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2012-02-01 at NOON

Another five kilometres of four-laning confirmed for 11-17

By tbnewswatch.com
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Another five kilometers of four-laning confirmed for 11-17

The expanded four-laning of Highway 11-17 will include a stretch of road between Eldorado Beach Road and Pass Lake. 

While the Ministry of Transportation acknowledges some property owners may be affected, Senior Project Manager Rick Inman told CKPR Radio that the technical upgrades will increase safety along the five-kilometre stretch of highway.

“We want to increase the right of way width,” he said. “The original studies had the 90-metre right of way, and we are proposing the change to 110-metre right of way width minimum.

“There are a few other technical changes to the roadway geometry.” 

Inman said the planning phase is still early, but added that he expected it to end later this year. 
 

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Comments

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TBDR says:
Its just a simple fact that divided highway is safer than 2 lane or 4 lane 2-way roads. Divided highways have zero head on collisions, one of the leading causes of highway fatalities. I totally support the 4 laning of this highway from East to West.
2/1/2012 4:36:10 PM
The Wolf says:
"While the Ministry of Transportation acknowledges some property owners may be affected, Senior Project Manager Rick Inman..."

I am waiting for the newest round of NIMBISM to take hold with this advancement and safety.
2/1/2012 5:16:49 PM
ranma says:
Why is it we can not get 4 lane highways up here on our highways of death? Nothing scarier than being on a highway in winter with snow and ice, and having a transport convoy coming towards you. Our population density and our long roads make it a financial disaster to do it, but if the government was ever serious about a make jobs program, THIS would be the project they should do.
2/1/2012 5:55:27 PM
combatwombat says:
i agree make jobs, and make higher taxes which of course people would then bitch about!
fact is folks we are all for the idea, sure why the hell not!
BUT 4 lanes east to west will never ever happen ...its a pipe dream,
So, hope for the best, your best bet is to drive safely and stay off the highway when it gets bad.
2/1/2012 9:51:39 PM
The Wolf says:
ranma I agree with what you are saying but last time I checked The locations being divided are in fact "up here".
2/1/2012 11:11:08 PM
common_sense says:
Dividing the highway all the way to Nipigon will be so nice and much safer than it is right now. No head on collisions.

One recommendation I have is for the highway that goes through the city should have a concrete barrier down the middle. This would prevent any head on collisions happening along that part of the highway since it's not divided.

Side note: May also stop deer from crossing into the city as easily as they do right now as well... probably not much but a little bit might help.
2/1/2012 6:56:26 PM
Dr. Double Double says:
When are they going to divide the highway through Thunder Bay?
2/1/2012 10:32:23 PM
canrebel53 says:
TBDR, I take it you don't get out much, I've seen cars and trucks go straight through a medium and hit on oncoming vehicle head on. I've also seen them jump guard rails end end up in the lanes below. The main problem with unsafe roads are the drivers.
2/1/2012 10:40:28 PM
trevor99 says:
Great more is being done but Ranma, I don't see how the province can possibly afford to four lane this highway even when times are great. The initial cost is only the beginning. Maintaining, plowing would add a tremendous cost to it. Don't get me wrong, I would like it to but our vast geography and sparse population make it a massive challenge especially with little if not nothing coming from the Federal gov't.

When they wanted to invest in infrastructure, I had hoped it would be like John A McDonald. 4 lanes from coast to coast. That may have been a cheaper stimulous plan with the benefits lasting for generations. Maybe that kind of dream is not too late.
2/1/2012 11:39:17 PM
gremlin says:
I may be wrong, but I believe highways are both a provincial & federal responsibility.

That being said as a professional truck driver I see & drive highways on both sides of the border. What we put up with in Canada would never be accepted in the USA. The "Trans Canada Highway" sounds impressive but it's in name only. Its a sad comment that since the TCH "officially" opened in the early 60's, almost 50 years later we still don't have a multi-lane divided highway across our entire country. With 75% of our population living within an hours drive of the TCH there's no excuse for this. We only have ourselves to blame.

The problem is our "constant dependency on government" to supply all our "social programs" which are bankrupting this country. They (social programs) are eating up the tax dollars. Until we are "willing to accept less government" our highways will always be lacking.

2/2/2012 3:26:40 PM
trepat says:
Sorry, I have to partially disagree. We have to accept that our gov't cannot be all things to all people. We have too much land mass and too little people. We are not the US but we want everything they have including our health care system. Are you willing to trade one for the other?

I agree we need four lanes but that would require a massive amount of funding and Ontario cannot possibly do it alone. I have to agree, this would have been a great Canada project by Ottawa when spending was the game. Instead of funding a million different projects one national project would have resulted in tens of thousands of jobs and a better transportation system.

It is unfortunate. Maybe if we had 30 million more people things would be a bit different but we are the second biggest country in the planet with a population less than some states.
2/5/2012 10:28:21 AM
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