Ring Road To Nowhere

[stampsx2]

I'm going to go with:

Full se stoney open with a 100 km/h speed limit Feb 1st.

[Acey]

That's possible, but I feel like it'll be fully open and up to 100 before then, but be back down to 80 in sections for all of spring and into summer while they finish up.

[Acey]

Lindsey:

Presently, we should have a better outlook on the exact opening date later this week or next regarding when the Alberta Government will feel the project has met the requirements for Traffic Availability, but I assure you that we're very close and working steadily to have it open soon.

I get the vibe there's hard feelings between them and AB Trans...

[Mazrim]

This article on Metro News is interesting: http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/832...ng-road-opens/

But Dale Woodroffe, executive director of contractor Chinook Roads Partnership (CRP), said the network is ready to open as far as he’s concerned, but the province continues to request additional work to be completed.

As an example, he said workers installed “temporary barriers” at some points along the road network but the province demanded they go back and put in the permanent guardrails.

“We’re doing stuff now that we could have been doing next year, after traffic availability . . . yes, it’s frustrating, but we also understand that they have specifications and they have procedures and we have to follow them.”

Because of the delays Woodroffe said it would be a “fair assessment” in his mind that CRP not pay the full penalty outlined in the contract for the road.

Guardrails are a pretty important example actually, and I'm glad he used it as one. I can't imagine any self-respecting company doing a safety audit would suggest that temporary barriers satisfy the contract requirements for traffic availability. A temporary barrier is not able to absorb impact like a Thrie-beam barrier would.

The insinuation that it's not their fault the road isn't fully open because of things like is kinda funny, really. You're not finished, and you don't think you should have to pay any fines because it's "basically done" and "we can come back in the spring and finish"? Interesting words to say to the media, to say the least.

[getbak]

As an example, he said workers installed “temporary barriers” at some points along the road network but the province demanded they go back and put in the permanent guardrails.

Crap, if they do that, how can I do cool GTA-style stunt jumps off the side of the road?

[You Need a Thneed]

I thought the barriers they were putting up around the DF/22x interchange looked a little temporary. Rows of precast jersey barriers.

[Acey]

Yeah I saw all those temporary Jersey barriers staged on the EB flyover... then a few days later saw them picking up a whole row that they had put down. I'm awaiting a response from AB Trans asking why there was such a massive miscommunication to the point that they thought they could put Jersey barriers down and it would be okay... wasting EVERYBODY'S time. I get that they're trying to make an example out of these guys, but this is insane.

"We’re doing stuff now that we could have been doing next year, after traffic availability..."

...is without question the most misleading, and borderline scary, thing they have said to the media for this entire project.

*Also, Lindsey says she's heard nothing of the Glenmore bridge being bad so she "can't comment".

[Flacker]

So Tsuu T'ina Nation votes on this tomorrow, and nary a peep from media or officials? Seems odd.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Acey

I'm awaiting a response from AB Trans asking why there was such a massive miscommunication to the point that they thought they could put Jersey barriers down and it would be okay... wasting EVERYBODY'S time.

My random guess would be that without asking they figured they could bide their time putting temporary barriers down and then convince Alberta Transportation that is was acceptable for the time being.

[Acey]

Hundreds of man hours later, that plan backfired badly.

[5seconds]

Originally Posted by Flacker

So Tsuu T'ina Nation votes on this tomorrow, and nary a peep from media or officials? Seems odd.

Hard for the media to report on something where there has been no new information in a month, while the Nation and the Province have stated that they won't comment until the vote is completed. I think the most we will get is some rumours and social media comments until the vote count is announced.

[Acey]

I'm hoping the lack of public complaints on there end is a good sign.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Rows of precast jersey barriers.

They aren't acceptable for 100km/h design speeds. This caught one of my projects out earlier this year.

[ken0042]

Yeah, there's a few of these that won't be able to wait until spring. 52nd street onto WB Stoney for example. It's a sharp turn that also has the two lanes merging into one through the turn. The outside lane has a sharp drop into a stagnant pond 20 feet below. All it takes is somebody playing Bump 'n' Jump or a good patch of black ice; and you'd have SE Stoney's first fatality.

[Tron_fdc]

There's a train overpass right at NB/SB 114ave and Stoney that has barriers on it, but they only start about 100ft on either side of it. I watch trucks running up and down it every day, thinking that if someone was hauling balls down stoney and lost it they may actually end up on the roof of one of the businesses there.

I want the road open as much as anyone, but not at the expense of fatalities Dukes of Hazard style.

[Acey]

The 52 St loop really concerns me, too Ken... I hope it's failing all kinds of audits.

[burn_this_city]

I'd be really surprised if they didn't place jersey barriers or weak post guardrails along the sections you guys are mentioning, guaranteed its on the drawings.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I'd be really surprised if they didn't place jersey barriers or weak post guardrails along the sections you guys are mentioning, guaranteed its on the drawings.

Neither of those are acceptable on a ring road project. From what I recall, all barriers are TL-4 level, which means thrie beam or CIP Concrete barrier. They need to be there for sure, it's just not done yet, which the contractor is somehow referring to as something that can be done in the spring.

[Acey]

You recalled correctly, the table from schedule 18:

Spoiler!

TL-1, TL-2, and TL-3 tests involve two test vehicles, an 820 kg car impacting a barrier at 20 degrees and a 2,000 kg pickup truck impacting a barrier at 25 degrees, at speeds of 50 km/h for TL-1, 70 km/h for TL-2, and 100 km/h for TL-3. TL-4 adds a third vehicle, an 8,000 kg single-unit truck impacting a barrier at 15 degrees and 80 km/h, to the TL-3 matrix.

[fundmark19]

Judgement day!!!!!!! Will we have a SW portion of the ring road or not