Trans-Canada Construction Site

[edwaleni]

I picked up this new construction of the Trans-Canada Highway at Key Lake, Ontario.

It appears they are re-routing the railroad and a dual carriageway is being reconstructed east of the current route to bridge over.

Not sure how old this aerial is, but I was wondering if this was part of a larger 4 lane effort of the TCH in Ontario south of Sudbury?

[SectorZ]

It looks old enough that the GSV from 10/22 on the Trans-Canada highway shows the new bridge over the new rail line right of way.

[edwaleni]

It appears the construction has stopped just north of Cranberry about 83km south of Sudbury.

You can see where the ROW will go with the clearing of the forest, and the bridge between Cranberry and Key Lake.

The province I assume ran out of money in 2023.

[1995hoo]

If you put the Street View camera on the overpass just west of where that construction is, you can see construction of that isolated piece began in either late 2014 or early 2015.

[vdeane]

Wouldn't "ON 69/Future ON 400 Freeway Construction" make more sense as a thread title?  While it's technically part of the TCH, I certainly don't think of it as such, seeing as the ON 69/ON 400/ON 12/ON 7 loop on the TCH doesn't appear to serve any obvious purpose with respect to the TCH system (the next most useless TCH segment is the ON 66/QC 117/A-15 loop, but at least one can stretch out reasoning as a bypass of Ottawa).

[edwaleni]

Wouldn't "ON 69/Future ON 400 Freeway Construction" make more sense as a thread title?  While it's technically part of the TCH, I certainly don't think of it as such, seeing as the ON 69/ON 400/ON 12/ON 7 loop on the TCH doesn't appear to serve any obvious purpose with respect to the TCH system (the next most useless TCH segment is the ON 66/QC 117/A-15 loop, but at least one can stretch out reasoning as a bypass of Ottawa).

Note that in the GSV clip I pulled, the road is clearly marked the TCH and I identified the cities this site was in Ontario. Could have I stated the numbering?, perhaps, but I assumed the cities involved were more relevant seeing the size of the TCH. If there were a breakoff topic simply called "Trans-Canada Highway", since it covers several provinces, maybe then that might have helped.

[LilianaUwU]

(the next most useless TCH segment is the ON 66/QC 117/A-15 loop)

To be fair, neither of the TCH designations going through eastern Ontario and western Québec make much sense. All of them either wander around aimlessly or go through desolate areas with not much going on. I'd say the ON 17/417/A-40 one makes the most sense as it is the most direct.

[vdeane]

Wouldn't "ON 69/Future ON 400 Freeway Construction" make more sense as a thread title?  While it's technically part of the TCH, I certainly don't think of it as such, seeing as the ON 69/ON 400/ON 12/ON 7 loop on the TCH doesn't appear to serve any obvious purpose with respect to the TCH system (the next most useless TCH segment is the ON 66/QC 117/A-15 loop, but at least one can stretch out reasoning as a bypass of Ottawa).

Note that in the GSV clip I pulled, the road is clearly marked the TCH and I identified the cities this site was in Ontario. Could have I stated the numbering?, perhaps, but I assumed the cities involved were more relevant seeing the size of the TCH. If there were a breakoff topic simply called "Trans-Canada Highway", since it covers several provinces, maybe then that might have helped.

I don't think GSV tooltips are a reliable indicator as to how a road is best known (and Google Maps itself is not known for accuracy).  And stating cities in a post does nothing when you just see the thread title in the recent posts list.  I figured out where it was pretty quickly once I had the thread open, it just was not what I was expecting (and if I was scanning threads specifically for the ON 69 freeway upgrade, this thread title wouldn't be one I would look for it under).

[edwaleni]

I will freely admit I don't peruse the Canada section of AARoads frequently. When I read about Canadian highway issues in the press I will come here to see if there is some discussion on it. If not I will post on it.

My last drive in Canada was in Vancouver BC and Vancouver Island just a couple of years ago when I came up through Blaine. I have never driven the TCH in Ontario.

So all I can ask is you be patient with me as I learn the Canadian highways.

[vdeane]

I will freely admit I don't peruse the Canada section of AARoads frequently. When I read about Canadian highway issues in the press I will come here to see if there is some discussion on it. If not I will post on it.

My last drive in Canada was in Vancouver BC and Vancouver Island just a couple of years ago when I came up through Blaine. I have never driven the TCH in Ontario.

So all I can ask is you be patient with me as I learn the Canadian highways.

Ah.  As it happens, the TCH is a much bigger deal in most of Canada than Ontario and Québec.  Unlike the other provinces that have the number in the TCH shield and prominently sign it, those two provinces use the TCH shield as a supplement on reassurance shield assemblies.  IIRC the mainline (ON 17/ON 417) has at least some clout in Ontario, along with the ON 11 loop from Nipigon to North Bay (flatter than ON 17 along Lake Superior, so thru trucks tend to go that way), but the other loops not so much.  And good luck hearing about it at all in Québec (it may be mentioned in passing with respect to the A-85 construction, but that's about it).

[edwaleni]

I will freely admit I don't peruse the Canada section of AARoads frequently. When I read about Canadian highway issues in the press I will come here to see if there is some discussion on it. If not I will post on it.

My last drive in Canada was in Vancouver BC and Vancouver Island just a couple of years ago when I came up through Blaine. I have never driven the TCH in Ontario.

So all I can ask is you be patient with me as I learn the Canadian highways.

Ah.  As it happens, the TCH is a much bigger deal in most of Canada than Ontario and Québec.  Unlike the other provinces that have the number in the TCH shield and prominently sign it, those two provinces use the TCH shield as a supplement on reassurance shield assemblies.  IIRC the mainline (ON 17/ON 417) has at least some clout in Ontario, along with the ON 11 loop from Nipigon to North Bay (flatter than ON 17 along Lake Superior, so thru trucks tend to go that way), but the other loops not so much.  And good luck hearing about it at all in Québec (it may be mentioned in passing with respect to the A-85 construction, but that's about it).

The only news I get on Quebec is how the government workers pension fund has been taking over more and more transporation services.  They have also been propping up Bombardier Aviation in Mirabel. But thats a different subject.

I just ordered some books on the canals of Canada. I have enjoyed reading on the Rideau, Trent-Severn and the big plan for the Georgian Bay. Again another subject for a different thread, but I am not indifferent to its history, I enjoy it.

My first Candadian highway experience was long ago when our family went to Welland in 1967 and we drove the QEW. Up to that time I had never been on a highway named for royalty.

[AsphaltPlanet]

That section of Hwy 69 was completed in 2017 or 2018 or so.  It was built for a still unconstructed diversion of the CN Railway.  The future divided section of Hwy 69 south of there will run through First Nations land.  As with the US, First Nations issues are sometimes thorny and time consuming, so Hwy 69 construction has been stalled for several years, as all remaining construction requires at least some land that is controlled by First Nations.