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Highway 69 Four Laning


revrnd

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When we were @ Grundy Lake there was some construction activity (logging right now) between the Hwy 69 & 522 junction & Key River. Not sure how this will affect TOP C & C105D in the future. In 2014, TOP C passed under Hwy 69 using the bridge over the CN tracks.

 

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/Industry-News/transportation/2015/06/Contractor-lands-railway,-bridge-building-contract.aspx

 

 

 

Contractor lands railway, bridge-building contract
By: Northern Ontario Business staff

Aecon Construction and Materials has been awarded a $19.4-million contract for a Highway 69-related project in the Henvey Inlet area.

The Toronto contractor will begin work shortly to realign 2.7 kilometres of CN railway tracks and build three new highway bridges at Highway 522 north of Henvey Inlet. The project will make room for an interchange at highways 69 and 522. Completion is anticipated in 2017.

The Highway 69 four-laning project between Sudbury and Parry Sound is categorized by Queen’s Park as the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history with spending of more than $130 billion over 10 years.

There are currently two major four-laning contracts underway on Highway 69 north of the French River, totalling 20 kilometres.

 

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Its a long story. right now is relocate the rr tracks, put in service roads, etc,  in the end we get a underpass for the groomer, part of the old rail bed and groom part of the existing highway that will be surplus property,

 

But that could change?

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  • 3 years later...

Bringing an old tread back to life.

 

Quote

Lots of blasting in the area around 69 & 522. Construction (hauling rock) the whole stretch north to French River Inn & the Hwy 607 intersection. 

 

Will there be any reroutes from last season on TOP C in this area?

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As of this moment I'm assuming the C trail through the construction area between Hartley Bay Rd and hwy 522 will be similar to last season. Until we meet with Aecom and the MTO in late November will we know for sure. 

Working on opening up the C trail from C105D down to the Key River for gas. This is important gas stop when going south and east towards Port Loring.

 

The MTO screwed us last season, now the club has to fix it at there expense.

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Will the Key River gas station remain open after twinning is completed? So many seem to close.  

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11 hours ago, Canuck said:

Will the Key River gas station remain open after twinning is completed? So many seem to close.  

I didnt notice any bridge construction at this point. At the Pickerel River a new steel span can be seen west of Smith's

 

The Pickerel River Motel looks to have had new siding installed. Google says it's closed.

 

At the French River, I think site prep' is taking shape just east of the current 69 truss bridge.

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  • 10 months later...

Heading north today & there is major work going on @ the French River. I'll post some pics later. North of the 69/607 intersection a culvert was constructed under the new grade (several feet higher than the existing highway) that appears to allow the passage of a groomer.

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New bridge construction at French River:

image.png.86e8c674d8bb5195836c3eaf7ecd58ba.png

 

The dark section on the extreme right is a steel span already in place:

image.png.1a95c8ee3dbcd5f8ff2ffd66ebf7b52c.png

 

Notice the size of pickup just south of the culvert:

image.png.f6cfa192a7617dccbcd2bb4ea266af8e.png

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 8/7/2019 at 8:42 PM, revrnd said:

 .... that appears to allow the passage of a groomer.

 

Interesting question for Club rep at the snowmobile show.

 

In the right conditions, staging out of Sudbury and heading out for a day trip into this area is wonderful. Then do the usual Sudbury loops on the other days.

 

(I know, Sledjunk - they don't groom to the Moonlight Inn or Chateau Guay hotels ...but if they did! LOL). That area's grooming pattern has been odd last couple of years. Two hotel map sponsors and Royal Dist down the street (also a sponsor) - and bone / soul crushing trails in the vicinity. We won't even take sleds off the trailer upon arrival until we hear from hotel residents/sledders. Much easier to just trailer to STP yard ..return at night).

 

Anyhow, glad that 400 extension is making the drive north safer.

 

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  • 6 months later...

 

At 4:00 you can see a northbound sled on the TOP C bridge.

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On 9/3/2019 at 8:27 PM, Canuck said:

 

Interesting question for Club rep at the snowmobile show.

 

In the right conditions, staging out of Sudbury and heading out for a day trip into this area is wonderful. Then do the usual Sudbury loops on the other days.

 

(I know, Sledjunk - they don't groom to the Moonlight Inn or Chateau Guay hotels ...but if they did! LOL). That area's grooming pattern has been odd last couple of years. Two hotel map sponsors and Royal Dist down the street (also a sponsor) - and bone / soul crushing trails in the vicinity. We won't even take sleds off the trailer upon arrival until we hear from hotel residents/sledders. Much easier to just trailer to STP yard ..return at night).

 

Anyhow, glad that 400 extension is making the drive north safer.

 

 

I know it might reduce the probability of head on crashes, but people will still drive too fast for the conditions...

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15 hours ago, revrnd said:

 

At 4:00 you can see a northbound sled on the TOP C bridge.

 

You know that you're a sledder when .... movement on a snowmobile trail (bridge) catches your eye LOL.

Good catch, great video.

Not up there in the summer, always light traffic in winter but imagine that the twinning will make a world of difference. 

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2 hours ago, Canuck said:

 

You know that you're a sledder when .... movement on a snowmobile trail (bridge) catches your eye LOL.

Good catch, great video.

Not up there in the summer, always light traffic in winter but imagine that the twinning will make a world of difference. 

