+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Waterloo Region Works (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Forum: Transportation and Infrastructure (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=25)
+--- Thread: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph (/showthread.php?tid=225)
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - boatracer - 02-06-2018
(02-06-2018, 06:41 AM)jamincan Wrote: Didn't they demolish and clear the Speedsville Bridge overnight? I know as well that the MTO has done full bridge replacements overnight elsewhere in the province, so they definitely could if they wanted to.
Speedsville also did have any access ramps and the contractors had all the room in the world on both sides of the highway to stage equipment/materials.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - JJTL - 02-06-2018
I believe the ramps may also be used for access to the job site by equipment, supplies, workers, etc.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - trainspotter139 - 02-06-2018
Contract #: 2017-3013 Description: Victoria Street Bridge Replacement. Ramp closures February 5, 2018 until November 2018: Bruce Street north on ramp, north Edna Street off ramp and Wellington Street north west-south on ramp. Highway 85 full closure from February 10, 2018 at 4 a.m. until February 11, 2018 at 10 a.m. including ramp closures: Ottawa Street north east-west-north on ramp, Wellington Street north east-south on ramp, Wellington Street north east-west off ramp, Bridgeport Road east east-south on ramp and Bridgeport Road east west south on ramp. Victoria Street north bridge (Victoria Street east of Edna Street to Bruce Street) remains closed until approximately November 2018.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - NotStan - 02-06-2018
(02-06-2018, 06:41 AM)jamincan Wrote: Didn't they demolish and clear the Speedsville Bridge overnight? I know as well that the MTO has done full bridge replacements overnight elsewhere in the province, so they definitely could if they wanted to.
I think that is a pretty aggressive interpretation of an overnight bridge replacement. It's not like folks were driving on the bridge one day and then the next day they were driving on the replacement bridge. Speedsville was closed for 5 months while the the bridge was being replaced.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - jamincan - 02-06-2018
The MTO has done overnight bridge replacements elsewhere in the province. They construct the replacement bridge off-site, jack up the old bridge and cart it off, and then cart in the new one. It's actually a pretty cool process.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - embe - 02-06-2018
That is pretty slick.
If bridges can be done that quickly, how complicated is the planned NB 85 Bruce extension (crossing Victoria to Wellington)? Seems to be a blank slate for the last year or so that wouldn't have any impact on active traffic.
Victoria st bridge closed for a year? No prob, take Bruce to Wellington (or Wellington to Bruce) and carry on. Assuming the NB 85 Bruce Extension is still planned why not get it in place before the bridge and ramp closures?
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - Elmira Guy - 02-06-2018
Wow! Cool vid, Jamincan.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - KevinT - 02-07-2018
(02-06-2018, 07:29 PM)jamincan Wrote: The MTO has done overnight bridge replacements elsewhere in the province. They construct the replacement bridge off-site, jack up the old bridge and cart it off, and then cart in the new one. It's actually a pretty cool process.
The width spanned by that bridge never changed (only the width of the bridge itself), so the original abutments could be re-used. We're not in the same situation with Victoria, it will be a longer span so a one-day swap isn't feasible -- the old abutments have to come down with new ones built on new pilings.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - Canard - 02-07-2018
I fully trust that the engineering team's solution for the work at Victoria is the correct one.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - JoeKW - 02-07-2018
Correct one given the constraints. If we gave them more money and reduce the time available they could come up with something within those constraints too
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - Canard - 02-07-2018
The correct engineering choice is always the one that satisfies the most number of constraints.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - jamincan - 02-07-2018
I'm not arguing that they should be doing rapid bridge replacement for Victoria - that was more an interesting an aside demonstrating just what's possible; I do wonder if they shouldn't have more heavily weighed the cost of closing off those ramps for so long, though.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - KevinT - 02-08-2018
(02-07-2018, 09:42 PM)jamincan Wrote: I'm not arguing that they should be doing rapid bridge replacement for Victoria - that was more an interesting an aside demonstrating just what's possible; I do wonder if they shouldn't have more heavily weighed the cost of closing off those ramps for so long, though.
I suspect those ramps will be in a new location/configuration when they reopen under the new bridge.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - embe - 02-08-2018
(02-08-2018, 11:31 AM)KevinT Wrote: I suspect those ramps will be in a new location/configuration when they reopen under the new bridge.
I hope I'm wrong but my understanding is the current/closed ramps on Bruce and Edna aren't part of the overall final plans, meaning they'll eventually be closed for good anyway.
Which is why I was really hoping the new NB 85 ramp, extending from Bruce st. to Wellington, would already be in place to provide an alternate route before the Victoria street bridge closure. That plus the fact the existing NB 85 Bruce street ramp will have been closed for the majority (say 75%? ) of 24 month period come November.
Good news is the light timing has been changed on Frederick to move the extra volume of traffic. Bad news if you're a tractor-trailer trying to make a turn at one of the intersections onto Frederick. Two lanes to turn from and two lanes to turn into is just not happening (to be honest, I think the half dozen truck drivers I saw attempting this today will re-think their detour routes).
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - ijmorlan - 02-08-2018
(02-08-2018, 08:40 PM)embe Wrote:(02-08-2018, 11:31 AM)KevinT Wrote: I suspect those ramps will be in a new location/configuration when they reopen under the new bridge.
I hope I'm wrong but my understanding is the current/closed ramps on Bruce and Edna aren't part of the overall final plans, meaning they'll eventually be closed for good anyway.
Which is why I was really hoping the new NB 85 ramp, extending from Bruce st. to Wellington, would already be in place to provide an alternate route before the Victoria street bridge closure. That plus the fact the existing NB 85 Bruce street ramp will have been closed for the majority (say 75%? ) of 24 month period come November.
Good news is the light timing has been changed on Frederick to move the extra volume of traffic. Bad news if you're a tractor-trailer trying to make a turn at one of the intersections onto Frederick. Two lanes to turn from and two lanes to turn into is just not happening (to be honest, I think the half dozen truck drivers I saw attempting this today will re-think their detour routes).
Isn’t Edna being similarly extended? Hypothetically, one could bypass the Victoria St. bridge by taking Edna to Wellington, across to Bruce, and back down to Victoria. Offhand, it seems like building those ramps before closing the bridge would have made sense, but on a project of this complexity I’m not going to pretend I understand the construction staging plan well enough to critique it.