7) was going to happen anyway.

On other provincial highways, including 416, nothing really is needed in the foreseeable future.

That's not to say there are other needs, but they fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government (i.e. Kettle Island) or the City of Ottawa (i.e. CR 174).

[Davis137]

Well, I think that any additions to the highway will be an improvement.

[daud]

Bringing a post back from the dead...

Living in Riverside south for 6 years now, I can say a true 416-417 south corridor-connector is sorely needed. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Leitrim Road is a complete disaster. While the traffic this morning was punctuated by rain, I ended up on Ramsayville Road trying to get into work today because Lietrim was a wall of cars from the Airport to Hawthorne; Hawthorne was a wall from Louisseize northward and lord knows what was happening on Limebank, Bank and Albion themselves.

Its getting worse and worse and while I agree with the statement that "I chose to live there"; the city has a responsibility to build an infrastructure correlating with developments they approve. I'm all for intensification, I'm all for LRT, but stop approving so many developments in the south and not supporting it with appropriate road infrastructure.

Building a 4 lane road with traffic lights will only result in another Hunt Club Road-which is another south end disaster. This city needs a limited access east west road in the south end. The argument that it will encourage sprawl is mute because the sprawl is getting approved by council on a monthly basis.

And just imagine if the built a kettle island bridge and routed truck traffic onto this theoretical southern corridor. Heaven forbid we actually create a logical network of roads in this city.

End of Rant...

[passwordisnt123]

Originally Posted by daud

Bringing a post back from the dead...

Living in Riverside south for 6 years now, I can say a true 416-417 south corridor-connector is sorely needed. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Leitrim Road is a complete disaster. While the traffic this morning was punctuated by rain, I ended up on Ramsayville Road trying to get into work today because Lietrim was a wall of cars from the Airport to Hawthorne; Hawthorne was a wall from Louisseize northward and lord knows what was happening on Limebank, Bank and Albion themselves.

Its getting worse and worse and while I agree with the statement that "I chose to live there"; the city has a responsibility to build an infrastructure correlating with developments they approve. I'm all for intensification, I'm all for LRT, but stop approving so many developments in the south and not supporting it with appropriate road infrastructure.

Building a 4 lane road with traffic lights will only result in another Hunt Club Road-which is another south end disaster. This city needs a limited access east west road in the south end. The argument that it will encourage sprawl is mute because the sprawl is getting approved by council on a monthly basis.

And just imagine if the built a kettle island bridge and routed truck traffic onto this theoretical southern corridor. Heaven forbid we actually create a logical network of roads in this city.

End of Rant...

I hate to say it but I don't think we should be incentivising suburban sprawl and the continued depopulation of the central areas of the city. Ottawa is already known as the city that fun forgot because nobody stays downtown after hours, everybody rushes out to the suburbs post haste.

It's been said before but it bears repeating: widening roads to cure traffic is a bit like loosening your belt to cure obesity.

[daud]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

I hate to say it but I don't think we should be incentivising suburban sprawl and the continued depopulation of the central areas of the city. Ottawa is already known as the city that fun forgot because nobody stays downtown after hours, everybody rushes out to the suburbs post haste.

It's been said before but it bears repeating: widening roads to cure traffic is a bit like loosening your belt to cure obesity.

I think that might be the thinking "du jour" but its a simple fact. You cannot build thousands of homes and not complement it with road infrastructure.

I don't totally disagree with what you are saying but I think its overstated. The city should not approve all these south end developments if it is not going to invest in its roads. Period. Findlay Creek has got over 1000 homes approved, Riverside south about the same, Barrhaven even more. Something has to give...

And you know, people are reading this and saying...just move. I get that. But, a proper city would have its transportation and its housing development plans in sync. And I think its perfectly debatable that our city does not.

[roger1818]

Does the city even have a plan for an east/west bypass? All of the good routes are being filled up with upteen billion traffic lights and urban sprall is blocking off all of the corridors. If we wait much longer, the only option for a bypass will be the 401.

[daud]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Does the city even have a plan for an east/west bypass? All of the good routes are being filled up with upteen billion traffic lights and urban sprall is blocking off all of the corridors. If we wait much longer, the only option for a bypass will be the 401.

