CplKlinger
Senior Member
Yep, it's this ramp here.
It looks like the city explored that really early on, they talk about it here.
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- Thread starter Daveography
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Offworld
Active Member
I'm of the same mind. If they want an overpass, just leave it at that. A right in/out on a freeway?
Fort Road is a grenade launch away from this overpass. Save some money and just get rid of the right in/out.
HappyJazzz
Active Member
Not an insider or an expert, but pretty sure the access they left for 66st is so there's a close alternate if Ft. Road access is disabled, or needed to be closed for major overhaul work.
Speaking of, now that Yellowhead is getting close to completion, what's next on the urban ring road agenda?
With the closure of the coliseum and the reconfiguration of the expo lands, seems like it would be an opportune time to put in an under/overpass for Gretzky/118 in place and then keep moving the Gretzky freeway upgrades south.
As for the west, is it time to consider that Groat road might be the best candidate for freeway upgrades now that 149st access has been neutered?
Speaking of, now that Yellowhead is getting close to completion, what's next on the urban ring road agenda?
With the closure of the coliseum and the reconfiguration of the expo lands, seems like it would be an opportune time to put in an under/overpass for Gretzky/118 in place and then keep moving the Gretzky freeway upgrades south.
As for the west, is it time to consider that Groat road might be the best candidate for freeway upgrades now that 149st access has been neutered?
dkazzed
Active Member
I think the issue is the industrial businesses on the northwest corner that need a truck route that doesn't cut through residential. Yes they can all use 121 Ave and Wayne Gretzky Drive to get to Yellowhead Trail, but getting in without the overpass would mean coming up Wayne Gretzky Drive or 66 St from 118 Ave. Coming from Yellowhead would mean going all the way down to 118 Ave, making a left, and making a left back up Wayne Gretzky.
It seems the entirety of 118 Ave and 66 St is a designated truck route though.
It seems the entirety of 118 Ave and 66 St is a designated truck route though.
AJo
New Member
I think they should have made this just as straight flyover with no connection to Yellowhead at either 66th or 61st and just leave the 125 ave connections to 50th and Fort Road. But i suspect that the screams of the business owners was what lead to the current compromise. And that single east bound direct connection of 66th and the right in out on 61st was the only ones they have room for without buying out a larger number of property owners and/or creating a merge hazard. I also suspect that cheaper land buyout costs and even louder screams about lost connections was the reason that 66th got a flyover and 149th street didn't.
AJo
New Member
118th ave east of Wayne Gretzky is a restricted truck route as is 66th street between 118th and 120th
BASE
Active Member
Agree that both of those roads have potential to be upgraded but I don't think there will be support to do so anytime soon. Taking a cue from the Terwillegar project that would have been a project that could easily have gone free flow and is not happening.
HappyJazzz
Active Member
Perhaps, I was disappointed when they chose the plan they did, but maybe it's better that waits until the extension south past the airport is built.
Well before then, Gretzky is still one of the most used and congested roads in Edmonton proper and deserves significant upgrades.
On the Groat side, iirc both the 111 and 118 av intersections have frequently been among the highest collision points in the city. Getting interchanges there seems like a no-brainer for both safety and traffic flow, and would complete the north half of that leg.
As for public support, with all the real estate refugees moving here from Toronto and Vancouver, I think expectations with regards to roadways and transit are definitely starting to change. Once Yellowhead is complete I think a lot more drivers will start asking for more free-flow routes elsewhere in the city to improve the network.
Gronk!
Senior Member
Get rid of those damnable traffic lights at Groat Road/118 Ave intersection so that it is reverted back to a roundabout, otherwise leave well enough alone.
As for Gretzky Drive, we only need to fix 1 intersection. The 106 Ave interchange requires a SB exit from 106 Ave to Gretzky Drive SB and a NB exit from Gretzky Drive NB to 106 Ave.
As for Gretzky Drive, we only need to fix 1 intersection. The 106 Ave interchange requires a SB exit from 106 Ave to Gretzky Drive SB and a NB exit from Gretzky Drive NB to 106 Ave.
mcr
Active Member
It'll be a bit more than your drawing, there's pretty significant elevation change there, the ramps would need to be probably stretch to the "W" of Wayne Gretzky in that pic. Not sure it's necessary to be honest. Users coming down 106 Ave from Dawson bridge can use this to get North, and if they're headed south can just use 50th instead. Use the money elsewhere if you ask me.
BrettB
Active Member
The Yellowhead is part of the Transportation Master Plan - conceived in the 80s - which identified an inner ring road and an outer. The outer became the AHD while the inner consisted of the Yellowhead, 75 St/Wayne Gretzky, Whitemud, and 170 St.
It was dreamt in a car-centric time with no priority given to bikes or pedestrians.
Other than that, freeways seem entirely antithetical to what the city is trying to achieve in building an urban form.
BASE
Active Member
Agreed there has been a great deal of focus on active transportation and transit routes but do think there is still a need/desire for good roadways. With yellowhead and whitemud the city is well served east to west within the henday. North to south is a little lacking but like I said I don’t think anything is forthcoming anytime soon. Maybe continued population growth will force the issue someday, for now traffic actually moves pretty decently around the city.
supplanter
Active Member
I think the only options are the current situation or a full regular intersection. Too much traffic for a regular roundabout I would think, happy to be proven wrong though.
Airboy
Senior Member
They should never have closed off 149st. the fly over would have reduced traffic on ST Al tr and 156st. The lighted round about on 118 has been there a long time and does work. the problem is further up.
northlands
Senior Member
City owns all the land NW of that corner now where the Ramada/Esso, I almost wonder if they're considering holding it to accommodate a future flyover if for no other reason than to accommodate 149th NB -> YHT WB traffic. Especially with the neighbourhoods south of Big Lake growing at an exponential rate it's only going to get more congested on 156th/St A Trail.
The City closed two WB YHT access points from the south (149th and 142nd) while adding no additional capacity in that whole stretch despite the clear growth that was and will continue to be seen in the west end/Acheson. Will probably just continue to harm industrial properties between 111t and the Yellowhead as why stay in Edmonton with congestion getting trucks out when you could locate somewhere like Acheson instead with easier access and less property taxes.