Trans Canada Highway Twinning: Segments U/C

[Rathgrith]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

It definitely is true that Ontario is way behind the rest of Canada, but that will never change unless Northern Ontario becomes a separate province.

As jeremy_haak stated, most of the population of Ontario resides in the southern part where the TCH does not run too. Ontario is not behind Canada, its just that so few people live along the route.

[jmt18325]

Thunder Bay, ON -- “The dream of four-laning Highway 11/17 is becoming a reality that will promote economic growth and job creation in Thunder Bay,” states Michael Gravelle, the MPP for Thunder Bay Superior North and Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Almost twenty kilometres of the twinning of the Trans-Canada highway in Thunder Bay are now slated to begin in 2010. "The start of four-laning of Highway 11-17 east of Thunder Bay will promote economic development and job creation throughout the region".

http://netnewsledger.com/index.php?o...2693&Itemid=26

[vid]

Not really the best news website. That guy is our own WaterlooInvestor.

Here is a comment from Dougall Media's article last week. Ignore the bad grammar--she's Torontonian.

I am from Toronto but have lived in Thunder Bay for 12 years. Thunder Bay's obsession and and justifications for twinning the hyway has kept me laughing for all 12 of those years. I travel on the untwinned section east of Thunder Bay almost every day. I am not sure how the advocates convinced the Ministry to fork over the money to twin from Hodder to 527...lots of whinning maybe..working on the theory of the squeaky wheel? It sure wasn't the major traffic jams because the citizens of Thunder Bay don't even know what they are. And the bit about saving lives...yes..make a super hyway so everyone can go faster and be safe... Well done y'all...still laughing in Thunder Bay :-)))

[Danny D]

Originally Posted by vid

Not really the best news website. That guy is our own WaterlooInvestor.

Here is a comment from Dougall Media's article last week. Ignore the bad grammar--she's Torontonian.

Its nice to see that we have people that think so poorly of human life. The area just east of Thunder Bay towards Nipigon is probably the most dangerous highway in the Country. I have lost family on that road and have driven it many times and i can tell you it is less than pleasant.

It is also a proven fact that expressways are safer than highways. Gotta love the misinformed populous.

[vid]

She obviously hasn't driven back from Kakabeka with a transport two feet behind her car.

My dad was slightly drunk when he did that too, it's a miracle we're alive. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

[jmt18325]

The new highway expansion will result in the twinning of 10 km of Highway 17 starting at the Ontario-Manitoba border and stretching eastward. It represents the first stage of a planned 40-km highway expansion that will eventually extend to Kenora, ON.

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&id=2576

So, can we expect an announcement for the Manitoba side soon?

[amor de cosmos]

PM announces first stage of Highway 17 twinning
15 May 2009

Workers, families and businesses throughout Northwest Ontario will benefit from a major expansion of Highway 17 thanks to a joint investment by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

"Northwest Ontario has a tremendous future as a corridor for increased travel and trade between eastern and western Canada," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was joined by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty at the announcement. "This investment will improve highway safety, create short-term jobs, and help local businesses take advantage of new economic opportunities. By making this investment today, we are helping the people of Northwest Ontario seize the better jobs of tomorrow."

The new highway expansion will result in the twinning of 10 km of Highway 17 starting at the Ontario-Manitoba border and stretching eastward. It represents the first stage of a planned 40-km highway expansion that will eventually extend to Kenora, ON.

Highway 17 is part of the Trans-Canada Highway System and is the only major route for Trans-Canada traffic in Northwest Ontario. Average annual traffic exceeds 4000 vehicles per day, with summer peaks as high as 7000 vehicles. We are taking action now to enhance safety, create jobs and protect the local economy from the impact of highway closures.

Expanding Highway 17 to four lanes is one of many job-creating investments contained in the Harper Government's Economic Action Plan.

Backgrounder

Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in Highway 17

The 40-km section of Highway 17 between Kenora and the Ontario-Manitoba border is the only major East-West highway link between Ontario and Manitoba, and is part of the core National Highway System.

The Highway is a vital link for continental, regional and local traffic and commerce. During the summer months Highway 17 provides access to many tourist and recreational areas in both Ontario and Manitoba. The average traffic reaches as high as 7000 vehicles per day.

This 40-km section of Highway 17 is currently a two-lane, undivided highway with a collision rate above the provincial average. Twinning Highway 17 will enhance both safety and capacity.

The Government of Canada is allocating up to $50 million to twin the first 10 km of Highway 17 stretching from the Ontario-Manitoba border eastward. Construction work will begin in 2010.

The Highway 17 twinning project is a logical progression of the twinning projects that have occurred along the Trans-Canada Highway across the four western provinces. Manitoba intends to proceed with planning for the twinning of the final 14 km west of the Ontario border.

