Ring Road To Nowhere

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I see your parclo and raise you a stack interchange. The way Eastbound Stoney to Northbound Deerfoot exits is similar to a stack.

I wish. They take a lot of space and construction costs are high but damn are they ever nice where traffic flow is concerned.

Stacks are waaaaaaaay too expensive to be viable unless they're absolutely needed. In almost any case here in Calgary, that won't be happening. Bridges make up a majority of the cost in any interchange project, and to require up to 5 times as many bridge structures for free-flowing traffic isn't worth it, usually.

Originally Posted by Kavy

Darn.. I had a pipe dream they would create access to southbound macloud from the shopping center on the west side.

If they had their way they'd remove the access to the shopping center on that SB Macleod to 22X Ramp right now.

Also, there will be a cleaner PDF of the Macleod/Stoney Open House board on Alberta Transportation's website pretty soon.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

If they had their way they'd remove the access to the shopping center on that SB Macleod to 22X Ramp right now.

Then I will be gratful they don't have their way! The traffic at the shawnessy & Macloud lights gets bad enough going into the shopping district there....

[mykalberta]

If anyone wants to see a Stack interchange relatively close, Edmonton has one at the intersection on Hwy 2 and Anthony Henday.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by ken0042

So, this is what they are going with for a design:

Spoiler!

(I appologize for the crudity of the map. I did not have time do paint it or draw it to scale.)

Reasons why they are going with a Clover Leaf:
- It isn't a true Clover Leaf as the MacLeod Trail (MT) portion has it's own side roads for access, so MacLeod stays a free-flow.
- This is somewhat temporary; when/if the SW Ring Road is done there will be further upgrades. This keeps the cost down.
- Traffic patterns. The Province believes that when there is a major flow in 1 direction (ie- EB 22X onto NB MT will be at a different time than SB MT onto EB 22X.)

A few other notes:
- The 2 new bridges are to be constructed to the north of the current bridges. (light green on map.)
- The traffic lights at 6th street stay; will be upgraded as part of SW RR.
- Construction is to (hopefully) start Summer/ Fall 2012 and be done by Fall 2014.

Does that mean that the lights at 6th are going to be gone when/if the SW Ring Road goes through?

Hopefully the city has some $$ to build an overpass at 162 and Macleod sometime soon...

[ken0042]

Yes, the lights will be gone for 22X when the SW ring road will be built. I'd be willing to bet that there will still be lights for people on 6th street though. That interchange will be far to close to MacLeod to be able to do anything else.

And I meant to ask them about 162nd; but forgot. Even though it would be a city project, the guy I always listen to these things really has his finger on the pulse of what is going on with roads in this province.

I also asked him about Anderson/Bow Bottom @ Deerfoot. He said that would be a ~200 million dollar project; whereas this one will be closer to the $50M range. He also didn't like my suggestion about closing the ramp from EB Southland onto SB Deerfoot. I mean I thought he was going to deck me- that's how much he didn't like it. He asked me where I thought all those cars would go, and I told him that because most of them were coming from SB Blackfoot, they could just get onto Deerfoot via Glenmore. Yeah, he shot me down on that.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Stacks are waaaaaaaay too expensive to be viable unless they're absolutely needed. In almost any case here in Calgary, that won't be happening. Bridges make up a majority of the cost in any interchange project, and to require up to 5 times as many bridge structures for free-flowing traffic isn't worth it, usually.

Oh I know, but as someone who is fascinated with road and highway infrastructure, I'm a big fan of stack interchanges.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

If anyone wants to see a Stack interchange relatively close, Edmonton has one at the intersection on Hwy 2 and Anthony Henday.

That isn't a stack interchange, it's just a three level interchange with Parclo elements. All ramps have to be high speed for it to be a stack interchange.

Highway 2 and Stoney Trail are very similar to Highway 2 and Anthony Henday that way. They both have loop ramps still.

'Aint no loops in this stack:

[Draug]

^^^ Whoa! Now that is an interchange! Nice ....

[morgin]

Anyone got insider info on the deerfoot/airport rd construction? That transition from highway speed to 30km/hr seems to be catching a lot of people off guard.

[ranchlandsselling]

Any updates on the SW ring road?

The bridge thread got me thinking about big roads and interchanges.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by ranchlandsselling

Any updates on the SW ring road?

The bridge thread got me thinking about big roads and interchanges.

It will come up in the campaign sooner or later I think?

[Bunk]

A question about it is in the Cities Matter survey, so you will hear what each party has to say about it.

www.citiesmatter.ca

[Otsy]

They gotta be close to a record of most overpasses under construction at one time between the ones on 22x and glenmore.

[ranchlandsselling]

Is there still no idea out there as to what's going to happen with the SW leg of the ring road. I was at a BBQ (didn't go well) in Oakridge and wandered along the path where the city pretty much ends, 37th street might be and Southland drive turns into a dead end. It's a really nice pathway and parklands over there.

[stampsx2]

They are returning to the negotiating table with the reserve so in a few years we will realise we've gotten nowhere again.

[Northendzone]

It boggles my mind how much dirt they are currently moving around on 22x from about 84th to cranston

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

It boggles my mind how much dirt they are currently moving around on 22x from about 84th to cranston

Glenmore and 84th, too. They've moved the equivelent of an entire community worth of dirt.

[stampsx2]

Anybody know if the 22x part of the se ring road will open early? I'm guessing they won't make a temporary road.

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Glenmore and 84th, too. They've moved the equivelent of an entire community worth of dirt.

So how far away are we from having 16th ave/HW1 connecting to Glenmore/HW8?

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

They are returning to the negotiating table with the reserve so in a few years we will realise we've gotten nowhere again.

Ugh, not again.