Comments on: Ramp closures at 417 and St. Laurent Blvd http://www.stopthebridge.org/2009/01/ramp-closures-at-417-and-st-laurent-blvd/ No to Kettle Island. Yes to Healthy Communities. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:46:48 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John Grant http://www.stopthebridge.org/2009/01/ramp-closures-at-417-and-st-laurent-blvd/comment-page-1/#comment-2479 John Grant Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:23:11 +0000 http://www.stopthebridge.org/?p=740#comment-2479 I find it most curious that the current plan for a Kettle Island/Aviation Pkwy. trucking corridor also calls for the closure of the Hwy 417 westbound exit ramp to St. Laurent Blvd. as well as the St. Laurent Blvd. entrance onto eastbound Hwy 417*. I can only assume that the volume of traffic going to and from a new bridge in this location has been deemed significant enough to cause major traffic flow problems if these access ramps are left operational. Given that the Federal Government has just placed a bid on a large tract of vacant land at St. Laurent Blvd. and Hwy 417**, with the purported aim of constructing a new federal government office complex, and there will be no access to or from this complex from the east end of Ottawa using Hwy 417, I have to wonder how, with the exception of transitway users, federal government employees who live in Orleans/Cumberland/Rockland etc. and rely on Hwy 417 to commute to work, are supposed to drive to this new complex? It seems to me the government and NCC planners involved in these projects aren't doing the best job of communicating their needs to each other. This just goes to show that the overall transportation needs of the city must be considered as a whole, not as individual projects that might conflict with each other. * Roche/NCE Interprovincial Crossing Environmental Assessment (http://www.ncrcrossings.ca/en/2006-029%20kettle%20EN%20-%203.pdf) ** "Public Works makes land bid" The Ottawa Citizen January 27, 2009 (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Homes/Public+Works+makes+land/1220595/story.html) I find it most curious that the current plan for a Kettle Island/Aviation Pkwy. trucking corridor also calls for the closure of the Hwy 417 westbound exit ramp to St. Laurent Blvd. as well as the St. Laurent Blvd. entrance onto eastbound Hwy 417*. I can only assume that the volume of traffic going to and from a new bridge in this location has been deemed significant enough to cause major traffic flow problems if these access ramps are left operational.

Given that the Federal Government has just placed a bid on a large tract of vacant land at St. Laurent Blvd. and Hwy 417**, with the purported aim of constructing a new federal government office complex, and there will be no access to or from this complex from the east end of Ottawa using Hwy 417, I have to wonder how, with the exception of transitway users, federal government employees who live in Orleans/Cumberland/Rockland etc. and rely on Hwy 417 to commute to work, are supposed to drive to this new complex? It seems to me the government and NCC planners involved in these projects aren’t doing the best job of communicating their needs to each other.

This just goes to show that the overall transportation needs of the city must be considered as a whole, not as individual projects that might conflict with each other.

* Roche/NCE Interprovincial Crossing Environmental Assessment
(http://www.ncrcrossings.ca/en/2006-029%20kettle%20EN%20-%203.pdf)

** “Public Works makes land bid” The Ottawa Citizen January 27, 2009
(http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Homes/Public+Works+makes+land/1220595/story.html)

]]> By: John http://www.stopthebridge.org/2009/01/ramp-closures-at-417-and-st-laurent-blvd/comment-page-1/#comment-2112 John Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:36:43 +0000 http://www.stopthebridge.org/?p=740#comment-2112 Teresa, while most of the approved changes seem to be the same, the Aviation -> 417 Ramps are different than what was approved in the 417 East EA. The St. Laurent off-ramp from the East was open to 174 traffic only in the previous EA, but it looks like with the addition of traffic from the Parkway, they will likely close the St. Laurant ramp to traffic from the 174 as well (although detailed design has not been done). btw the City rejected the 174 widening to Rockland Teresa, while most of the approved changes seem to be the same, the Aviation -> 417 Ramps are different than what was approved in the 417 East EA. The St. Laurent off-ramp from the East was open to 174 traffic only in the previous EA, but it looks like with the addition of traffic from the Parkway, they will likely close the St. Laurant ramp to traffic from the 174 as well (although detailed design has not been done).

btw the City rejected the 174 widening to Rockland

]]> By: ccredico http://www.stopthebridge.org/2009/01/ramp-closures-at-417-and-st-laurent-blvd/comment-page-1/#comment-2101 ccredico Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:24:51 +0000 http://www.stopthebridge.org/?p=740#comment-2101 Thanks for the info. But we should also note that because of the isolated nature of this study, no transportation plans beyond those proposed within the study have been considered by the consultants. Costs for any changes or upgrades to highways or interchanges are loaded into each option independently. Therefore, as far as this study is concerned, changes to the 174 / 417 interchange are part of the Kettle Island proposal. Just as widening the 174 is part of the proposals for options further east, even though this is theoretically already planned by the province. Thanks for the info. But we should also note that because of the isolated nature of this study, no transportation plans beyond those proposed within the study have been considered by the consultants. Costs for any changes or upgrades to highways or interchanges are loaded into each option independently.

Therefore, as far as this study is concerned, changes to the 174 / 417 interchange are part of the Kettle Island proposal. Just as widening the 174 is part of the proposals for options further east, even though this is theoretically already planned by the province.

]]> By: Teresa http://www.stopthebridge.org/2009/01/ramp-closures-at-417-and-st-laurent-blvd/comment-page-1/#comment-2073 Teresa Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:27:38 +0000 http://www.stopthebridge.org/?p=740#comment-2073 The ramp closures are not part of the Kettle Island proposal; they were announced in Aug 2007; see this article in the Orleans Star: http://www.eastottawa.ca/article-130927-Plans-to-widen-417174-focus-on-alleviating-dangerous-sections.html. The ramp closures are not part of the Kettle Island proposal; they were announced in Aug 2007; see this article in the Orleans Star: http://www.eastottawa.ca/article-130927-Plans-to-widen-417174-focus-on-alleviating-dangerous-sections.html.

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