[Mihairokov]

The tunnel Ford proposed will be gridlock within 5 years of it opening, unless it has high tolls.

Because it's also an exceptionally bad idea.

If we have a spare $100B to burn on a single infrastructure project, a 50km submerged floating tunnel from St Catharines to downtown Toronto would be interesting as a method of adding a lot of additional land within a 1-hour commute.

Longer than the Channel Tunnel, lol

 

[ShonTron]

If we have a spare $100B to burn on a single infrastructure project, a 50km submerged floating tunnel from St Catharines to downtown Toronto would be interesting as a method of adding a lot of additional land within a 1-hour commute.

Would you really want to add that prime fruit growing land to Toronto’s sprawl?

 

[afransen]

The tunnel Ford proposed will be gridlock within 5 years of it opening, unless it has high tolls. And this goes back to "What could we do with $55Billion that would actually make a difference for more people?" I feel this is kinda the Smartrack for Ford. It may even be a way Ford will argue for transit investment at all levels of government.

It's a 'flooding the zone' tactic. The PCs will lose office before any contracts are signed nevermind shovels in the ground.

 

[Northern Light]

John Lorinc has a column out on this project in The Star:

John Lorinc: Doug Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel is technically doable. So what’s the down side?

The costs of digging a tunnel under Highway 401 would run into the billions of dollars, which Ontario could use in many other ways.

www.thestar.com

The column relies largely on Shoshanna Saxe a Professor at U of T..........in explaining what most UT'ers already know..............this is an incredibly dumb, incredibly expensive idea, that almost certainly isn't serious........as @afransen rightly notes.

John Lorinc: Doug Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel is technically doable. So what’s the down side?

The costs of digging a tunnel under Highway 401 would run into the billions of dollars, which Ontario could use in many other ways.

www.thestar.com

We've previously discussed some of the challenges other than cost, such as how to accommodate the traffic load to/from the highway/tunnel, and how to cross major valleys under existing highway bridges......

But here a couple of challenges we've generally given limited space to:

From the above:

The Professor also wants to remind people, IF this were a serious proposal (which it is not), the timeline is literally measured in decades:

 

[cd concept]

It's a 'flooding the zone' tactic. The PCs will lose office before any contracts are signed nevermind shovels in the ground.

This is off topic! If Doug Ford really wants to build a tunnel under the 401. Then the road should be a toll highway that bypasses the metro area for those who want to pay to cross though a little quicker. Starting where the 401 dipps by the Rouge river coming into Scarborough and exiting somewhere in the end of the Milton area. A tunnel with no exiting points between series 400 roads catering specifically to those vehicles traveling to Kitchener and beyond.

 

[Mihairokov]

This is off topic! If Doug Ford really wants to build a tunnel under the 401. Then the road should be a toll highway that bypasses the metro area for those who want to pay to cross though a little quicker. Starting where the 401 dipps by the Rouge river coming into Scarborough and exiting somewhere in the end of the Milton area. A tunnel with no exiting points between series 400 roads catering specifically to those vehicles traveling to Kitchener and beyond.

Did you read any of the post above yours?

 

[PL1]

This is off topic! If Doug Ford really wants to build a tunnel under the 401. Then the road should be a toll highway that bypasses the metro area for those who want to pay to cross though a little quicker. Starting where the 401 dipps by the Rouge river coming into Scarborough and exiting somewhere in the end of the Milton area. A tunnel with no exiting points between series 400 roads catering specifically to those vehicles traveling to Kitchener and beyond.

This (the tunnel) has more chance of happening with wormholes and faster-than-light travel. What a waste of oxygen

 

[north-of-anything]

I suggest we set aside some land next to the 401 in Oakville and east of Ajax, and build two really REALLY big slingshots, and load them up with

 

[evandyk]

I know I am beating my head against a wall here, but there are these things called trains, which can carry a lot of people (really, a lot!) along a fixed route. One of those could connect with a variety of destinations along an east-west path on the north end of Toronto, and take a lot of cars off the roads rather than adding more cars on to the roads. Doug Ford has probably only been on a train a handful of times in his life (and even then, probably only as a novelty, like his bike ride with Jagmeet Singh) but he might want to consider it.

 

[afransen]

The column relies largely on Shoshanna Saxe a Professor at U of T..........in explaining what most UT'ers already know..............this is an incredibly dumb, incredibly expensive idea, that almost certainly isn't serious........as @afransen rightly notes.

I think this puts a fine point on what bothers me so much about this. It is a entirely cynical proposal meant to distract and delay.

 

[txlseries4]

I suggest we set aside some land next to the 401 in Oakville and east of Ajax, and build two really REALLY big slingshots, and load them up with

I'd support this if we can use the slingshot to hurl Doug Ford into outer space

 

[SashaLemon]

I love how Line 5 is only partially grade-seperated and yet we are planning on building this.
Toronto is a car city I guess...

 

[micheal_can]

Because it's also an exceptionally bad idea.

Ever have to deal with someone else's bad idea and make the best of it? That is what I was pointing at.

It's a 'flooding the zone' tactic. The PCs will lose office before any contracts are signed nevermind shovels in the ground.

I don't know about that. You don't think any of Dougie's friends wouldn't want a massive contract like this that would give them work for a decade or longer?

John Lorinc has a column out on this project in The Star:

John Lorinc: Doug Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel is technically doable. So what’s the down side?

The costs of digging a tunnel under Highway 401 would run into the billions of dollars, which Ontario could use in many other ways.

www.thestar.com

The column relies largely on Shoshanna Saxe a Professor at U of T..........in explaining what most UT'ers already know..............this is an incredibly dumb, incredibly expensive idea, that almost certainly isn't serious........as @afransen rightly notes.

John Lorinc: Doug Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel is technically doable. So what’s the down side?

The costs of digging a tunnel under Highway 401 would run into the billions of dollars, which Ontario could use in many other ways.

www.thestar.com

We've previously discussed some of the challenges other than cost, such as how to accommodate the traffic load to/from the highway/tunnel, and how to cross major valleys under existing highway bridges......

But here a couple of challenges we've generally given limited space to:

From the above:

View attachment 653924

The Professor also wants to remind people, IF this were a serious proposal (which it is not), the timeline is literally measured in decades:

View attachment 653926

Anything is feasible with enough money. Seriously, short of faster than light travel, anything is possible. The question is whether it should be explored.

I know I am beating my head against a wall here, but there are these things called trains, which can carry a lot of people (really, a lot!) along a fixed route. One of those could connect with a variety of destinations along an east-west path on the north end of Toronto, and take a lot of cars off the roads rather than adding more cars on to the roads. Doug Ford has probably only been on a train a handful of times in his life (and even then, probably only as a novelty, like his bike ride with Jagmeet Singh) but he might want to consider it.

Shhhhh.... In certain circles, that would have you labeled as a foamer who has fantasies....

 

[Northern Light]

I love how Line 5 is only partially grade-seperated and yet we are planning on building this.
Toronto is a car city I guess...

Yes, Line 5 should have been designed differently.

However, 'we' (and really no one) is seriously planning on building this. Just wasting time and money pretending otherwise.

 

[rbt]

Would you really want to add that prime fruit growing land to Toronto’s sprawl?

Niagara region population is growing with or without a tunnel: Land protection is going to be needed regardless if we want to retain that industry into the distant future.

Personally, expansion of low-capacity auto within tunnels seems foolish.