I noticed on Google maps that there is major construction going on in Calgary on the TCH near Canada Olympic Park to build an interchange and further east it appears that there's a new road alignment UC that will default onto the Sarcee Trail:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.0679723,-114.1980781,1780a,20y,41.06t/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
(Go into Streetview for a better look)
If I'm seeing that right, is there a possibility that the TCH will be rerouted along both trails? I would be the best option for TCH-1 through Calgary, as it will result in an east-west freeway that would be shorter than the ring road.
Huh? I don't see anything "defaulting" onto Sarcee Trail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rXwssPAm_U?t=10
Very disappointing it wasn't what I though.
I was using Google Earth. I guess Google Maps hasn't been updated yet.
Here's a screen grab. The circled area over the dashed line shows the area where the under construction appeared to be a realignment to me.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi77.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj69%2FTransportfan%2Fsarcee%2520TCH_zpsthqcpzjy.jpg&hash=663f2af1c835704fa0e1651d406450b45c8915eb) (http://s77.photobucket.com/user/Transportfan/media/sarcee%20TCH_zpsthqcpzjy.jpg.html)
We had some discussion about this in the past on Canroads mailing list. I think we might see a pattern similar to Winnipeg with a TCH-1 going thru downtown and TCH-100 who do the bypass job.
Here a video showing how the interchange will look after the reconfiguration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7xSA5xc454
I think that rerouting the Trans-Canada Highway along Sarcee/Glenmore Trails would make a lot of sense; while Glenmore Trail is not an interstate-grade freeway, it's an 80 km/h 4-6 lane expressway/freeway with sufficient ROW to construct interchanges at the remaining signalized intersections. One of the largest problem spots at Ogden Road where it's signalized, has a level crossing of the CP mainline, and splits into parallel one-way streets is currently being replaced with a diamond interchange and grade-separated railway crossing (see: http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/Pages/Road-projects/Glenmore-Trail-and-Ogden-Road-S.E.-Interchange-Project.aspx). It's a significant improvement to 16 Avenue N, an arterial roadway. The one thing missing from this project is improved movement from NB Sarcee Trail to WB TCH (i.e. a 2 lane flyover).
Saying that, unfortunately the Sarcee Trail interchange construction is not a prequel to TCH realignment. The land immediately southwest of the interchange is being developed for mixed-use retail and residential development, with the interchange reconstruction allowing for future access to the area. The development has gone under a few names, East Paskapoo Slopes, Trinity Hills, and now Medicine Hill; see
- http://i0.wp.com/www.cmbalink.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Trinity-Hills-Concept-Plan-2.png?fit=5100%2C3300
- http://www.trinityhills.ca/
With the proposed West Ring Road, if TCH 1 were to follow Glenmore Trail, I wonder if it would follow Stoney Trail as opposed to Sarcee Trail?