Atlantic Highways Thread

[MonctonRad]

Similar to you:

- Complete twinning of Highway 7
- Twin Highway 15 to the first Cap Pele exit.
- Twin Highway 11 north to Bouctouche.

I thin that's all the province needs for the foreseeable future. Doing this should not break the bank.

[Taeolas]

In the Freddy area, twinning Route 7 to SJ as noted.

And finishing Route 8 on the northside (not necessarily twinning) should be a priority. In particular, the end of the PMB needs to be directly connected to the Marysville Bypass, and the intersection with Riverside sorted out. Then we have the two intersections at Greenwood and Bridge street.

In my opinion, roundabouts are probably the best solution to all three of them. Stamp down 3 roundabouts at those intersections, and we should be good for traffic flow in that area for the next 10-20 years easily.

[Dengler Avenue]

If roundabout, I prefer that it be easier to retrofit an interchange through it in the future.
And what about twinning the bridge that carries Highway 11 in Miramichi?

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Similar to you:

- Complete twinning of Highway 7
- Twin Highway 15 to the first Cap Pele exit.
- Twin Highway 11 north to Bouctouche.

I thin that's all the province needs for the foreseeable future. Doing this should not break the bank.

Full twinning of 7 won't happen in my lifetime (I'm 32), but getting as far as Welsford would only require 3 reconfigured exits/overpasses. I believe ROW is already acquired. The 9 northernmost kilometres from the TCH to Broad St in Geary would only need changes made at the TCH an the end of Broad. That's a pair of reasonable asks. I feel like this could be phased pretty easily. One exit and 5-7km per year.
1- Crane Mountain/177 to Colonel Nase (5km/1 exit)
2- Colonel Nase to 102 (6km/1 exit)
3- 102 to 177 (7km/1 exit)

15 going to Cap Pele would be 3 bridges and 2 upgraded exits. Ending at Route 950, I assume? I'm not super familiar with commuter patterns or road safety out this far. Does Cap Pele justify this?

11 going to Bouctouche would need 3 bridges and 4-6 new sets of ramps. So you envision it going to Route 513 or as far as 134?

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Similar to you:

- Complete twinning of Highway 7
- Twin Highway 15 to the first Cap Pele exit.
- Twin Highway 11 north to Bouctouche.

I thin that's all the province needs for the foreseeable future. Doing this should not break the bank.

I'm not a big fan of highway spending in general, but twinning Route 7 should have been done a long time ago (I'm sure that the fact it runs through CFB Gagetown is part of the reason it wasn't) as it forms the main transportation link between two of the three biggest cities in the province and the number of SJers that work or study in Fredericton is actually quite large.

As a side note, let's say it cut 5-10 minutes off the drive between the two cities. From my house in central SJ, the drive to the local airport takes me 20 minutes, but a faster route to YFC could bring that option down to only about 40-45 minutes. That is a pretty small difference in the grand scheme, and would really ease the burden of inadequate options for air travel in the area.

[Dengler Avenue]

I'm sure that the fact it runs through CFB Gagetown is part of the reason it wasn't.

TCH wouldn’t have been twinned either, though.
I’m just curious what details need to be worked out with DND.

[MonctonRad]

OK, if we are going to get into smaller projects, in the Moncton area, I think this should be done:

1) - get rid of the three "at grade" railway crossings. They are an embarrassment and require constant maintenance. The risk of train collision is low since these are little used spur lines, but, unwary tourists could still be surprised by such a potential encounter.
2) - create a full interchange on the 15 for the exit at the Romeo LeBlanc Airport. This could be combines with the removal of the at grade railway crossing here.
3) - add in a northbound on ramp on the 15 at Rue Industrial
4) - new interchange at Highway 2 and McLaughlin Drive. I think this one is actually in the works.
5) - there will be eventual need for six-laning the TCH between at least Gorge Road and Harrisville Blvd. This portion of the TCH is transitioning into an urban throughway rather than a bypass, and traffic volumes are increasing quickly.
6) - add in traffic signals at the westbound on/off ramps at TCH/Mapleton. Exiting traffic is frequently backed up almost onto the westbound traffic lanes of the TCH. This is an accident waiting to happen.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

I'm not a big fan of highway spending in general, but twinning Route 7 should have been done a long time ago (I'm sure that the fact it runs through CFB Gagetown is part of the reason it wasn't) as it forms the main transportation link between two of the three biggest cities in the province and the number of SJers that work or study in Fredericton is actually quite large.

As a side note, let's say it cut 5-10 minutes off the drive between the two cities. From my house in central SJ, the drive to the local airport takes me 20 minutes, but a faster route to YFC could bring that option down to only about 40-45 minutes. That is a pretty small difference in the grand scheme, and would really ease the burden of inadequate options for air travel in the area.

