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Autoroute 50 Construction (PHOTOs)

Started by AsphaltPlanet, May 08, 2012, 02:06:17 PM

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AsphaltPlanet

A few photos of Autoroute 50 between Ottawa and Montreal taken on Sunday:











This road is uber-photogenic.  I took some additional photos on Sunday, and will definitely be back to take more.  Some of the vantages of the Ottawa River that are visible along this road are simply stunning; but require some creativity to capture on film from the highway.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.


agentsteel53

that's some great landscape; thanks for sharing the photos!
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Alps

Looks like it's coming along swiftly, eh

mgk920

With the expenditure of much dynamite!

(Pardon my lack of French)

Mike

Dr Frankenstein


vdeane

That should be an interesting rock removal job if the road is ever twinned.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Quillz

Are Autoroutes not built to similar standards as Interstate highways? I thought they were, and this doesn't look like it follows such standards. It reminds me somewhat of the grandfathered "Super 2" that you can find throughout New England.

vdeane

Not necessarily.  A-55 even has a stoplight and at-grade intersections around Stanstead/Derby Lane.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Dr Frankenstein

Quote from: Quillz on May 22, 2012, 06:17:53 AM
Are Autoroutes not built to similar standards as Interstate highways? I thought they were, and this doesn't look like it follows such standards. It reminds me somewhat of the grandfathered "Super 2" that you can find throughout New England.

A-50 is a Super-two on most of its length.

While most autoroutes are fully access-controlled four-lane divided freeways, there are many exceptions to this rule.

A-19 is an urban boulevard through most of its length, A-20 is a boulevard through Vaudreuil and Pincourt and a super-two after Rivière-du-Loup, A-30 is a two-lane country road in Bécancour; so is A-955; A-35's interchange with A-10 has stops in some ramps, A-55 has several stops and signals between A-20 and Trois-Rivières, and one dangerous at-grade intersection north of Stanstead.

I'm probably forgetting several examples.

AsphaltPlanet

Isn't one of the traffic signals along the 55 supposed to be replaced with an interchange this year?  I think Stephane posted that earlier in the spring, but I may be mistaken.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

Stephane Dumas

Exactly, one interchange at Becancour in the area of St-Gregroire, the traffic light with Des Acadiens Blvd is planned to be replaced by a interchange.

webfil

#11
An impressive number of autoroutes were built to lower standards, upgraded later along with needs and fundings.


  • A-5 has a 4-lane divided section that has no interchanges ―the road begins and ends at intersections―, but is actually being connected to its southern counterpart (end of construction : 2015);
  • A-15 was first built in the 40's as route 9 (US-9 extension), AKA Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Way. It connected US border, Jacques-Cartier bridge and Québec City via actual A-15, R-134, R-116 and A-20 routings. The road was a mix of 2 and 4-lanes, divided or not, rural or urban expressways or boulevard with some interchanges and roundabouts. From the original R-9, A-20 and A-15 have been totally upgraded to freeways, 116 on some parts, 134 is mixed jersey freeway/urban boulevard;
  • R-117 north of A-15 terminus has seen its Mont-Tremblant―Saint-Jovite bypass upgraded from 4-lane divided highway to 4-lane + C/D freeway and has been given A-15 exit numbering;
  • A-19 northern extension is actually built as a 2-lane rural expressway bearing route number 335, but is planned to be a fully operationnal 2 HOV+4-lane freeway by 2015;
  • A-720 eastern section (also known as Avenue Souligny) was a narrow 4-lane divided expressway on one carriageway, but has been widened to 5-lane on two roadbeds;
  • A-25 has been for a long time a 2-lane, then 4-lane rural expressway with no interchanges north of chemin Sainte-Marie (exit 28). The additional 20 km were "freewayized" 10-15 years ago. A northerly 4, then 2-lane rural expressway between Chertsey township and Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci built with large volume expectations was meant to be eventually part of an A-25 freeway;
  • Dr Frankenstein told you about A-30 Bécancour stretch, but...
    • A-30 had 3 different planned routings along history and some leftovers of its partial construction remain, such as a 4-lane ± expressway between Old Malone and Blind Lady's roads in Kahnawake and a 2-lane somewhat expressway north of Châteauguay. You can even find a twin roadbed and twin bridges when crossing some rivers. Those sections will likely never be part of A-30;
    • On another note, the Kahnawake bypass was built as a super-2 first in 1990, then twinned two years later, making one think it has been built in emergency;
  • A-31 was first built as a 4-lane rural expressway. Two intersections were replaced by interchanges over 30 years after its original construction, adding to the two lately existing at both ends.
  • A-35 has a mix of A-31 and A-5 history ; the northern part had two at-grade intersection north of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (late Saint-Luc) removed in the 90's (construction dating back from '66). An existing southerly 4-lane divided rural expressway is being connected to the actual A-35 and upgraded onto a freeway (end of construction : 2017);
  • See this post for A-40 and A-520 history on Montréal island;
    • A-440 (Charest) was a 2-lane rural expressway that has been twinned, then converted into a freeway;
    • A-440 (Laval) collectors were built before the mainline, resulting in a wide divided highway with slow speed, driveways and interchanges;
    • A-640 was built in 1961 as a rural expressway, 4 lanes wide on most of its lenght. Most of the junctions were at-grade, except for Autoroute des Laurentides (now A-15) and Route Arthur-Sauvé (R-8, now R-148). It was upgraded and extended in the 70's;
    • A-740 was a periurban expressway, before being upgraded, extended and connected to its "2da".
  • A-50 Mirabel Airport access seems to have been intended as an expressway more than a freeway, as A-50 routing was in the 70's planned south of the airport. Nonetheless, it had many more at-grade intersections that were removed lately;
  • A-55 is, I think, one of the best examples of staged upgrades : of the 150 kilometres originally built a 2-lane freeway between Sherbrooke and Shawinigan, the lenght of 120 kilometre was twinned;
  • A-73 is currently being twinned between route Calway (km 66) and route Cameron (exit 95), the section having been built between 1983 and 1992. Km 66-72 is almost completed, Km 72-95 is underway (end of construction : 2015?). Kilometres 159 to 167 were also dualized 10 years ago, 8 years after its original construction. Henri-IV section was originally built as an urban expressway in 1963, with a mix of narrow interchanges, roundabouts and at-grades;

