Highway 401 in Ontario - busiest freeway in the world

[agentsteel53]

how did OJ Simpson's white bronco get on there? 

[The Premier]

Probably its an emergency vehicle.

[rickmastfan67]

Here's a rare pic: Highway 401 with no traffic!

{snip}
Ok, one car is driving on it...

This section of the highway was closed during the 2008 Toronto Propane Explosion as a safety measure due to it's proximity to the main blasts. It reminds me of those wide, deserted highways in North Korea.

Um Hal, you already posted that same picture in this thread.  Look on page 1.
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=808.msg33883#msg33883

[haljackey]

Um Hal, you already posted that same picture in this thread.  Look on page 1.

lol, you're right!

Here's something new then. One of Highway 401's rural sections.

[national highway 1]

Here's something new then. One of Highway 401's rural sections.

Haljackey, is that red/pink pavement on the right 2 lanes of the carriageway? I can see 3 shades of pavement on 1 section of hwy!

[haljackey]

Haljackey, is that red/pink pavement on the right 2 lanes of the carriageway? I can see 3 shades of pavement on 1 section of hwy!

Yep, that's red asphalt, which was part of the original 401 in this area. It used to be 4 lanes with a grassy median, but they filled it in to put in an extra lane in each direction along with the median, and made paved shoulders to the side. That's why there's so much colour in the shot.

Although this section is currently in the process of being completely resurfaced, so it should all be one colour (black) when completed.

[vdeane]

You call that rural?  Try this...
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Rochester,+Monroe,+New+York&ll=44.429735,-75.854759&spn=0,0.222301&z=13&layer=c&cbll=44.430193,-75.896974&panoid=LMgL-mqTYknM7qWpw3rTSQ&cbp=12,39.02,,0,4.1

[haljackey]

Here's a few more shots of mine.

Highway 401 from the Wellington Road overpass in London, Ontario.

Looking east:


Looking west:


Bonus: zoom in looking west showing the Highway 401/402 interchange in the distance.


Hope you enjoy them!

[haljackey]

This ain't your average widening project. Highway 401 is being widened in the city of Mississauga (just west of Toronto) from six to fourteen lanes!

Some construction pics from Wikipedia:

Looking at the 401/403/410 mega-interchange


Here's a new basketweave system under construction.


Schematics of the new cross-section from MMM Group and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO):




Link to a dedicated thread about it on Urban Toronto: 401/Hurontario Reconstruction Starts Sept 2009: http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.ph...hlight=highway

[bogdown]

Driven 401 from the 403/410 to the 35/115 bout a month ago, very differing changes of road, especially East of North York

[haljackey]

Highest AADT in Canada is 431,900 along Highway 401. (As of 2006)

Photo of the segment:


This section of highway also gets nearly 505,000 during the summer months (SAWDT).

Source: http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/b584ea36565db6108525745f006dd90a/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20traffic%20Volumes%201988-2006.pdf (page 595)

[cubssoxfan]

Every few years I drive this stretch on my way from Chicago area to St. Jean outside of Montreal.  Only stretch that is more stressful is getting through Montreal, which has an antiquated Autoroute system in much of Montreal.
QUESTION: How are tolls collected on 407 and do they allow camper-trailers?
I would love to bypass 401 through Toronto and the small gap east of the Metro area wouldn't bother me unless it is unbelievably congested.

[PAHighways]

It's all electronic tolling, so fares are collected via 407ETR transponders or they take a picture of your license plate and send you a bill for your trip depending on the fare schedule.

[cubssoxfan]

It's all electronic tolling, so fares are collected via 407ETR transponders or they take a picture of your license plate and send you a bill for your trip depending on the fare schedule.

Thanks, I calculated a toll of $19 (makes the Chicago area tolls seem like a bargain!)  from hwy 401 to the end at hwy 7.  How much time will it save me in afternoon rush? How easy is it to go south on hwy 7 and reconnect with 401? Am I better reconnecting farther east?  Are trailers allowed?

[PAHighways]

I've never been on the 407 ETR, so I can't answer those questions.  However, I am guessing that trailers are allowed since they allow 18-wheelers.

[haljackey]

I have no idea how much time would save. It's all dependent on traffic conditions on Highways 401 and 407. The easternmost freeway link between the 401 and 407 is Highway 404. Going any further east on Highway 407 means you need to take surface streets to reach 401.

Trailers are allowed to use the 407, but very few do because of very high tolls.

