Ring Road To Nowhere

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Is it delayed? Despite the steel shortage they had, last I heard they're still on track for the fall 2023 date they always had

Jurassic milk.

[bob-loblaw]

I’d like to know what type of work they have to do under the bridges after they open to traffic. Under the WB bridge exit from Stoney to 22X that goes over EB Stoney, there’s been scaffolding under each side of bridge since it opened. It looks like the work is between the steel I beams.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Bow/Sarcee should've been made into an overpass like 17th/Sarcee was.. would've saved a lot of grief on those NW-SW commutes.

Easier said than done. There's lots of things that will make that interchange difficult and really expensive to build. I'm sure it'll happen eventually, but it'll be an eye-watering amount to get it done. Utility relocation costs alone will probably cost as much as a normal interchange.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

The traffic from EB and WB Trans Canada each currently get their own lane over the river without having to merge together. It flows alright.

The new configuration will have both EB and WB Trans Canada merge into one, and the new NB Stoney will also reduce to the one other lane. I think that’s a lot of cars to pinch into two lanes, and I expect WB TCH to NB Stoney to fare the worst.

Bowness Road, for example, will likely take on more traffic because people will bail at Bowfort Road and cut the corner off when the TCH to Stoney is backed up.

I also think that in the SW, 85th, 69th, Old Banff Coach Road, and Bow Trail will all see a lot more cars, and it will cause quite a bit of congestion.

But who am I kidding? I’m glad to see it open, and I see a few scenarios where I’ll be using it. I do think that there will be a ripple effect on surrounding roads though.

A lot of the WB TCH to NB Stoney is traffic coming from Sarcee which basically functions as a defacto leg of the ring road... I think opening the new portion of the WRR will take a lot of traffic off NB Sarcee > TCH > NB Stoney, which hopefully helps all of the other TCH > NB Stoney travellers.

Really curious to see how this affects the other roads on the west side as SB traffic will be forced off at OBCR and Bow and have to disperse through Bow, 17th, 69th & 85th

[Acey]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Bow/Sarcee should've been made into an overpass like 17th/Sarcee was.. would've saved a lot of grief on those NW-SW commutes.

It will be very expensive as mentioned above, and the city has effectively stated that they are praying to all deities for Stoney to provide adequate relief to Bow/Sarcee. Anybody who regularly uses the intersection knows this still won't be enough long term, but it's a good start.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Acey

It will be very expensive as mentioned above, and the city has effectively stated that they are praying to all deities for Stoney to provide adequate relief to Bow/Sarcee. Anybody who regularly uses the intersection knows this still won't be enough long term, but it's a good start.

You'd think once the ring road is complete, a large portion of the N-S Sarcee traffic would move to it with a lesser impact on the E-W traffic on Bow, so there's some hope.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by D as in David

You'd think once the ring road is complete, a large portion of the N-S Sarcee traffic would move to it with a lesser impact on the E-W traffic on Bow, so there's some hope.

Yes that big reduction is exactly what the city is hoping for. My fear is that because the intersection is currently so far beyond failure, that the ring road won't be enough to save it and a horrendously expensive interchange will still be required. We'll see... takes a while for people to find the fastest way for their trips and the numbers to stabilize.

[Joborule]

For the Sarcee/Bow interchange, is it expensive with the expectation that they have the move the substation around it? Or are there a bunch of utilities under the intersection currently, that they would still have to move a bunch even if they built some form of a interchange (even if it's not free flow for one level as an example) that works around the substation?

[powderjunkie]

Currently to get from 201&90th to 85th&Bow Google Maps shows 3 routes of roughly the same duration, all via 69 St:

- through Springbank Hill
- 17th Ave
- through Aspen

I think Springbank Blvd is going to be pretty steady traffic all afternoon.

[red sky]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Currently to get from 201&90th to 85th&Bow Google Maps shows 3 routes of roughly the same duration, all via 69 St:

- through Springbank Hill
- 17th Ave
- through Aspen

I think Springbank Blvd is going to be pretty steady traffic all afternoon.