It was on the provincial planning plate about 10-15 years ago but I believe you are right. The corridors are getting filled. Lietrim itself would have been a good choice as it could have provided limited access to the airport as well; however, the city has approved about 1000 homes I believe on Leitrim between Bank and Albion (Northward expansion of Findlay Creek)

And really, to complement what passwordisnt123 said, I'm ok with not building roads in the south-totally OK with it; but if you don't, for pete's sake, don't keep approving developments that will bring 10's of thousands of people. This is the disconnect that bothers me.

[Jeremy Coe, C.E.T.]

Pre-Amalgamation, there was a ring road proposal being worked on. (I know because a friend of mine was working on it) and once amalgamation started, the whole thing got cancelled.

We will never have a ring road, or an East-West Corridor. It just won't happen. The closest thing we had was Hunt Club but that got bungled as well.

More importantly, we need more North South road infrastructure. Just imagine Merivale, Woodroffe and Greenbank roads in the next 10 years.

IMHO of course.

[FFX-ME]

This is the only reference to such a project I found online. It likely won't happen.

http://www.obj.ca/Opinion/2015-09-10...tawa-traffic/1

Ottawa is in dire need of such a ring road as well as new bridges but the funds just aren't there. The city is putting all the eggs in the LRT basket.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by daud

The city should not approve all these south end developments if it is not going to invest in its roads. Period. Findlay Creek has got over 1000 homes approved, Riverside south about the same, Barrhaven even more. Something has to give...

I agree, the city shouldn't be approving these sprawling developments. I was hopping that after amalgamation, the city would be able to have more control over the developers, as they can't threaten to move to another city/township as easily. In reality it hasn't worked out that way. I guess now there are fewer people to bribe sweet talk.

[ars]

I really think some noise needs to be made about this. I would start with contacting the councillors, because at the rate that the southern part of the city is expanding, the current roads and infrastructure won't be able to support the influx of traffic.

[Acajack]

One thing is certain is that there is a lot of east-west vehicle traffic that goes through central Ottawa on the 417 that doesn't have to go through there.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Coe, C.E.T.

Pre-Amalgamation, there was a ring road proposal being worked on. (I know because a friend of mine was working on it) and once amalgamation started, the whole thing got cancelled.

We will never have a ring road, or an East-West Corridor. It just won't happen. The closest thing we had was Hunt Club but that got bungled as well.

More importantly, we need more North South road infrastructure. Just imagine Merivale, Woodroffe and Greenbank roads in the next 10 years.

IMHO of course.

That's right - it was MTO's Vars-to-Kars study (this was to be Highway 418 )

There's a lot of merit to build this as a toll route - about time we get our own version of the ETR. Sadly, without a major shift in governance (i.e. NCR district) this will likely never happen. The Provincial Legislature seems to think the world is flat and it ends at Belleville.

[daud]

Originally Posted by hwy418

That's right - it was MTO's Vars-to-Kars study (this was to be Highway 418 )

There's a lot of merit to build this as a toll route - about time we get our own version of the ETR. Sadly, without a major shift in governance (i.e. NCR district) this will likely never happen. The Provincial Legislature seems to think the world is flat and it ends at Belleville.

sadly even whitby-oshawa seem to have more road infrastructure. I found your Highway 418. and I know the 412 is already open.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by daud

sadly even whitby-oshawa seem to have more road infrastructure. I found your Highway 418. and I know the 412 is already open.

Maybe someone got confused between Ottawa and Oshawa and decided to build the 418 to bypass Oshawa instead.

[FFX-ME]

The former plan for the 400-series highways had it in. Can't find the current one though:



They should really extend the 417 to North bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie too.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by ars

I really think some noise needs to be made about this. I would start with contacting the councillors, because at the rate that the southern part of the city is expanding, the current roads and infrastructure won't be able to support the influx of traffic.

True. Make sure you to let your councillor know that you want urban sprawl to stop. The roads are fine the way they are as long as the city doesn't grow sideways uncontrollably.