Saturday, June 20, 2009

Dorval Circle Upgrade (40 years late,but still needed )

Well finally Dorval Circle is to be upgraded,.....Yikes ,that wasn't too long a wait was it.

 Thanks to Guy Billard alerting us to this highway project going on at almost the same time as they are to start the Turcot & Bonaventure exchange upgrades,.Wow planning at it's best, I love traffic planners ,.Out here We have the brilliance of putting in Traffic Circles (like they are a new invention) because of mostly transplanted traffic planners from anywhere els but here ,who feel that this 'new idea' ( been around in Europe for Millenums is a 'good thing' ....it's only a different thing, & it's a pain in the .....well you know....... However here's the Dorval story where they will replace the old circle:

New road plan for Montreal airport to take off this spring

Old Dorval Circle to be replaced with eight new overpasses and new roads

Last Updated: Monday, February 16, 2009 | 5:40 PM ET

The new configuration of the Dorval Circle will include eight overpasses and roads to give drivers direct access from Highways 20 and 520 and the airport.The new configuration of the Dorval Circle will include eight overpasses and roads to give drivers direct access from Highways 20 and 520 and the airport. (Transport Quebec)

Drivers trying to get to and from Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport will have a smoother ride in the near future, say government officials who announced a $224-million reconstruction project Monday.

The project, which is being paid for by federal, provincial and municipal governments, involves the complete overhaul of the troublesome Dorval Circle plus the addition of new, direct links between the airport and Highways 20 and 520.

Once the work is done in 2013, travellers and airport employees will be able to get to and from the airport without interfering with local traffic, said Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau.

Rouleau has been waiting for the road project to get to this stage since he first became a city councillor in 1982.

He said reconstruction moved to the top of the priority list as traffic in the area exploded and the existing concrete structures began to fall apart.

"Finally," he exclaimed when asked how he felt about the project getting the go-ahead.

"They have already started. They are under tender now for all the bridges now."

Redesign to separate local and airport traffic

Eight new overpasses will be built as part of the project.

The circular Dorval interchange will be eliminated. In its place, Dorval Avenue will extend northward, isolating local traffic from roads linking the nearby highways with the airport.

New pedestrian and bike access will also be added.

The lion's share of the cost, $89 million, will be covered by the Quebec government. Ottawa will pay $55 million, with the City of Montreal pitching in $40 million. The airport and public transit will fund the rest.

Construction is expected to begin this spring.

No news on airport-downtown rail link

One highly-anticipated component was missing from Monday's announcement: the addition of a rail shuttle between the airport and downtown Montreal.

The federal and provincial governments are currently studying possible routes and costs.

Even though there is no formal agreement yet on the rail link, James Cherry, head of the Montreal Airport Authority, is optimistic that it can be built around the same time the Dorval circle project.

Cherry said if the rail project can go to public consultation next year, then the two projects could dovetail nicely.

"We're on track to be able to do that sometime in 2010. Does that mean 2013 is reasonable? Within a year of that, probably," said Cherry.

The airport has already worked a train stop into its new hotel and U.S. departures building.

"Under that building, we've built the tunnel and the shell of that station already. It's already there. So we're waiting for a spur line to come off that main line and we're ready to roll," said Cherry.

               Keep us up todate on Montreal's highway projects ,we appreciate the input.

                                     Have Fun & Remember Verdun

9 comments:

Les F said...

Looks like (neath from wordpress.com) on the Walking Turcot Yards blog,had been way ahead of the curve on this story,as he had it posted in 2007,.great insight & a great blog site too..checkitout folks...
Here's the story:
Dorval Circle Work Begins (Road Headaches In Montreal)
September 27, 2007 by neath

Article in today’s Gazette discusses possible road construction/repairs is causing some traffic headaches on the Island. I noticed on Wednesday that the Atlas Copco plant off the westbound exit ramp going into Dorval Circle from the 20 is being demolished, so the project may finally be actually happening! Read here.



From that Google Earth image you can see that any ramp they build that goes more directly to the airport will have to cross Cote De Liesse and the train tracks, Will be interesting.

Roundabouts seem to work in Europe but they have been a nightmare in large urban areas in North America. Montreal has three main roundabouts – The L’Acadie, Decarie, and Dorval Circles, and all are feared and loathed by motorists. Asking drivers to change over two lanes in fast busy traffic while on a sharp curve does seem to be a recipe for disaster. Even the Turcot Interchange forces drivers to cross over at high speed, though usually one lane does the trick. One of the main problems at Dorval Circle is traffic lights at every quarter turn which can back the thing up very quickly.

And there is plans for a high speed rail line between the airport and downtown – getting complicated!

Here is a huge PDF that proposed the plans for the whole Dorval Circle area.

http://neath.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/dorval-circle-work-begins-road-headaches-in-montreal/
use the link to access the PDF file ,as I couldn't hotlink it to here........
Have Fun & Remember Verdun

john allison said...

If you get lost on that, they wouldn't be able to find you for days!!!!

Diane Roberts said...

Thanks for the updates on Montreal roadworks...Yikes! Richard's heading off to Montreal in September and probably should rent a car with a GPS by the sounds of it. Detours everywhere and no one knowing where they're going!...Diane

Les F said...

Oddly enough Quebec in it's infinite wisdom ,finally just allowed vehicles otherthan police & emergency vehicles to have GPS or any other type of screen in a vehicle. Will wonders never cease,......hahahahaha Welcome to the new millennium,prior to this it was illegal. I hear indoor plumbing is coming to the legislative buildings soon,allowing yet another outlet for the crap that usually comes out of those politicians...........lol HF&RV

Diane Roberts said...

You gotta be kidding! Surely they allowed DVD units for the kiddies in the back seats...my son's car has 2 built into the back of the front car seats...makes long car trips with kids more pleasant. As for a GPS, I love it because we go to our grandsons' sports games every Sat & Sun mornings at different playing fields around the city. Just set the GPS, listen to the nice lady and she leads you straight to the park...you barely have to be awake!....Diane

pauline garneau said...

He ain't kidding!!!! A GPS is legal and you are allowed to turn right on red but NOT in Montreal but just don't talk on a cell phone because they are illegal while driving. Pauline

Diane Roberts said...

Can't use a cell phone here either, unless you have the earpiece. Most annoying law here is you have to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle!
Helmet head hair after you puffed, panted and sweated to a cafe for a coffee is not exactly a pretty sight! Mon Dieu...miss the days when the laws were for criminals and not used to babysit society....Diane
P.S. Some idiot politician is even suggested helmets when driving a car!
He won't last in government very long. Aussies don't like to be told what to do and that's just taking it to far!

Les F said...

Helmets have been somewhat mandatory here ( Victoria BC ) for years,but we do have a rather large influence of goofs,who are pretty much against anything.........as they say here in BC ,you are 'tied to a tree' or you want to 'chainsaw' it...............lol We also have wonderfull 'Bike lanes' for all the idiots who don't know ,or never learned that they should maybe ride over near the sidewalk & not in the line of traffic.........but Alas ! Cyclists are entitled to a whole lane.........that's good for their cause the environment ,.............hahahahaha Tie up a whole line full of gas or diesel burning vehicles to allow some nut ,(who thinks they are saving the planet) to cycle by...........& BTW: traffic laws don't apply to these creeps ,who find it convinient to cross where they feel like................ Can't wait for 'Chuck Brodsky ' to sing a song about those morons.........Here maybe you'll like this tune........I do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCnir5KlXEw
Have Fun & Remember Verdun

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