Foolworm
Active Member
Maybe it was all the radio activity from the flight control tower.
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- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
yeggator
Active Member
Now that’s a kneeslapper and a half
yeggator
Active Member
After driving to/from Jasper and seeing how much traffic has boomed on Yellowhead Trail from Edmonton to Stony Plain, it made me wonder if there are plans to upgrade this stretch of the freeway. Turns out the province just finished a planning study last year, and holy mother of diverging diamond interchanges! Here are some images from an open house for the interchange and freeway upgrades, including a much needed basket weave at Winterburn Road.
The presentation doesn't establish clear construction timelines, but does say this:
All in all, I hope the widening of the freeway to 3 lanes in each direction happens before 2030, and all necessary interchange upgrades (particularly at Winterburn Rd) are done by 2035.
The presentation doesn't establish clear construction timelines, but does say this:
All in all, I hope the widening of the freeway to 3 lanes in each direction happens before 2030, and all necessary interchange upgrades (particularly at Winterburn Rd) are done by 2035.
yeggator
Active Member
I've also been thinking about upgrades to the sections of Yellowhead Trail that are currently grade-separated but are pretty subpar for modern freeway standards. The long stretches without shoulders in a lot of places (ex. between the rail yard and cemetery and at underpasses) is one thing that compromises safety and makes this oldest section of freeway stand in stark contrast to the newer sections. But the most glaring concern is the ridiculously short distance between the Fort Road and 82nd Street interchanges. I think the WB off-ramp and EB on-ramp at the 82nd Street interchange need to be closed, because as the freeway climbs north of 100,000 daily vehicles, the weave zone between those interchanges will be incredibly congested and dangerous. I also think the LRT overpass needs to be widened when the time comes to rehabilitate it in order to smoothen the curve of the freeway and accommodate a wider freeway with shoulders on the sides and median, longer on-off ramps for the interchange at Fort Road and better sightlines on the freeway overall. And the little driveways onto the freeway ramps need to go. Here's a rough sketch:
The_Cat
Senior Member
I hope the Highway 60 Bridge over the CN tracks is also built.
yeggator
Active Member
Should be in the works along with twinning it between Highway 16 and 16A. Dreeshen announced it last year.
The_Cat
Senior Member
The Province is always slow on highway projects. The only time the province is serious is around election time.
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The_Cat
Senior Member
I think the trouble with the Fort Road overpass is that it’s a turnaround for trucks. The Yellowhead Trial is narrow under Fort Road, 82 and 97 Streets. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I wonder if there could be something similar with the entry/exit arrangement between 127 and 156 Street.
chrisvazquez7
Active Member
I think the spacing between 82 Street and Fort Road is fine for now. Where I see the largest safety issue is the Fort Road eastbound on-ramp that gives you very little time to merge with horrible sightlines. The ramp technically has a yield sign, but stopping on the ramp to wait for a gap at rush hour is a recipe for disaster.
yeggator
Active Member
Should still be able to accommodate truck turnarounds on a longer overpass. Just has to be well segregated from the other traffic.
yeggator
Active Member
They plan to fix that when they work on 66th Street. There’s a sidewalk next to the eastbound lanes under the LRT overpass that will be decommissioned, with the space used for a longer on-ramp.
JuliallThat
Active Member
That ramp is my regular exhilarating reminder of my mortality. You either go or you die, no time for self-doubt!
dkazzed
Active Member
Do I see 4 lanes even up to the Henday interchange? I'm honestly shocked we're getting any freeway upgrades, but probably largely the businesses around Acheson followed by commuters from Parkland County lobbying for this work.
That little section of Yellowhead Trail is often used for people traveling between Wayne Gretzky Dr and 82 St and is quite busy. 97 St to Fort Road will likely remain a 70 zone and honestly, that's fine. I typically match the speed of traffic and assert myself into a gap. I'd rather they keep the sidewalk to close the missing link of the Yellowhead shared use path at least until they complete the 66 St overpass.
northlands
Senior Member
They needed to start on the Winterburn interchange five years ago. YHT WB before Winterburn Rd is already at a stand still daily from 4-6 PM due to the two consecutive Henday off ramp merge lanes that are only 500m apart onto a two lane stretch. The high frequency of heavy truck traffic coming off the Henday NB off ramp particularly struggle hard to accelerate up to merging speed which really bogs things down.
Only going to get much worse as Hawks Ridge, Kinglet and Pintail Landing are all rapidly developing housing. I bet by 2035 when there will be 12,000 more people living there, the vast majority of which will be utilizing the Yellowhead and Henday to commute.
Only going to get much worse as Hawks Ridge, Kinglet and Pintail Landing are all rapidly developing housing. I bet by 2035 when there will be 12,000 more people living there, the vast majority of which will be utilizing the Yellowhead and Henday to commute.
VaultBoy
Active Member
Along with Stoney-grove growing as much as it is