The main reason I'd advocate twinning Route 7 isn't for speed reasons, but more for safety reasons. Granted I don't go to SJ often, but a few times I have gone there (or come back from there), I've been stuck in freezing rain storms, and frankly driving an undivided highway in that sort of weather is terrifying, considering the transport traffic that would be using it (and how isolated the CFB Gagetown stretch of it is).

But yeah, nibbling away at twinning it, especially down at the SJ end of the route would be a good short term goal in general.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

OK, if we are going to get into smaller projects, in the Moncton area, I think this should be done:

1) - get rid of the three "at grade" railway crossings. They are an embarrassment and require constant maintenance. The risk of train collision is low since these are little used spur lines, but, unwary tourists could still be surprised by such a potential encounter.
2) - create a full interchange on the 15 for the exit at the Romeo LeBlanc Airport. This could be combines with the removal of the at grade railway crossing here.
3) - add in a northbound on ramp on the 15 at Rue Industrial
4) - new interchange at Highway 2 and McLaughlin Drive. I think this one is actually in the works.
5) - there will be eventual need for six-laning the TCH between at least Gorge Road and Harrisville Blvd. This portion of the TCH is transitioning into an urban throughway rather than a bypass, and traffic volumes are increasing quickly.
6) - add in traffic signals at the westbound on/off ramps at TCH/Mapleton. Exiting traffic is frequently backed up almost onto the westbound traffic lanes of the TCH. This is an accident waiting to happen.

In that case, I’ll add one more:
Replacing the loop ramps from 2E to 15E and from 2W to 15W with right-hand flyover ramps. That interchange needs modernizing.
That’ll require reconfiguring the interchange at 134 to look like an ear to avoid weaving though.
The median of TCH can be shrunk to 15 m for that if needed.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

The main reason I'd advocate twinning Route 7 isn't for speed reasons, but more for safety reasons. Granted I don't go to SJ often, but a few times I have gone there (or come back from there), I've been stuck in freezing rain storms, and frankly driving an undivided highway in that sort of weather is terrifying, considering the transport traffic that would be using it (and how isolated the CFB Gagetown stretch of it is).

But yeah, nibbling away at twinning it, especially down at the SJ end of the route would be a good short term goal in general.

Agree completely about the safety issues of major 2 lane highways (especially in winter and especially those with significant truck traffic). Far too many news reports of highway fatalities include the phrase "crossed the centre line and collided head-on ...."

[Dengler Avenue]

At least I applaud N.B. for building Welsford Bypass with divided 4 lanes (except at the ends) right from the get go.
Modernizing the interchange between 1 & 7 will be tricky though, with the interchange with 100 so close by.
That said, any thought about correcting the left-hand merges and exits between 1 & 2, anyone??

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

OK, if we are going to get into smaller projects, in the Moncton area, I think this should be done:

1) - get rid of the three "at grade" railway crossings. They are an embarrassment and require constant maintenance. The risk of train collision is low since these are little used spur lines, but, unwary tourists could still be surprised by such a potential encounter.
2) - create a full interchange on the 15 for the exit at the Romeo LeBlanc Airport. This could be combines with the removal of the at grade railway crossing here.
3) - add in a northbound on ramp on the 15 at Rue Industrial
4) - new interchange at Highway 2 and McLaughlin Drive. I think this one is actually in the works.
5) - there will be eventual need for six-laning the TCH between at least Gorge Road and Harrisville Blvd. This portion of the TCH is transitioning into an urban throughway rather than a bypass, and traffic volumes are increasing quickly.
6) - add in traffic signals at the westbound on/off ramps at TCH/Mapleton. Exiting traffic is frequently backed up almost onto the westbound traffic lanes of the TCH. This is an accident waiting to happen.

Wouldn't additional lanes from Harrisville to Mountain (less than 2km) be worth it, if you're adding lanes? Why stop at Gorge? And in the other direction it's 2.5km to Shediac Rd and 4km to 15... just saying!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Wouldn't additional lanes from Harrisville to Mountain (less than 2km) be worth it, if you're adding lanes? Why stop at Gorge? And in the other direction it's 2.5km to Shediac Rd and 4km to 15... just saying!

Just trying to save Parsimonious Higgs a few bucks. Ideally you are correct, but, traffic really begins to pick up at Gorge, and drops off after Harrisville.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Just trying to save Parsimonious Higgs a few bucks. Ideally you are correct, but, traffic really begins to pick up at Gorge, and drops off after Harrisville.

I don't think we need to go full Tim Houston but there's a few highway projects listed suggested here that sit in very PC friendly turf-- all of Route 7 is dark blue, same with Route 8, and Moncton's north and west are quite blue too.

Partisanship aside, Liberals will eventually take power and continue improving 11 and 15. A second bridge across the Cocagne would be good government, going to Bouctouche (or God forbid Richibucto) might need a thumb on the scale. Same with extending 15 past Beaubassin-Est.

