Ontario's Highways

[rickmastfan67]

^ The 403/410/401 interchange is getting pretty close to the airport to safely fly a drone.  Transport Canada publishes maps online about where flights are recommended and not, and while there is a vantage point on the southwestern side of the interchange that isn't in the "not recommended zone" that I probably will one day fly, this is probably a flight I'd try to do when flights are landing to the north and south as opposed to the east and west to make sure that there isn't a problem.

I'll be waiting to hear you make the international news then.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I'd very much like to avoid creating an international incident.

[cbeach40]

The 401 looking easterly towards the 412:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_405-75_east_Oct22_24x16.jpg

Looking southerly along Highway 418 from Highway 407:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_410-427_images/418_ar_9_south_SB_Oct22_24x16.jpg

Really illustrates how much better designed and nicer to drive the 418 interchanges are than the 412 ones.

[AsphaltPlanet]

Some views of Highway 3 at the Victoria Road grade separation on the Essex By-pass southeast of Windsor:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_3-9_images/3_ar_28_northwest_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_3-9_images/3_ar_28_southeast_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_3-9_images/3_ar_28_east_Oct22_24x16.jpg

[AsphaltPlanet]

Some views of the 401 widening through Mississauga:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0561_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0565_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0601_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0597_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0592_Oct22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_DJI_0589_Oct22_24x16.jpg

[Stephane Dumas]

Some views of Highway 3 at the Victoria Road grade separation on the Essex By-pass southeast of Windsor:

I wonder if MTO plan to add more grade separations and interchanges on the Essex bypass?

[AsphaltPlanet]

This is set to be the only grade separation along Hwy 3 from Windsor to Leamington.

[triplemultiplex]

So Ontario does pave with concrete from time to time. Pretty much every picture I've seen in this thread, they're asphalt roads.

[andrepoiy]

So Ontario does pave with concrete from time to time. Pretty much every picture I've seen in this thread, they're asphalt roads.

IIRC there's 3 sections of MTO road which is concrete? Highway 401 in the Tilbury area, Highway 401 in Mississauga (as seen above), and Highway 402 somewhere.

Also the 407 but that's not MTO

[AsphaltPlanet]

The 407 was kind of an MTO project.  It was constructed by an arms length crown corporation

There are several other concrete MTO highways
- The 410 in northern Brampton
- The 404 extension to Keswick
- Hwy 3 and there's more

Most of the GTA highway network was originally surfaced by concrete.

There are some other older concrete highways, such as Highway 49 through Prince Edward County, and segments of highway that have since been resurfaced such as Hwy 81 and Hwy 24.

[AsphaltPlanet]

Hwy 11 crossing the Severn Canal at the northern end of Lake Couchiching:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_11_images/11_DJI_0878_Oct22_24x16.jpg

[Avalanchez71]

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/ontario-survey-highway-413

Survey finds 48% of Ontarians either support or "could accept" construction of Hwy 413 vs 30% who oppose.

Glad to see the public hasn't internalized the Urban middle class bigotry against suburbia

Canadians are more willing to be communal and they have fewer rural inhabitants.  That is likely reflected in the poll.

[andrepoiy]

The consortium that's currently building the 401 expansion in Mississauga/Milton released this picture.. love the iconic 6 to 3 lane narrowing and the daily backup that it causes



See more pictures at https://401expansion-mississauga-milton.ca/about-this-project/about/project-gallery/

[roadman65]

Does anyone know the nature of the two different highway shields in Ontario?

One has a crown on top the shield and the other where the crown is the shield.

I am aware Regional Roads are trapezoid and QEW is blue on yellow crown tops, but the other two used I am unaware their nature.

[andrepoiy]

If I recall correctly the enclosed crown shields are usually used at junctions, while the shield with crown-on-top are usually reassurance markers. That's probably because the enclosed crowns are more easily readable. QEW shields also come in both variations.


QEW enclosed shield:



Hwy 6 enclosed shield:

[7/8]

Thekingshighway.ca also has some info on this, if you scroll down to "small junction signs" and "large junction signs". As andrepoiy said, the enclosed crown shields are used at junctions.

One thing I don't understand, and I don't think his website explains it either, is the difference between "regular trailblazer signs" (crown on top) and "junction trailblazer signs" (enclosed crown). How come the former are used in andrepoiy's second photo for the 401, 403, and QEW?

[andrepoiy]

I've got no idea. Ontario signage is always strange. Such as this




and this (where for some reason "To 85" is just a tab)




Although it seems like based on what I've noticed so far, the crown-enclosed TO signs are used to guide drivers to an entrance of the road where it's not abundantly clear where the entrance might be, while the crown-on-top TO signs are used to indicate a farther-away road. (That's why you see "TO HWY 17" on Hwy 417).

[AsphaltPlanet]

The 400 at the 407:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_400_images/400_DJI_0803_Oct22_24x16.jpg

[rickmastfan67]

AsphaltPlanet, has any of the 412/418 signage changed to non-toll style yet?

[AsphaltPlanet]

No, and I don't expect that it will until the signs need to be replaced.

[andrepoiy]

The 400 at the 407:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_400_images/400_DJI_0803_Oct22_24x16.jpg

Such a high capacity interchange but never used to full capacity... If only this was the interchange built at 401/404 or 401/400...

[Chris]

The 400 at the 407:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_400_images/400_DJI_0803_Oct22_24x16.jpg

These drone photos are really cool, much appreciated!

[AsphaltPlanet]

Drone photos of the 401 at Hwy 24 in Cambridge:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0034.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0036.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0037.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0039.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0045.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_DJI_0045.jpg

[andrepoiy]

Express lanes on the 401 in Mississauga have opened now:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/11/14/new-highway-401-express-lanes-open-in-mississauga/

[AsphaltPlanet]

Some photos of the 401 through Mississauga taken today.  The westbound express lanes opened this morning between the Credit River and Winston Churchill Boulevard:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_342_west_WB-EXP_Nov22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_339_west_C_Nov22_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_339_west_EB_Nov22_24x16.jpg