Ontario's Highways

[AsphaltPlanet]

Two views looking west along Highway 401 from the Townline Road overpass in Cambridge:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_286_west_w_Apr25_42x28.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_286_west_t_Apr25_42x28.jpg

When first designed, a fourth eastbound lane was originally intended to extend east through the Townline Road interchange and terminate just north of Little Lake about 1km east of the Townline Road bridge.  When they completed the widening however, the MTO elected to leave that fourth lane closed -- the fourth lane exits at Townline Road -- and we are left with the extra wide eastbound shoulder we see in these photos.

[AsphaltPlanet]

Two views looking south along Highway 6 (the Hanlon Expressway) towards the future Wellington Road 34 overpass and Highway 401 interchange south of Guelph.  A new mid-block interchange opened north of Wellington Road 34 and Laird Road last autumn, and work is ongoing to construct a new overpass that will carry through Wellington Road 34 traffic over Hwy 6:


https://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_3-9_images/6_cl_DSC09375_south_c_Apr25_42x28.jpg


https://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_3-9_images/6_cl_DSC09373_south_SB_Apr25_42x28.jpg

[Great Lakes Roads]

Tolls are going to be removed on the provincially operated section of the 407 (east of Brock Road) on June 1st.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/video/news/doug-ford-announces-cut-to-provincial-gas-tax-removal-of-tolls-on-part-of-highway-407/vi-AA1EHsqs#details

[webny99]

The QEW is reduced to two lanes per direction for some sort of rehabilitation work near Seventh St, just west of St Catharines. This will affect any trips I take to Canada this season so I've been keeping a pretty close eye on it and it seems to be holding up reasonably well during the weekdays (as it should), but creating major issues on the weekends.

At one point yesterday afternoon, Niagara-bound traffic approaching the work zone was backed up almost to Lincoln - a distance of around 10km. There are simply no good alternates to this route aside from the Service Roads, which also back up quickly anytime the mainline is congested. For Toronto-bound traffic the situation can get even worse because the two lanes also have to accommodate entering traffic from ON 406, and once it backs up there are no service roads across Martindale Pond, so the only alternatives are going through Port Dalhousie or all the way down to ON 406, both of which require a significant detour on St. Catharines city streets.

[Rothman]

...or just plan on it taking more time to get to Toronto...

[webny99]

...or just plan on it taking more time to get to Toronto...

Of course, outside of overnight or early morning hours, assuming any sort of time frame for getting between Toronto and Niagara is a fool's errand to begin with.

[Rothman]

...or just plan on it taking more time to get to Toronto...

Of course, outside of overnight or early morning hours, assuming any sort of time frame for getting between Toronto and Niagara is a fool's errand to begin with.

I've never had a major issue getting to Toronto on the weekend.  Yep, there's some traffic.  It's a big city...

[webny99]

...or just plan on it taking more time to get to Toronto...

Of course, outside of overnight or early morning hours, assuming any sort of time frame for getting between Toronto and Niagara is a fool's errand to begin with.

I've never had a major issue getting to Toronto on the weekend.  Yep, there's some traffic.  It's a big city...

Depends on how you define 'major'. It's a 1 hour trip at best and 3+ at worst.

[Rothman]

...or just plan on it taking more time to get to Toronto...

Of course, outside of overnight or early morning hours, assuming any sort of time frame for getting between Toronto and Niagara is a fool's errand to begin with.

I've never had a major issue getting to Toronto on the weekend.  Yep, there's some traffic.  It's a big city...

Depends on how you define 'major'. It's a 1 hour trip at best and 3+ at worst.

That's what Google Maps/Waze is for.

[JREwing78]

The QEW really needs a companion E-W highway along the south side of Hamilton and Welland to connect into the QEW's terminus at Fort Erie, or a massive widening. Where connecting to Michigan justified 2 separate freeways, the connection to New York is choked down to one narrow, ancient 6-lane freeway. 

[Stephane Dumas]

The QEW really needs a companion E-W highway along the south side of Hamilton and Welland to connect into the QEW's terminus at Fort Erie, or a massive widening. Where connecting to Michigan justified 2 separate freeways, the connection to New York is choked down to one narrow, ancient 6-lane freeway.

There is a proposal called the Mid-Peninsula Highway or the "Mid-Pen" to parralel the QEW but it faced opposition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Peninsula_Highway