Ontario's Highways

[dvferyance]

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007099/ontario-taking-next-steps-to-widen-highway-17-between-renfrew-and-arnprior

Good to see that Highway 417 will be extended westwards towards Renfrew!

Then on to the Sault!

Probably never to be honest...

Probably not. The Echo Bay bypass, the Sudbury southwest and southeast bypasses, and the stretch of freeway west of Sudbury past Whitefish to just before the traffic light at DenLou are the only major improvements I've seen in my lifetime on that stretch of Highway 17. Still one can dream.

It should probably be twined though even with at grade intersections

[Molandfreak]

Highway 17 is a treacherous stretch of nothing between Sault and Sudbury, and it's only going to get worse when the 400 is finished. Twinning would help the situation, but it can only go so far since the government refuses to bump speed limits up from 90 unless it's a full freeway.

[zzcarp]

Highway 17 is a treacherous stretch of nothing between Sault and Sudbury, and it's only going to get worse when the 400 is finished. Twinning would help the situation, but it can only go so far since the government refuses to bump speed limits up from 90 unless it's a full freeway.

Agreed. I drive the stretch between the Sault and Massey every year (plus trips from Espanola to Sudbury). The 90kph speed limit is tough, especially on the one twinned section just east of the Sault. I tend to drive those stretches at about 65mph in the rural areas (105 kph). The OPP doesn't seem to ticket within 20kph over the limit, and I see two types of drivers: ones that prefer to drive 50mph/80kph or less, and those who must be driving 75 or more since they leave me in the dust when they can pass. Twinning, even as an expressway, would make it safer plus provide a redundancy in case of accidents, construction, etc. There really is no parallel route for long stretches through there.