399 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

I think there is many reasons why someone would try a highway crossing on foot. Sometimes they might be impaired by drugs or alcohol, even prescription drugs, or just not altogether thinking.

They likely get part way in before they realize they misjudged the risk. Speeds and distances can be deceptive when you are not accustomed to this type of regular transit across a highway, which most of us aren't.

I cross Blanshard at Cormorant often, and the road is on a bit of a bend, it's wider than you first think, and car speeds can be tricky to judge coming out of a bend too.

Everyone knows that intersections that don't occur on right angles are accident-prone (Shelbourne/Hillside or Cloverdale/Quadra/Cook), as the extra distances of crossing the cross-street on the angle screws people up.

I can see how this could happen.

[Mike K.]

Of course this could have been a suicide.

[LJ]

The more overpasses the better. They couldn't build them fast enough for me. Tillicum, Mckenzie and Spencer on #1 and Sayward, Island View, Mount Newton and of course Beacon and Sidney. Build em all I say.

I actually think the mctavish one works well. It certainly was not the most pressing location in the CRD, but unfortunately politics do come into play with regards to infrastructure issues. With the airport overpass it has created a longish stretch without a traffic light, which is nice.

I'm all for overpasses as well. Just nothing like Mctavish, a simple Helmcken style overpass works very well and is much cheaper than that monstrosity.

If you are unfamiliar with it and there is a fair amount of traffic around, the signage comes at you too quickly to digest and before you realize you need the other lane you are either too late or trapped by traffic.

[Mike K.]

There were two accidents on HWY 17 during today's rush hour including one that may have resulted in a roll-over.

[G-Man]

^^ I really fail to understand the dislike and difficulty people have with the McTavish Interchange. It is perhaps the best one I have ever been on. North bound to airport there is a slight pause to enter the first roundabout then smooth another slight pause for second roundabout and then straight through. No lane changes required.

[Sparky]

I agree G-Man

Now that I am used to it....I consider it to be a marvel of engineering.

Gordon Denford should get an award for having the construction documents in his breast pocket within an easy reach when the federal government called for "shovel ready" project funding.

All of the other authorities having jurisdiction should take note......be prepared.

[Bingo]

^^ I really fail to understand the dislike and difficulty people have with the McTavish Interchange. It is perhaps the best one I have ever been on. North bound to airport there is a slight pause to enter the first roundabout then smooth another slight pause for second roundabout and then straight through. No lane changes required.

It's a great U-Turn route if you forget your toothbrush on your way to catch a ferry.

[G-Man]

^ha I bet it is. Never thought about trying that. Sounds like fun!

[sebberry]

There were two accidents on HWY 17 during today's rush hour including one that may have resulted in a roll-over.

I think one of them was the driver swerving to avoid a deer. Didn't hear about the other one.

It's a great U-Turn route if you forget your toothbrush on your way to catch a ferry.

You mean you don't buy one of those BC Ferries branded toothbrushes from the gift shop every time you ride the big white boat?

[LJ]

^^ I really fail to understand the dislike and difficulty people have with the McTavish Interchange. It is perhaps the best one I have ever been on. North bound to airport there is a slight pause to enter the first roundabout then smooth another slight pause for second roundabout and then straight through. No lane changes required.

Well I have only used it twice and from different directions both times. Last time I was on my motorcycle coming down Mctavish and at the last minute decided I would go over to Lochside to head south. Didn't make it, I was trapped in the wrong lane while looking at the signage trying to decide which lane I needed.

When building these things engineers should assume that everyone is unfamiliar with the layout and make it as understandable as possible and give you enough time to digest the information and make your choices before you arrive at the decision point. Perhaps colour coding the roadways like hospital corridors would help. I have driven all over the US road systems in some of the busiest areas of the country and have never encountered problems understanding how to follow a particular overpass to get to where I want to go.

[G-Man]

^ I certainly haven't tried to make that move but if your in the wrong lane you can always go around again:

iAgX6qlJEMc

[Bernard]

I was looking at that photo of the Mactavish Road thing and it struck me how large it is, my quick estimate is that there was an increase of 8 to 10 acres of land being used for the interchange than before. That is a lot of land

[LJ]

^ I certainly haven't tried to make that move but if your in the wrong lane you can always go around again:

iAgX6qlJEMc

Well not really in this case. I wound up going on to the highway southbound and there is nothing to go around on.

[phx]

I was looking at that photo of the Mactavish Road thing and it struck me how large it is, my quick estimate is that there was an increase of 8 to 10 acres of land being used for the interchange than before. That is a lot of land

Yah, they should have built a cloverleaf and be done with it.

[D.L.]

Are you kidding? A cloverleaf interchange would use up way more land. Plus, this is a road intersecting with a highway, not two highways intersecting.

[Bernard]

The total space taken up by various interchanges - through highway factored out
Veteran's Memorial Parkway - 7.0 ha
Mackenzie and Hwy #17 - 5.7 ha - a lot of that is green space
Helmcken interchange - 4.5 ha - if it has been made narrower it would only have needed 2.5 to 3.0 ha
Airport interchange - 4.0 ha - 1.2 ha is connected to the park and ride
McDonald Park and Hwy #17 - 3.2 ha - 1.7 ha in green space
Royal Oak - 3.0 ha
Spencer Road - 3.0 ha

If the airport interchange had been built like the Royal Oak one it could have been done on 3.0 ha with the park and ride. It takes up more space than it needs and it is designed in such a way that if there ever is higher levels of traffic to the airport the interchange will clog up

[ZGsta]

it is designed in such a way that if there ever is higher levels of traffic to the airport the interchange will clog up

How do you know that? I think you're totally wrong about that.
Wasn't it designed for the express purpose of accommodating increasing traffic to and from the airport. Certainty the road there before the interchange was starting to back up pretty badly at some times of day, which doesn't happen now.

[phx]

Are you kidding? A cloverleaf interchange would use up way more land.

Cloverleafs don't always need a large space; it depends how big the leafs are.

Plus, this is a road intersecting with a highway, not two highways intersecting.

There isn't sufficient traffic now to justify a cloverleaf, but that area could develop significantly over the coming years. It's not hard to imagine needing a cloverleaf or other medium-capacity interchange at that location.

[phx]

How do you know that? I think you're totally wrong about that.

Bernard is right. Round-abouts fail miserably when congested.

The problem is that traffic in the round-about has right-of-way over traffic wanting to enter. If there is congestion, some entrances can be blocked indefinitely.

[D.L.]

Ever seen traffic lights at a roundabout?