Do not mistake the staging process for low standards! And the shield similarity does not mean "same standards"; some parts of the Autoroute network, especially in urban areas, could not qualify for Interstate.

About A-50 : I suspect that A-50 will revive between A-25 and A-31 (the number has been dropped in the 80's, the route downgraded to R-158), with volumes that grew over 50% in the past 10 years, justifying the need for twinning (average 13-14k vpd, existing infrastructure, etc.). The Mirabel 2-lane section (km 260 to 285) saw its trafic grow too in the past 10 years ―though not as much as the aformentionned stretch. I think it will grow much more when the link is completed between Mirabel and Gatineau. We can already speculate a twinning is in the mind of the MTQ  (but not in the budget  :-D)

HighwayMaster

#12
Quote from: mgk920 on May 08, 2012, 09:27:02 PM
With the expenditure of much dynamite!

(Pardon my lack of French)

Mike
Je t'aiderai:
  • Avec la dépense de beaucoup TNT!
Life is too short not to have Tim Hortons donuts.

vtk

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on May 08, 2012, 02:06:17 PM


Is that a double yellow line that takes up a lot of space, or two single yellow lines painted fairly close together?  To ask it another way, do the lanes going in different directions actually meet halfway between the yellow lines, or do they stop at the yellow lines with a buffer zone between?
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

Scott5114

Is there any practical difference between the two? Legally a double yellow line means the same thing in Canada as it does down here...
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

vtk

Quote from: Scott5114 on June 23, 2012, 12:14:37 AM
Is there any practical difference between the two?

For a driver, no.  For an engineer, yes.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

Scott5114

What is the difference? Where the join(s) in the pavement is (are)?
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

J N Winkler

#17
Quote from: vtk on June 23, 2012, 12:50:59 AMFor a driver, no.  For an engineer, yes.

I don't think it would interest even an engineer.  Engineers have to be more concerned about how things function, and from that standpoint there is no difference between the two interpretations.  The distinction would definitely interest a lawyer or mathematician, however.

Quote from: Scott5114 on June 23, 2012, 01:22:14 AMWhat is the difference? Where the join(s) in the pavement is (are)?

No.  Vtk is essentially asking whether the area between the two yellow stripes is (legally) part of the traveled way.  If it is, then the lanes bound each other at the precise centerline between the two yellow stripes.  If it is not, then the lane boundaries are the centerlines of the stripes themselves and the area in between is a neutral zone similar to a median or areas of pavement enclosed by painted islands--do you follow?  (This becomes a distinction with a difference only if abutting properties have to be made available for access by turning across the center stripe, which obviously does not happen on an autoroute.)
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

NE2

Actually, since you can turn left across a double yellow, wouldn't no left turn signs need to be installed to prevent you from making a hard left to or from the ramps if it's a double yellow?
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

J N Winkler

Well, yes, but since ramp geometry makes the movements you describe highly unintuitive, it would be sufficient to post just one "No left turn" sign together with a distance plate ("For X km") at each entrance to the autoroute.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

vdeane

Actually the ramp geometry makes it so you don't need no left turn signs at all, as there's no way to drive up a ramp like that without a u turn or violating the pavement markings (assuming u turns are even legal in Quebec).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

NE2

Quote from: deanej on June 23, 2012, 01:19:03 PM
Actually the ramp geometry makes it so you don't need no left turn signs at all, as there's no way to drive up a ramp like that without a u turn or violating the pavement markings (assuming u turns are even legal in Quebec).
Huh? It's certainly legal to make a super-sharp left (e.g. on the side of a hill where the roads meet at small angles).
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

vtk

If I'm drawing a road in CAD, a US-style double-yellow stripe would be represented by a single line with zero thicknes, at least until I'm preparing a pictorial illustration. The width of the lane on either side of that line is measured from that single line.  On the other hand, if there is a gap between two lanes, then each yellow stripe would be represented by a zero-width line for the left edge of one of the lanes.  The difference becomes more important when drawing a transition between the pictured cross-section and a proper divided highway.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

webfil

The reason for such marking is that there is a rumble strip between the two yellow lines.

The width of this median is probably somewhere between 0.914 and 1 metre (3 to 3.28 feet).

Bickendan

^That, and it could theoretically allow for a concrete barrier to be placed if the need ever arose.



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