Waterloo Region Connected

Cant wait for this to be all done and officially open

This project is about 2 months off from the scheduled completion. Has anyone seen signs that it will meet that timeline?

Looks like it's going to be opening soon. They had removed a large chunk of barriers on the west-bound side near Hespeler Rd. and Hwy 8. The middle still had them though. They were doing paving on the east-bound section.

As of Saturday morning there was a chunk of median missing on the west end, but it looked like rebar was in place for a pour.

It looked this morning like westbound traffic had been diverted back onto the inside lanes and that they were now doing some sort of work on the outside lanes.

Eastbound traffic is now back on the inside lanes.

I found it weird that the inside lanes were paved and lines drawn, but not the HOV lane markings. Will they be re-paving and re-marking all of these lanes again?

Coke

(07-05-2019, 02:36 PM)Coke6pk Wrote: [ -> ]I found it weird that the inside lanes were paved and lines drawn, but not the HOV lane markings.  Will they be re-paving and re-marking all of these lanes again?

Coke

It would be odd to have HOV lanes just for a 4 km stretch.  Maybe they'll convert them into HOV when the next phase of widening is complete. It's all speculation though, let's see what happens.

The hov lanes are unpainted and left unused on the 401 from Hurontario through the 410.

But they might do something different here.

What's the latest update on this lengthy construction project? And just so I'm clear, is it in fact doubling the # of lanes (3 to 6) both Eastbound and Westbound, Hwy 8 to Hespeler? Creating a 'collectors' that will essentially be Hwy 8 exit only, and express for straight through beyond Hwy 8 overpass? I don't recall if it goes to Franklin/Towline (no right?)

4+HOV in each direction. Current phase is only through Hespeler. Next phase will be Hespeler - Townline including the Hespeler overpass replacement, originally scheduled to start this year, but that was before Dumpster Fire, so who knows.

They're in the final stretches of work. I believe I heard somewhere it is supposed to open around the beginning of August. I believe there was a project map floating around at one point that showed that the configuration was going the be 8 lanes from Hespeler east, and that the Hespeler Rd. on-/off-ramps would become additional lanes to Hwy 8 for a total of 10 lanes in that stretch. The outer two lanes would then turn into the ramps for Hwy 8 with 6 continuing west. HOV lanes are planned, but the MTO seems not to implement HOV lanes until a more substantial stretch is ready (see the 401 west of 410).

The signs for the WB entrance from King near Shantz Hill say that those are to re-open Aug 16th.

(07-11-2019, 06:15 AM)jamincan Wrote: [ -> ]They're in the final stretches of work. I believe I heard somewhere it is supposed to open around the beginning of August. I believe there was a project map floating around at one point that showed that the configuration was going the be 8 lanes from Hespeler east, and that the Hespeler Rd. on-/off-ramps would become additional lanes to Hwy 8 for a total of 10 lanes in that stretch. The outer two lanes would then turn into the ramps for Hwy 8 with 6 continuing west. HOV lanes are planned, but the MTO seems not to implement HOV lanes until a more substantial stretch is ready (see the 401 west of 410).

I've noticed on the 401 west of the 410 there are no overhead signs installed for the HOV lanes.... but the supports for the signs are in Cambridge, which makes me think they might use them...

Would there be cost advantages to installing them now here, but not doing the same in Toronto?

Coke

[EDIT: I agree a 1 exit HOV would seem a stupid idea... but it is the DoFo gov't..... ]

Still holes in the pavement and no signs of adding the final layers of asphalt to the new lanes as of this morning. Maybe there will be a big push to finish, but I'm not holding my breath this will be done in the near future.