Ring Road To Nowhere

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I know everyone is disappointed about the lights, but seriously, is it that big of a deal?

The road got done opened much sooner because of the decision to leave those lights in, and now instead of having to go through 20 sets of lights (I don't know the real number) on a 2 lane road to get through Calgary, you can now do it with 3 sets of lights on a road that is for the most part 3 lanes wide.
Seems a lot better to me. Stoney trail may not be perfect, but a lot of congestion just got lifted off of 16th ave and other streets.

Hell, when I want to leave town going East now, this road will save me at least 20 minutes.

Also, if they didn't have those lights, drivers would simply drive right off the road.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I know everyone is disappointed about the lights, but seriously, is it that big of a deal?

The road got done opened much sooner because of the decision to leave those lights in, and now instead of having to go through 20 sets of lights (I don't know the real number) on a 2 lane road to get through Calgary, you can now do it with 3 sets of lights on a road that is for the most part 3 lanes wide.
Seems a lot better to me. Stoney trail may not be perfect, but a lot of congestion just got lifted off of 16th ave and other streets.

Hell, when I want to leave town going East now, this road will save me at least 20 minutes.

I see your point, but why not just get it done right the first time? When you leave stuff to be completed late, it just gets more expensive. It seems goofy leaving uncompleted off ramps (the Shaganappi ones are a real headscratcher. Just pave them and open the road already) and big piles of dirt where the overpass will eventually be (like Centre Street).

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by habernac

I see your point, but why not just get it done right the first time? When you leave stuff to be completed late, it just gets more expensive. It seems goofy leaving uncompleted off ramps (the Shaganappi ones are a real headscratcher. Just pave them and open the road already) and big piles of dirt where the overpass will eventually be (like Centre Street).

I agree 100% about the offramps at places like Shag, as most of the heavy lifting is done. But in the places where the lights are if they were going to build interchanges from the get go, then we'd still be waiting for the road to open, so I see it as a good compromise.

Heck, one of the intersections with lights is at Crowchild trail where most of the work is done already, so it won't take long before that number is reduced to 2.

[Jayems]

I am eagerly awaiting the commute home to finally use the HWY2 to Westbound Stoney to 16th ave.

Bye bye another 5 minutes (in theory).

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by habernac

I see your point, but why not just get it done right the first time? When you leave stuff to be completed late, it just gets more expensive. It seems goofy leaving uncompleted off ramps (the Shaganappi ones are a real headscratcher. Just pave them and open the road already) and big piles of dirt where the overpass will eventually be (like Centre Street).

Those decisions were probably made when construction services were not as readily available as they are now.

I noticed that Stoney/Crowchild construction is moving really, really quickly now.

[You Need a Thneed]

Word is that the Harvest Hills interchange may start next spring.

Both the Harvest Hills and the Nose Hill interchanges are slightly offset, so the existing road can be the detour road, so they didn't really spend any money on roads that are going to be torn up in the end.

The Nose Hill intersection was built years ago (didn't the city build that stretch of stoney themselves), and it's not like they were going to build an interchange then. Now it's a matter of funding the interchange there. I think that interchange has to be packaged together with the twinning of the bridge over the Bow river. Do those two together, and you have a fairly expensive project.

Crowchild would have been light free by now, except that the City's LRT project has forced the detour to stay in longer to build the required bridges. Having the detour in means that they can't grade Stoney to where it needs to be. Can't really fault the province on that one.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Word is that the Harvest Hills interchange may start next spring.

Really? Sweet! I thought that was going to be a permanent intersection. I'm happy to hear it will eventually become an overpass instead.

[MelBridgeman]

Roundin up the kids and cousins and gonna hit up this new ring road - start at the arby's on 17th AVE SE for dinner and head to the taco bell on 16 ave NW for a midnight snack, should be a fun family event....yeeeehaaaaaw!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Really? Sweet! I thought that was going to be a permanent intersection. I'm happy to hear it will eventually become an overpass instead.

The ring roads are designated freeways by the province. They will both ultimately be completely free flow.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Roundin up the kids and cousins and gonna hit up this new ring road - start at the arby's on 17th AVE SE for dinner and head to the taco bell on 16 ave NW for a midnight snack, should be a fun family event....yeeeehaaaaaw!

You mock, but I got dodgeball in the NW tonight, and I can easily see myself taking Stoney from Crowchild all the way around to 17th, just cause.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The ring roads are designated freeways by the province. They will both ultimately be completely free flow.

So twenty years at most then, eh?

[Resolute 14]

Well, apparently "forward thinking" people got this much done in 30...

[Joborule]

Just drove on the road from Sarcee Trail to 16th Ave East. Road is sweet! Road gives nice sightlight in the night of just how massive our city is and what more open land is ready for development.

The lights at Center ST is gonna be messed to deal with in the winter though.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

You mock, but I got dodgeball in the NW tonight, and I can easily see myself taking Stoney from Crowchild all the way around to 17th, just cause.

The way i see it, 201 west should be the Taco Bell Freeway and 201 East should be the Arby's Express...two of the hardest fast food joints to find in this town are connected by one freeway

glory!

[LockedOut]

Was interested to see if traffic would be lighter on Deerfoot northbound starting from Peigen during rush hour from work but an accident near Memorial made it hard to gauge and it's only the first day but despite the accident I made it home 10 minutes faster than usual today. Definitely noticed a lot less trucks on Deerfoot.

[CRXguy]

Just came back from a little trip to Airdrie. The drive was about 7 minutes faster, since I didn't have to deal with the 50km/h limit on Country Hills from Saddleridge.

Silly question, but is Metis Trail between Stoney and Country Hills open going towards Skyview Ranch?

Thanks.

[ryangb]

Originally Posted by CRXguy

Just came back from a little trip to Airdrie. The drive was about 7 minutes faster, since I didn't have to deal with the 50km/h limit on Country Hills from Saddleridge.

Silly question, but is Metis Trail between Stoney and Country Hills open going towards Skyview Ranch?

Thanks.

Yes it is, and it will be open north to the mall very shortly.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

You mock, but I got dodgeball in the NW tonight, and I can easily see myself taking Stoney from Crowchild all the way around to 17th, just cause.

At least you have an excuse. I'm in the SE, with no reason to go to the north part of the city, but I'm considering taking a drive on Saturday, just cause.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Word is that the Harvest Hills interchange may start next spring.

It's already started really, They just put up the noise wall behind my house on 96 ave and it's grated about half way down to deerfoot. (I bike it 2-3 times a week) lots of equipment so I think in about a year it will be done.

[twotoner]

Originally Posted by jar_e

And the thing that also concerns about me about Stoney right now isn't necessarily the volume (though that may change now that the whole north portion is open, but when people excessively speed on it. I've heard of police lasering people pretty much daily in the 150+ range (highest I've heard was in the 170's)...and I've been lucky enough to drive the NE leg already and there's some huge straight stretches.

This too frighten's me. Mostly because of my inability to go slow when confronted with wide open highways. I think I'll stick to my bike for now and wait until the thing is as clogged as the Deerfoot is/was.