Highway 1 open house

[GordonH]

I agree that the TCH should have been 4-lanes long ago, but going the route I suggested might add a few kms. to the highway between Chase and Revelstoke, but the time saved would be well worth it.

Here is a link to Seymour Arm via google maps: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Seymou ... 68!5m1!1e4

Took a quick look via terrain view, it looks like some rough terrain from north end of Seymour Arm over to Trans-Canada. Mountain ranges are north/south no obvious valleys.

[Cactusflower]

I agree that the TCH should have been 4-lanes long ago, but going the route I suggested might add a few kms. to the highway between Chase and Revelstoke, but the time saved would be well worth it.

Here is a link to Seymour Arm via google maps: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Seymou ... 68!5m1!1e4

Took a quick look via terrain view, it looks like some rough terrain from north end of Seymour Arm over to Trans-Canada. Mountain ranges are north/south no obvious valleys.

Zoom out and it looks like there are some east/west valleys there. I certainly don't claim to be a highway engineer, but if those guys could build a highway between Revelstoke and the BC/AB border, I'm sure that little piece of road we're talking about would be a piece of cake

[LordEd]

I certainly don't claim to be a highway engineer

. I'd love to see the cost estimates on your 5-bridge, double length "faster" highway"...

But I'm sure you 'feel' this route you want is better.

[alanjh595]

I would like to know, "How much faster would this route be?" AND at what cost?

[GordonH]

I would like to know, "How much faster would this route be?" AND at what cost?

Can't give you a price tag, since I have no idea.

I'm guessing, estimated distant of the route Cactusflower proposed to be about 150Km (currently the 2 points on Trans-Canada 104Km, extra 46Kms). According to a 4 lane highway by google it take about 1Hr & 25 minutes to do 150Kms (of course if one has a lead foot that could be reduce it... unless pulled over lol).

Added later: did this using google earth with path measure, going nearest valley heading east from north end of Seymour Arm.

[christopher]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/211615/Highway-1-open-house

I think they should by-pass Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, and Malakwa entirely.

I think engineering has started but I was thinking turtle valley from Chase too South of Salmon Arm then hook up with 97 using the existing TCH as one way west bound.

[Cactusflower]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/211615/Highway-1-open-house

I think they should by-pass Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, and Malakwa entirely.

I think engineering has started but I was thinking turtle valley from Chase too South of Salmon Arm then hook up with 97 using the existing TCH as one way west bound.

That might work too, but as you said, the engineering has already started and they've decided to just widen the existing highway. But it's fun to read other ideas anyway. The route I suggested was one a real estate agent ran by me about 15 years ago. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but I guess the government engineers didn't agree with him.

[alanjh595]

Is there information on the grade levels and inclines/declines? It's one thing to look at a flat map, it is entirely different to look at it in 3D.

[GordonH]

Is there information on the grade levels and inclines/declines? It's one thing to look at a flat map, it is entirely different to look at it in 3D.

From the Trans-Canada just north of Chase to north end of Seymour Arm I used current road.

Route I used is on the map below, it's a blind route since I don't know what challenges is faced within this route.
This is based on OP wanting to bypass

[alanjh595]

Is there information on the grade levels and inclines/declines? It's one thing to look at a flat map, it is entirely different to look at it in 3D.

From the Tans-Canada just north of Chase to north end of Seymour Arm I used current road.

Route I used is on the map below, it's a blind route since I don't know what challenges is faced within this route.
This is based on OP wanting to bypass

Route.jpg

I should have specified more clearly and meant to ask for what would the gradient changes be both ascending an descending in both directions and how many of them would there be? Since we have an NDP government today that is more than willing to pay for studies, this might be a good time to ask them to do that and get back to us with their results.

[Queen K]

I've driven from Anglemont to Seymour Arm twice. It's a long route, on a high gravel road which isn't necessarily dangerous but would be hell to turn into a major paved road with all that goes with a highway.

It goes right past Albas Falls Provincial Park.

Why is this a discussion again?

[GordonH]

I should have specified more clearly and meant to ask for what would the gradient changes be both ascending an descending in both directions and how many of them would there be? Since we have an NDP government today that is more than willing to pay for studies, this might be a good time to ask them to do that and get back to us with their results.

You can open google map using terrain & zoom in on the route and find the elevation changes for yourself.

[Cactusflower]

I've driven from Anglemont to Seymour Arm twice. It's a long route, on a high gravel road which isn't necessarily dangerous but would be hell to turn into a major paved road with all that goes with a highway.

It goes right past Albas Falls Provincial Park.

Why is this a discussion again?

Well, it all started with the news item in Castanet regarding the public open house concerning the 12K stretch of Hwy #1 near Chase. I started the discussion by suggesting that they re-route the highway to bypass Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Malakwa, as a certain real estate agent had suggested to me about 15 years ago. Naturally, that little idea ballooned into a lively Castanet discussion with the usual suspects doing their best to discredit yours truly, and others adding some challenging questions regarding the bypass route, or suggesting a different bypass route.

Anyway, it's been fun, and I think everyone can agree that Hwy #1 is a disgrace from west of Salmon Arm to Rogers Pass.

[LordEd]

discredit yours truly

There's no credit to discount.

[Omnitheo]

I love the discussion on proposed road changes.

I feel that there could be opportunity for some improvements to the area, unfortunately the map as GordonH presented shows the highway as going through a protected area, and seems to disregard the contour of the hills. There are some forest roads in the area already that do the same, however they are laden with switchbacks and thus the route for an expressway highway would likely need to be quite different. I could envision some pretty nice efficient routes in the area for the transcanada to take with the use of some bridges, but the cost would likely make that prohibitive. At least anytime in the next few decades.

I actually think this is a great idea for another thread, in discussing our own proposed bypasses or alternate routes. (I certainly have a few in mind)

As for the highway 1 widening near Chase, go for it. The road isn’t going through town at all.
Here are some of the proposals
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/tran ... e-mountain

I love this stuff.