One Nov' back around '04 or '06 I drove out to Duluth for the snowcross season opener. Hit a 10 mile stretch of 69 north of Parry Sound that badly needed plowing. It had snowed the night before. Following 2 truckers & listening to them on the CB. One of them commented that they had driven across a cornfield that was smoother. Not too far off the mark.

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image.png.5c9d6c3974821c1573b61cfedfaf6b6f.png

 

'Culverts' for TOP C @ the lower right?

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9 hours ago, revrnd said:

image.png.5c9d6c3974821c1573b61cfedfaf6b6f.png

 

'Culverts' for TOP C @ the lower right?

Really cool seeing this,  great to see the culverts, and 2 sleds heading south at 1:50.  Don't get up that way ever but did two trips 2 and  3 years ago.   Did see all the land clearing at that time.

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10 hours ago, revrnd said:

image.png.5c9d6c3974821c1573b61cfedfaf6b6f.png

 

'Culverts' for TOP C @ the lower right?

No the culverts are not for the C trail. The trail crosses the highway at Hartley Bay Rd and stays on the west side of the highway and continues across the French River Bridge.

The culverts north of Hartley Bay will be the trail crossing beneath the new highway. Aecom are telling us the winter of 2022 will be using the culverts north of Hartley Bay Road.

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14 hours ago, Kaz said:

No the culverts are not for the C trail. The trail crosses the highway at Hartley Bay Rd and stays on the west side of the highway and continues across the French River Bridge.

The culverts north of Hartley Bay will be the trail crossing beneath the new highway. Aecom are telling us the winter of 2022 will be using the culverts north of Hartley Bay Road.

 

Great information, Kaz. What a production (tunnel) compared to just skipping across the highway on a sled. 

 

I've 'put in' canoes at Hartley Bay- very scenic. I'd imagine that the rivers we canoed on (French, Pickerel) have too strong a current / don't freeze downstream for safe snowmobile passage. Beautiful, nonetheless.

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  • 9 months later...

I was up that way in October. It appears that there aren't any trail changes in the area of the 69/522 intersection (if the season resumes). C105D connects w/ TOP C east of Hwy 69 and then passes under the highway at the CN tracks.

 

This may change in the future as Hwy 69 is rerouted thru the area & CN has built a new alignment for their tracks.

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55 minutes ago, revrnd said:

I was up that way in October. It appears that there aren't any trail changes in the area of the 69/522 intersection (if the season resumes). C105D connects w/ TOP C east of Hwy 69 and then passes under the highway at the CN tracks.

 

This may change in the future as Hwy 69 is rerouted thru the area & CN has built a new alignment for their tracks.

Better look at a map closer.

C trail goes up near port loring now and follows c105d back to 69 to meet the old c trail..

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1 hour ago, Rich Saul said:

Better look at a map closer.

C trail goes up near port loring now and follows c105d back to 69 to meet the old c trail..

I guess I zoomed in too far! I haven't gotten any of this season's maps (even Dist' 2), so I hadn't really looked at the trails.

 

image.png.fac43b88b3fe7b10e0b63c10db9eea82.png

 

Oh my isn't that a nice development, is it permanent?

 

 

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On 1/29/2021 at 10:52 PM, revrnd said:

I guess I zoomed in too far! I haven't gotten any of this season's maps (even Dist' 2), so I hadn't really looked at the trails.

 

image.png.fac43b88b3fe7b10e0b63c10db9eea82.png

 

Oh my isn't that a nice development, is it permanent?

 

 

Yes it is permanent.Thank CP rail for that. However we have a trail off of C that will be ready next year that is much closer to C105d. Then the whole thing will change again when the 4 lane expansion comes across the Key river.

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1 minute ago, gtserider said:

Yes it is permanent.Thank CP rail for that. However we have a trail off of C that will be ready next year that is much closer to C105d. Then the whole thing will change again when the 4 lane expansion comes across the Key river.

Are you sure it's not CN? I know quite a few years ago a remote crossing on the CPR was closed & C105D crossed their tracks @ Pakesley (the Hwy 522 crassing) going forward. The CN's new alignment south of 522 & east of 69 (pluse the new route for the highway (you can see the new bridges from the overpass on the new CN tracks) is east of the current highway likely played a factor too.

 

Is the old 69 to be a service road south of 522 in the future? Maybe that bridge could be used (see C101D & Hwy 100 near Foleyet...)

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14 hours ago, revrnd said:

Are you sure it's not CN? I know quite a few years ago a remote crossing on the CPR was closed & C105D crossed their tracks @ Pakesley (the Hwy 522 crassing) going forward. The CN's new alignment south of 522 & east of 69 (pluse the new route for the highway (you can see the new bridges from the overpass on the new CN tracks) is east of the current highway likely played a factor too.

 

Is the old 69 to be a service road south of 522 in the future? Maybe that bridge could be used (see C101D & Hwy 100 near Foleyet...)

No it's CP. Cp and cn cross paths south of there.CP heads east fora bit then northward,while CN comes from the east a bit before taking it's journey NW through the new alignment. Not that it matters through this area as they trade tracks. Cp goes north CN south.I expect they do this because the limited sidings available for trains to pass.Never the less good to see cooperating.

We are hoping to use the old 69 corridor,But I am not going to be involved the way they are going.Completing date to Parry Sound is 2017,2020in writing from MTO. My estimate is 2030,that would make my involvement in organized volunteer snowmobiling at over 55 yrs. Time to throw away the oars and pull the boat to shore.

Cheers

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