AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Canada => Topic started by: Kniwt on November 15, 2019, 01:22:02 AM

Title: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: Kniwt on November 15, 2019, 01:22:02 AM
The CBC reports that many folks aren't too happy:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/alaska-highway-expropriation-upgrades-1.5358853

QuoteThe Yukon Party is pressing the government for details on any planned expropriation of property to make way for Alaska Highway upgrades.

Whitehorse residents saw this week the nearly finished design of upgrades to a section of the highway near the airport and the Hillcrest neighbourhood.

... NDP MLA Liz Hanson also took aim at the highway upgrades on Wednesday. She questioned why the design didn't better address the concerns of cyclists and pedestrians from Hillcrest, who want a safe crossing of the busy highway.

(https://i.cbc.ca/1.5358388.1573680114!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/alaska-highway-conceptual-image.JPG)
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: Kniwt on November 15, 2019, 01:25:36 AM
As an aside, Street View still has the funky "EXIT 1" sign, although the image is from 2009.

(https://i.imgur.com/w8ETcXi.png)
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: X99 on November 16, 2019, 12:27:17 AM
In my opinion, there's enough room along that roadway alignment for a four-lane freeway, as long as the second carriageway switches sides a couple times to avoid taking down buildings. Has that ever been considered?
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: cbeach40 on November 18, 2019, 10:04:34 AM
Quote from: X99 on November 16, 2019, 12:27:17 AM
In my opinion, there's enough room along that roadway alignment for a four-lane freeway, as long as the second carriageway switches sides a couple times to avoid taking down buildings. Has that ever been considered?

They did look at grade separation:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/whitehorse-airport-alaska-highway-upgrades-design-1.5358347
Quote
Locals said they wanted an underpass to get people across the highway.
Murchison said an underpass was considered but determined to be too expensive.

Without even getting into the impacts to adjacent land (which I'm sure would be great considering even upgrading it to just a lower-speed arterial design is going to take out some buildings), freeways primarily serve high volumes of through traffic, when given how small (only 25K residents) and remote Whitehorse is it's probably safe to assume nearly all traffic is local or making a stop, and there isn't much of it.

In any event, this area the adjacent properties are businesses, so that almost always has none of the emotional baggage that comes with expropriating residences. Just dollars and cents.
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: compdude787 on November 20, 2019, 03:11:41 PM
Can't they just build a pedestrian overpass? Those can't be that expensive.
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: cbeach40 on November 20, 2019, 03:39:13 PM
Quote from: compdude787 on November 20, 2019, 03:11:41 PM
Can't they just build a pedestrian overpass? Those can't be that expensive.

They looked at it. They determined it is.

Quote from: cbeach40 on November 18, 2019, 10:04:34 AM
They did look at grade separation:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/whitehorse-airport-alaska-highway-upgrades-design-1.5358347
Quote
Locals said they wanted an underpass to get people across the highway.
Murchison said an underpass was considered but determined to be too expensive.
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: compdude787 on November 20, 2019, 04:11:27 PM
^
I thought that was referring to having the road on an overpass rather than just the pedestrian path.
Title: Re: Alaska Highway widening project in Whitehorse
Post by: Duke87 on November 20, 2019, 05:41:11 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on November 15, 2019, 01:25:36 AM
As an aside, Street View still has the funky "EXIT 1" sign, although the image is from 2009.

Was still there on May 28, 2018:
(https://i.imgur.com/uTcfh8f.jpg)