Give us some patronage Blaine, we aren't gonna get any under the next Liberal government lol.

Poor Miramichi. It's got ROW for a whole web of highways but not enough of a population or economy to justify them. If the city were to be thrown a bone, what about the Chatham-Chatham Head section of Route 8 between Route 11 and the Miramichi Bridge? You can make a strong argument that Chatham and Newcastle are weakly-connected. Or, having Route 8 north and west of Newcastle bypass the city to the Oldfield Road area? I dimly remember there being (trucking related?) complaints about the Beaverbrook Boulevard/King George Highway stretch. A super two might even be adequate.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Dartguard

Where exactly would you bypass St Peter's. Very little non Ocean options.

I thought that north of the village roughly where the Hydro lines cross the river at beaver narrows would be the only logical spot.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I don't think we need to go full Tim Houston but there's a few highway projects listed suggested here that sit in very PC friendly turf-- all of Route 7 is dark blue, same with Route 8, and Moncton's north and west are quite blue too.

Partisanship aside, Liberals will eventually take power and continue improving 11 and 15. A second bridge across the Cocagne would be good government, going to Bouctouche (or God forbid Richibucto) might need a thumb on the scale. Same with extending 15 past Beaubassin-Est.

Give us some patronage Blaine, we aren't gonna get any under the next Liberal government lol.

Poor Miramichi. It's got ROW for a whole web of highways but not enough of a population or economy to justify them. If the city were to be thrown a bone, what about the Chatham-Chatham Head section of Route 8 between Route 11 and the Miramichi Bridge? You can make a strong argument that Chatham and Newcastle are weakly-connected. Or, having Route 8 north and west of Newcastle bypass the city to the Oldfield Road area? I dimly remember there being (trucking related?) complaints about the Beaverbrook Boulevard/King George Highway stretch. A super two might even be adequate.

So there’s the bypass for 8.
As for 11, what about 4 lanes through Miramichi then back to 2 lanes outside of it?

[josh_cat_eyes]

As far as twinning projects go;
Highway 15 up to exit 53 at route 950.
Route 7 the Grand Bay-Westfield bypass connecting the two 4 lane sections at the southern end of the highway as well as building a proper interchange at Broad Road in Geary.

Improvements are also needed in Moncton at several exits on Wheeler (Causeway Traffic Circle, Berry Mills Road, Lewisville/Botsford) As well as finishing interchanges in Dieppe at Rue Industrial & Aviation Ave. Some of the ramps may just need to be adjusted, but there shouldn’t be any at grade crossings, or single lane sections. This wouldn’t take much resources to fix. Also the places previously mentioned by MonctonRad should be fixed as well.

I’d also actually like to see investments in non highway projects. Like adding passing lanes on highway 16 between Port Elgin and the Confederation Bridge and on Route 114. There is large sections that are either unsafe, outdated or pose a risk of flooding due to climate change.

[Dengler Avenue]

Sometimes when I look at the east end of N.S.-125, I can’t help but wonder…
Has N.S.T.I.R. ever envisioned the freeway to go east towards Glace Bay?

[ryanaye]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Sometimes when I look at the east end of N.S.-125, I can’t help but wonder…
Has N.S.T.I.R. ever envisioned the freeway to go east towards Glace Bay?

Would certainly be interesting. I haven't heard of such a thing, but, could see it happening in 20+ years if the population of CBRM keeps increasing.

I'd figure they would prioritize making Highway 104 a full super-two from St. Peters to Sydney with divided sections before they went ahead with extending Highway 125 another 9.5km to Glace Bay though.. who knows.

Was bored and decided to work on an idea of how it may look. The extension of Highway 125 to Glace Bay & New Waterford would start at the parking lots of the Walmart & Home Depot with a large roundabout - these commercial lots would be demolished. About 5km in, there would be a new interchange built with a connector road to Lingan Rd & Trunk 4 / Cape Breton University consisting of 4 roundabouts at each junction. Lastly, there would be yet another roundabout at Trunk 28. The roundabouts seem in line with how NSPW is going ahead with all these new highway infrastructure projects.

[Dengler Avenue]

Are you thinking of demolishing any shops at the corner of 125 & Trunk 4? If yes, IMO you may as well go with an interchange.
I was actually thinking extending it east between Trunks 4 & 28 until the Timmies by Trunk 4 & Gannon Street: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZjRPzXLLfBtms82Q6?g_st=ic, but yes I did have in mind a branch that serves New Watford (Highway 128??).

My inspiration? Quebec Autoroute 70 between La Baie in the east (future extension) and Alma to the west (again, future extension) in Saguenay Lac Saint Jean.
Quebec Route 175 between Chicoutimi and Quebec City will be like a future N.S.-104 between Sydney and… Moncton??

I am a bit busy these days but if you want, you can remind me to draw something up.