[haljackey]

Arguably my best timelapse road video: Highway 401 through Toronto.

It includes a lane counter in the annotations

[jakeroot]

Haljackey, I want you to know, the only real reason I like roads is because of my SimCity 4, and that was spurred by your insane creations. Thanks for creating cool shit! I play CXL now, but I still have a place for SC4 in my heart. 

EDIT: My camera also had overheating issues while dashcamming near Seattle a couple weeks ago. iPhone?

[haljackey]

Haljackey, I want you to know, the only real reason I like roads is because of my SimCity 4, and that was spurred by your insane creations. Thanks for creating cool shit! I play CXL now, but I still have a place for SC4 in my heart. 

EDIT: My camera also had overheating issues while dashcamming near Seattle a couple weeks ago. iPhone?

Thanks, glad you liked my creations.

I use a Nikon D3200 with a 35mm prime lens.



Here is the 401 through Toronto in the opposite direction at night.

[haljackey]

I love the cityscape developing around the 401 throughout Toronto.



Source: ME!

[1995hoo]

I'm sure I have commented on this before, but I've always liked the convention of using the blue signs over the collector lanes and the green signs over the express lanes. I think it makes more sense than the MUTCD system of using the same color for all guide signs and then mandating extra banners on top of the signs to ensure the dumbest drivers out there understand that a sign over a different carriageway is directed at people on that carriageway.

[jakeroot]

I'm sure I have commented on this before, but I've always liked the convention of using the blue signs over the collector lanes and the green signs over the express lanes. I think it makes more sense than the MUTCD system of using the same color for all guide signs and then mandating extra banners on top of the signs to ensure the dumbest drivers out there understand that a sign over a different carriageway is directed at people on that carriageway.

What are the chances that the MUTCD might one day allow this sort of signage? I too think it's genius, and would love to see it implemented into the manual.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I'd like to see HOT lanes get purple signage for this reason as well.  Purple signs would be a great solution for the HOT lanes on the 495 Capitol Beltway for example.

[ARMOURERERIC]

FWIW, I watched a fun little movie called "The Art of the Steal" with Kurt Russle last weekend, had quite a bit of road scenes along the 401 between London and Windsor, an Ambassador Bridge crossing and a D-W tunnel drive.  Plus a lot of around Quebec City, Niagara Falls ON, Detroit and Windsor hang out scenes.  Watched the movie like 3 times.

[MisterSG1]

I'm sure I have commented on this before, but I've always liked the convention of using the blue signs over the collector lanes and the green signs over the express lanes. I think it makes more sense than the MUTCD system of using the same color for all guide signs and then mandating extra banners on top of the signs to ensure the dumbest drivers out there understand that a sign over a different carriageway is directed at people on that carriageway.

What are the chances that the MUTCD might one day allow this sort of signage? I too think it's genius, and would love to see it implemented into the manual.

The funny thing is, if you actually mentally think about it, the places which do have an express-local type of setup. (I never liked the term "collectors" too much, it does make sense to us roadgeeks, but I think local sounds better) I can only think of a handful off the top of my head, all seem to do it drastically different. The one outside my own backyard that I am most familiar with is the one on I-96 in Detroit.

The only thing I would like to see, even though it's my own nitpicking, is the 401 collector to express transfer east of Dixie somehow acknowledging that you must move to the express to stay on the 401, some would argue this part is not part of the main express-collector system. Remember that signs on the 403, and now signs on the 401 around Mavis Road acknowledge this as an express-collector system now.

As for blue guide signs, while within the GTA, any situation that resembles an express-collector system gets blue signs, such as on the 404, 400, the Gardiner, and parts of the 403. (NOTE: Hwy 403 signs in EB Collectors that show the diagram sign for Hwy 410/410 and the exit only signs are still green when they should be blue) However, they are nowhere to be found on the Conestoga Parkway in that area around where the Hwy 7 exit is, when that has a short express-collector system.

You may say that's short, well so is the one for the Gardiner, and especially, Hwy 404, but why do those have blue signs while the one in the Conestoga Parkway does not.

Sure I like the idea of different carriageways having different colors, but where do we draw the line, in Greater Buffalo close to the Lackawanna Toll Barrier on I-90, there is something that does resemble an express-collector system there, should the signs in the outer carriageways get different colors than the mainline? As I recall, the outer carriageways go to US-219.

These are some ramblings by me.