Federal support for this project is conditional on the project meeting all applicable eligibility and approval requirements under the Government of Canada's infrastructure plan and on the signing of a contribution agreement.

http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1481

Northern Highway Improvements Around The Corner

McGuinty Government Invests In Highway Upgrade, Creating Up To 700 Jobs

TORONTO, May 15 /CNW/ -
Ontario is creating jobs and strengthening Northwestern Ontario's economy by improving the Trans-Canada Highway near the Manitoba-Ontario border.

The Province of Ontario and Government of Canada are upgrading a 10-kilometre stretch of the highway. The highway will be expanded from two to four lanes, improving traffic flow and trade. About 4,000 vehicles use this section of Highway 17 each day, and traffic nearly doubles in the summer months.

The $100-million project is scheduled to begin in 2010, pending environmental assessment, and will create up to 700 direct and indirect jobs. The costs of the project will be split equally between Ontario and the federal government with each contributing $50 million.

A route planning and design study is also underway to expand an additional 30 kilometres of highway between the Manitoba-Ontario border and Kenora.

QUOTES
"Improving Highway 17 will create jobs, ease traffic and make travelling quicker and safer for Northern families, tourists and businesses." - Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario

"Northern Ontario's highway network is a critical economic lifeline for the families and businesses in the North. This highway expansion will create jobs and make travel safer." - Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines

QUICK FACTS
- Highway 17 is the only route between Kenora and the Manitoba-Ontario border.
- Tourism in Northern Ontario contributes about $1.2 billion in GDP to the provincial economy and supports 19,600 jobs.
- Ontario's 2009 budget provided $32.5 billion for infrastructure investments over the next two years, including $3.75 billion for highways.
- Since 2003, the McGuinty government has committed more than $2.5 billion for provincial highways, roads and bridges in Northern Ontario.

LEARN MORE
Find out more about the plans for Highway 17
(http://webx.newswire.ca/click/?id=23f46f1b3929e69).

http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE...=&lang=_e.html

[blake10]

<<KENORA -- One of most dangerous stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway -- a route taken by many Manitoba cottagers all summer long -- will be twinned starting next year, the federal government announced Friday.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced $100 million to expand a 10-kilometre stretch of road between the Manitoba border and Kenora.

The section of highway will be expanded from two lanes to four, and work is to begin in 2010, pending an environmental assessment. Planning is underway to eventually expand another 30 kilometres of highway.

The cash is part of the $6.2-billion Building Canada Fund agreement between Ottawa and Ontario that was unveiled last year. Twinning the Trans-Canada around Kenora and Thunder Bay was one of the priority spending areas.

The Canadian Automobile Association listed the stretch of highway as one of the worst stretches of road in Ontario in 2007.

The stretch is among the only parts of the cross-country highway that is not a four-lane divided road. In Manitoba, the 20 or so kilometres between Falcon Lake and the Ontario border is the only remaining section of the Trans-Canada that isn't twinned.

Prior to arriving in Kenora for the announcement, Harper and McGuinty first attended a photo-op together at a depot of the Toronto Transit Commission to announce a shared contribution of almost $1 billion to build a light-rail transit line in the east end of the city.

Harper said the moves are part of the federal government's plan to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible and steer Canada through the global economic crisis.

"The focus of the Government of Canada right now is on our economic action plan, which is designed to deliver stimulus today, designed to deliver money to projects that are ready right now," he said.

The Harper government committed in the Jan. 27 budget to dole out $4 billion over two years through the infrastructure stimulus fund. The funding is to be matched by provinces and municipalities.

But Liberal infrastructure critic Gerard Kennedy said the federal contribution to the Toronto project is actually "old money" that the government never got around to spending.

"It in no way, shape or form can be seen as stimulus, which is supposed to be new money being spent to help the economy," he said.

Ontario will provide two-thirds of the estimated $950-million cost of the new transit line in Toronto, and the federal government will cover the remaining one-third, which Kennedy called "kind of chintzy."

"The federal government should not nickel and dime or put its political fingerprints on (the project)," Kennedy said.

-- The Canadian Press>>

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...-45210082.html


About time...although I wonder how long it will take to twin the 20 km on the Manitoba side.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by blake10

About time...although I wonder how long it will take to twin the 20 km on the Manitoba side.

If it's going to cost $200M, it could be a while. All depends on whether or not the feds are willing to chip in half of the amount I suppose.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by blake10

[
About time...although I wonder how long it will take to twin the 20 km on the Manitoba side.

