Autoroute Guy-Lafleur (A50)

[harls]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I guess it comes down to psychology. 5-10 minutes to get to the 417 and then clear sailing is preferable to me than trying to constantly pass.

There are plenty of passing lanes on the 50 and they seem to work well.

You will still get a lot of left-lane hogging dunderheads on the 417.

I guess it all comes down to driving style. I am not in a rush usually if I am driving to Montreal. Some people on the road unfortunately are.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by harls

There are plenty of passing lanes on the 50 and they seem to work well.

You will still get a lot of left-lane hogging dunderheads on the 417.

I guess it all comes down to driving style. I am not in a rush usually if I am driving to Montreal. Some people on the road unfortunately are.

Funny enough, on the 2-lane portion of A50, even if there’s no car in front of me, as long as there’s oncoming traffic, I don’t feel safe going above 105 kph.
Meanwhile, on the 2-lane portion of 17 between Arnprior and Renfrew, i can easily hit 110 kph even if there’s oncoming traffic.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Funny enough, on the 2-lane portion of A50, even if there’s no car in front of me, as long as there’s oncoming traffic, I don’t feel safe going above 105 kph.
Meanwhile, on the 2-lane portion of 17 between Arnprior and Renfrew, i can easily hit 110 kph even if there’s oncoming traffic.

You are being distracted by the hills and French signage, Dengler.

CONCENTRATE.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by harls

There are plenty of passing lanes on the 50 and they seem to work well.

You will still get a lot of left-lane hogging dunderheads on the 417.

I guess it all comes down to driving style. I am not in a rush usually if I am driving to Montreal. Some people on the road unfortunately are.

Well if you don't care how long it takes you then any discussion of fastest route is kind of moot. 417 is certainly safer so pop in the right lane on cruise control at 110kph and patiently wait for a few lights.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Funny enough, on the 2-lane portion of A50, even if there’s no car in front of me, as long as there’s oncoming traffic, I don’t feel safe going above 105 kph.
Meanwhile, on the 2-lane portion of 17 between Arnprior and Renfrew, i can easily hit 110 kph even if there’s oncoming traffic.

It's certainly safer at least during quiet periods to go even 150 km/h on that section than even 100km/h on 2 lane highway though as 2 lanes go the 50 has a lot of safety features with limited access, good visibility and no passing sections.

[harls]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Well if you don't care how long it takes you then any discussion of fastest route is kind of moot. 417 is certainly safer so pop in the right lane on cruise control at 110kph and patiently wait for a few lights.

I get there at the same time or less, driving not like a road-rager, less stress. Why pretend the 417 is an F1 starter course?

[harls]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

It's certainly safer at least during quiet periods to go even 150 km/h on that section than even 100km/h on 2 lane highway though as 2 lanes go the 50 has a lot of safety features with limited access, good visibility and no passing sections.

Jesus dude.

What are 'quiet periods' and what is the need for driving 150?

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by harls

Jesus dude.

What are 'quiet periods' and what is the need for driving 150?

Mornings. I don't drive 150 but the highway is designed for such speeds and in dry daylight very safe at that speed. I don't drive that fast because there can be speed traps at anytime. The 110 speed limit allows for a steady130. The huge network of two lane road with driveways posted at 80 is much more dangerous at 90 as is standard and would never get you a speeding ticket.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Mornings. I don't drive 150 but the highway is designed for such speeds and in dry daylight very safe at that speed.

Have to disagree with you there. Driving faster than 99% of the rest of the cars on the road is never safe. If anything happens to come in front of you (an animal, a lane-changing driver not expecting anyone to be going 150, an unsecured garden gnome that falls off of a trailer), you are in a lot of trouble.

I don't find that A50 feels unsafe at 100 in normal conditions, but the accident statistics suggest otherwise.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by phil235

Have to disagree with you there. Driving faster than 99% of the rest of the cars on the road is never safe. If anything happens to come in front of you (an animal, a lane-changing driver not expecting anyone to be going 150, an unsecured garden gnome that falls off of a trailer), you are in a lot of trouble.

I don't find that A50 feels unsafe at 100 in normal conditions, but the accident statistics suggest otherwise.

Yes speed always add marginally to risk but as I said and it's well supported by statistics divided highways can support 140-160 better than a two lane can support 100. You might not want to drive 80 on the 50 but that's the actual safe speed. Yes if everyone is going 120-130 with any traffic 150 is unsafe as is 100 frankly.

Interesting experiment. Yesterday around 4 I left Gatineau (St.Raymond and the 5) at the same time as a colleague bound for similar destinations in Montreal. He took the 50 and I went back to the 417. 2hrs 35 for him and 2 hrs 15 for me. Granted the 50 was backed up all the way to the 5 onramp so perhaps not typical. I also drive too fast as per above but it was too busy to go much more than 120. I also stopped for dinner in rigaud so might have had lesser Montreal traffic.

[J.OT13]

The 10 km widening in Buckingham was supposed to be completed by Fall 2023 however, it's now likely to open in early 2024.

The next phase, 13 km at L'Ange-Guardien to route 317 will be studied next summer.

By 2032, the entire A50 should be widened.

Next phase to be widened is Lachute to Mirabel, 23 km in two phases. First phase, 6.6 km, is starting in mid-September. The next phase, 16.7 km, geotechnical studies are starting this summer.

Autoroute Guy-Lafleur: un report «probable» de l’échéancier pour l’élargissement

Par Daniel LeBlanc, Le Droit
24 juillet 2023

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...B2JPNXBCSBIOQ/

[Harley613]

This is such a game changer for the region. High speed rail link to MTL next please.

[Dengler Avenue]

A delay? Is it because the unstable soil around Exit 171 is settling? MTQ used foam for that stretch but some people are skeptical that it’ll work.

If it were up to me, I’d have blasted more rocks further east towards the inspection station to fill it there.

[TheBrain]

Noticed last weekend going to MTL that they've started clearing the trees between Lachute and Mirabel.
Mostly just a narrow path for the coring machines(?) that are doing the soil/geological testing but in a few spots it's clearcut for the future lanes. Slow and steady....

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by TheBrain

Noticed last weekend going to MTL that they've started clearing the trees between Lachute and Mirabel.
Mostly just a narrow path for the coring machines(?) that are doing the soil/geological testing but in a few spots it's clearcut for the future lanes. Slow and steady....

Actually noticed that too. Was going to post but forgot.

[Dengler Avenue]

Will that stretch have a grassy median or just a median barrier?

[TheBrain]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Will that stretch have a grassy median or just a median barrier?

Don't know, that said the overpasses have been built for a grassy median so that would be my guess.

[CanadaGoose]

Originally Posted by TheBrain

Noticed last weekend going to MTL that they've started clearing the trees between Lachute and Mirabel.
Mostly just a narrow path for the coring machines(?) that are doing the soil/geological testing but in a few spots it's clearcut for the future lanes. Slow and steady....

Tree cutting has expanded to about 2-3 lanes wide around Mirabel to Lachute, so definitely future lanes starting soon.