Yes, sucks for those residents and same for the new development on 85th street. Any chance they would open up access early to 17th avenue from Highway 22? I see lines are painted on one side, I know it's wishful thinking but it would be so nice to have access to lower Springbank road and east bound 17th Ave.

[Weitz]

Springbank blvd to 85th already sees too much traffic. I’d hate to live there.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yes that big reduction is exactly what the city is hoping for. My fear is that because the intersection is currently so far beyond failure, that the ring road won't be enough to save it and a horrendously expensive interchange will still be required. We'll see... takes a while for people to find the fastest way for their trips and the numbers to stabilize.

There should be a significant reduction of traffic at Sarcee/Bow with the opening of Stoney, but there will also be massive shifts in traffic patterns and movements.

Building an interchange of any kind prior to the ring road opening, and knowing the ultimate results of that shift would probably have been foolish.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

It doesn't help that 85th St has a set of lights at EVERY intersection like a 100 ft apart. Will be fun.

True, but most of the lights are north of Bow, so people coming from 17th ave will see only a three sets I think - Aspen mall entrance, Bow itself and one in between I think.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

True, but most of the lights are north of Bow, so people coming from 17th ave will see only a three sets I think - Aspen mall entrance, Bow itself and one in between I think.

There’s 5 from the mall to bow. Including both.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Weitz

There’s 5 from the mall to bow. Including both.

I didn't count 17th and 85th, because that's where I started from (and there's no need to stop on the right turn lane anyway - it's a whole lane). Then there's 4 counting Bow trail itself: The west mall entrance, 14th ave, Aspenshire/Strathlea and Bow. And the inner two are sensored because there's not much cross traffic during the day.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yes that big reduction is exactly what the city is hoping for. My fear is that because the intersection is currently so far beyond failure, that the ring road won't be enough to save it and a horrendously expensive interchange will still be required. We'll see... takes a while for people to find the fastest way for their trips and the numbers to stabilize.

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

When they finally reopen both bridges, it's interesting to think about how instead of taking a slow-moving Crowchild to access the NW from downtown, taking Bow all the way out to the ring road could take roughly the same time to reach the far NW communities.

I'll be one of those figuring out the new adjustment. I travel to the SW 1 day per week and will absolutely use the new RR once it's fully open, it's a game changer. I'll have to experiment with the new partial opening if there is any benefit to me since I need to use Sarcee at some point anyhow. Heading SB in the morning it's not bad as it is but maybe Stoney>Bow>Sarcee will be better than TCH>Sarcee. Speed limit on Bow is lower than the TCH EB so not sure there is much benefit. In the afternoon the left turn from Sarcee NB to Bow Trail WB might negate any benefit of the new RR down the hill. Time will tell.

Taking pressure off of any major overused and over-crowded artery will be a good thing.

I work DT and for me Bow>Sarcee>TCH>Stoney is way better than that cluster that is Crowchild NB in the afternoon rush.

I don't see any improvement to the river crossing however, it's still funneling multiple lanes down to 2 (and reducing the speed limit) so thing swill slow to a crawl regardless. Might be fun watching the WB and EB TCH traffic merge into a single lane though, that is a brand new traffic movement that has never existed prior to this and people will nto be used to it.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

There should be a significant reduction of traffic at Sarcee/Bow with the opening of Stoney, but there will also be massive shifts in traffic patterns and movements.



Building an interchange of any kind prior to the ring road opening, and knowing the ultimate results of that shift would probably have been foolish.

And extremely difficult to get it right.

[Acey]

Bow/Sarcee would be the most expensive non-Deerfoot or Stoney interchange in the city, no? I can't think of one already built that would be worse.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I didn't count 17th and 85th, because that's where I started from (and there's no need to stop on the right turn lane anyway - it's a whole lane). Then there's 4 counting Bow trail itself: The west mall entrance, 14th ave, Aspenshire/Strathlea and Bow. And the inner two are sensored because there's not much cross traffic during the day.

You missed aspen summit. And if any of those lights are sensored they don’t work very well.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Weitz

You missed aspen summit. And if any of those lights are sensored they don’t work very well.

I don't think there are lights there.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/As...sv8n?entry=ttu