That's going to be pretty difficult. It's already basically a controlled-access "super-2" through the park. I don't know if it is really that big a problem. Getting 17 done to Kenora is a huge deal, especially given how in the past the Ontario government has appeared to be very reluctant to make road improvements that encourage economic links between NW Ontario and Winnipeg. I wouldn't have thought that twinning a lot of stretches between Kenora and the Lakehead would be all that difficult. A lot of it is pretty flat and not by any means the worst of the Canadian Shield.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by Andy6

That's going to be pretty difficult. It's already basically a controlled-access "super-2" through the park. I don't know if it is really that big a problem. Getting 17 done to Kenora is a huge deal, especially given how in the past the Ontario government has appeared to be very reluctant to make road improvements that encourage economic links between NW Ontario and Winnipeg. I wouldn't have thought that twinning a lot of stretches between Kenora and the Lakehead would be all that difficult. A lot of it is pretty flat and not by any means the worst of the Canadian Shield.

There is also the option from Kenora of heading south along Highway 71 to Fort Frances and continuing east along Highway 11, thereby relieving the bottleneck somewhat. Granted, it's an additional 70 km or so.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

There is also the option from Kenora of heading south along Highway 71 to Fort Frances and continuing east along Highway 11, thereby relieving the bottleneck somewhat. Granted, it's an additional 70 km or so.

Yes, I think the priority right now is eliminating the 2 lane where there is no alternative route. That is one of the reasons that I think the Manitoba section will eventually be done.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Andy6

That's going to be pretty difficult. It's already basically a controlled-access "super-2" through the park. I don't know if it is really that big a problem. Getting 17 done to Kenora is a huge deal, especially given how in the past the Ontario government has appeared to be very reluctant to make road improvements that encourage economic links between NW Ontario and Winnipeg. I wouldn't have thought that twinning a lot of stretches between Kenora and the Lakehead would be all that difficult. A lot of it is pretty flat and not by any means the worst of the Canadian Shield.

It's not that difficult to twin the TCH through Whiteshell, as long as they are willing to accept a concrete median barrier (which IMO is prefered there to minimize the ROW).

[drew]

Originally Posted by blake10

<<KENORA --
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced $100 million to expand a 10-kilometre stretch of road between the Manitoba border and Kenora.

-- The Canadian Press>>

About time...although I wonder how long it will take to twin the 20 km on the Manitoba side.

The stretch from the MB border to Kenora is about 50km. This article only claims that 10km or 1/5 of that distance will be twinned. I guess it's a start, but the really dangerous part of the highway is the stretch between Kenora and Vermillion Bay...

[blake10]

Originally Posted by drew

The stretch from the MB border to Kenora is about 50km. This article only claims that 10km or 1/5 of that distance will be twinned. I guess it's a start, but the really dangerous part of the highway is the stretch between Kenora and Vermillion Bay...

They are starting with 10 km (maybe to about Gundy Rd or Shoal Lake FN turnoff for those familiar with the area?), and eventually, in stages, will also twin the remaining distance to Kenora (I don't know if they will twin into Kenora itself or just to the bypass turnoff). True the Kenora-Vermillion Bay portion is quite dangerous (and seems to be where a lot of the fatal accidents occur), but it is also less busy because you don't get near the seasonal vacation traffic (especially on Friday/Sunday nights). Traffic always seems to drop off considerably once you reach the Kenora bypass (17A).

[jmt18325]

The Highway 17 twinning project is a logical progression of the twinning projects that have occurred along the Trans-Canada Highway across the four western provinces. Manitoba intends to proceed with planning for the twinning of the final 14 km west of the Ontario border.

http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1481

[jmt18325]

A while back, someone made a comment about Manitoba Highway 1 being bad...I guess the Manitoba government must have heard you.

http://tgs.gov.mb.ca/cts/Tenders.aspx

The first few tenders are very exciting. There is also some more for highway 1 further down. Roads and Bridges, 2009.

[blake10]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

The Highway 17 twinning project is a logical progression of the twinning projects that have occurred along the Trans-Canada Highway across the four western provinces. Manitoba intends to proceed with planning for the twinning of the final 14 km west of the Ontario border.

http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1481

I will believe that when I see it...they really haven't been too interested in doing any kind of work to that section. Of course...the province hasn't done much with Whiteshell Provincial Park either. The roads are nearly falling apart (try driving Highway 301 along Falcon’s north shore or Highway 44 from West Hawk Lake to Rennie), and they desperately need to put some money into the townsites. The area has so much untapped potential.

[jmt18325]

Now that Ontario is twinning their side, and with the massive increase in the highways budget, there's no reason to think that it won't get done within the next couple years.

[sauril]

It's a couple thousand km away, but still the Trans Canada: I was driving from Golden to Calgary last weekend, and saw a sign that seemed to imply that the highway was going to be twinned from Kamloops to the Alberta border.

I can't seem to find any info on it, however. Anyone here know anything?