Arnprior to North Bay

How much and when?

The TransCanada HighwayOttawa - Pembroke - North Bay

5% of the National TransCanada

Prepared for:

Northerners Inc. andThe Working Forest Newspaper

Prepared by:

James R. Liddell March 2010

How much and when? A safe TransCanada from Ottawa (Arnprior) to North Bay

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September 2009. A transport near Marten River fills the 24 feet of pavement between rock cuts. Cars line up behind on the double yellow lines.

October 2009 Triple fatality on Hwy. 17 at Bissett's Creek, 48kms west of Deep River - Eganville Leader October


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August 2009. A head-on SUV collision near Cobden. 2 killed. - Eganville Leader

2003. Transport Canada report TP 14328E illustrates the safest road design. Adopted in 1960’s. See page 16

Table of Contents

A Safe Highway Vision___________________________________________ 4

Rail Line Reduction______________________________________________5

Highway Deaths Continue_________________________________________6

Map of TransCanada_____________________________________________8

Costing and Scheduling Methods____________________________________9

Arnprior to North Bay Analysis………………………………… ..…… 10

Map………………….........................................14

Appendix 1: MTO Project Information _________________________________15

Appendix 2: Transport Canada Roadway Safety Benchmark-study__________ 16

Appendix 3: European Vision Zero concept ____________________________ 18

Appendix 4: North American Superhighway ‘Inland Port System’____________19

Study participants_________________________________________________20


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Commissioned by Northerners Inc.The Working Forest newspaperwww.workingforest.com

March 2010

A VISION OF A SAFE HIGHWAY

ONLY 30 years, calculated to achieve a VISION of a national level route across Canada; Ottawa, North Bay, Thunder Bay and Manitoba, within the existing construction budget, is this project study.

A route from North Bay to Ottawa is an essential part of a national transCanada highway, and a safe transportation route across our country.

The North Bay-Pembroke-Ottawa route is over 300 kilometres long. A fraction of the highway, about 20%, has been made safe and efficient with 4 laning, from Ottawa to Arnprior, as Canada approaches its 150th birthday.

The remaining 275 kilometres, and 22 kilometres of urban highway from Arnprior to Mattawa and North Bay remains to be made into a safe, national level, lane-separated highway.


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http://www.workingforest.com/

Rail Line ReductionThe Canadian national railway was completed within a few years of confederation, yet there is no safe and efficient transCanada highway system. The rail system has crumbled. The role of the railway now is to carry very long loads a very long way, the only way that the rail system is able to maintain is cost structure. A few decades ago there were two rail lines CN and CP, from North Bay to Ottawa for both goods and passenger service. Now the last line faces extinction. The highway 17 communities may wish to follow the example of Newfoundland in the 1980’s when the rail line was removed, negotiating for a safe and efficient highway in place of the railway.


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HIGHWAY DEATHS CONTINUE

The deaths on highway 17 continue to shock everyone in the region. The weather conditions north of Deep River, the narrow winding route, and the huge amount of traffic force drivers to face oncoming risks every day.

Heavy rains in the summer and snow and ice conditions make this route a year round threat to life. The sections of high elevation and exposure of the Deep River to Mattawa route, and the distance from major maintenance locations increase the risk.

Daily commuting traffic is very, very high in the section of highway between Chalk River and Ottawa.

The Petawawa military base deserves transportation services of a much higher standard.


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The national Ottawa - Pembroke - North Bay trucking route is left to drivers who will assume the high risks when driving from the east coast to the west coast. Drivers who will not take the risks are forced to assume much higher time and distance costs through Toronto and highway 11, where risks are somewhat lower.

Safety and efficiency along the highway 17 route has increased in one section. Four laning is taking a single direction north, now at Arnprior where bridge construction is ongoing. Plans are being made by the government from Arnprior to Renfrew.

Progress must be made more quickly, particularly in the low cost-high traffic areas of Pembroke, Chalk River, and Mattawa to North Bay. The strategy of a single point construction is a poor construction strategy. In the Rockies and British Columbia, huge strides are being made to complete 4 laning in a much higher cost, and challenging route.

The low level construction cost of $600 million per year on this route would complete the entire route, between Arnprior and Mattawa-North Bay within 5 years.

The annual construction dollar rate was calculated in the first part of this safe highway, 4 laning study, North Bay to Manitoba. The rate of $600 million per year was calculated based on the annual spending budget of Northeastern Ontario. The rate is well within an annual Ministry of transportation budget.The entire route, Ottawa to North Bay to Thunder Bay to Manitoba can be achieve in less than 30 years at that low level construction funding rate.

The construction strategy is assessed with concurrent locations.


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Between Arnprior and Mattawa construction should be undertaken at the Renfrew, and Petawawa bridges, along with highway construction at Pembroke, Chalk River, and Mattawa to North Bay.

For a comparison in Ontario government spending; when our Ontario government can sign a single $7 billion dollar contract with an Asian nation for solar power, the comparison is very low level construction costs. The effect of a national highway and saving lives of our citizens in everyday work is much higher than the benefits of solar power.


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MAPS, COSTING and SCHEDULING METHODS

Using the on-line version of Natural Resources Canada Topographic Maps at 1:40,000 scale http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/mapand did some extra checking with Google Earth satellite pictures in areas where high resolution is available. Distances were estimated from the official Provincial Road Map.

Cost information was derived from the MTO website data given in “Construction Reports: Northern” which includes contract costs for all ongoing northern highway projects. Contacts for four-laning were broken down to cost per kilometre and averaged, giving a figure of $8.4 million per kilometre. Similarly, costs for major bridge replacements were averaged to give a cost of $13.8 million per structure. A cost of $0.9 million per kilometre for the urban sections was derived from rebuilding costs for 2-lane highways.


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http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map

Highway 17 from Arnprior to North Bay


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275 km

This section begins at Arnprior where significant highway improvements are being made. A $65 million contract is now beginning the 5 bridges for the future four laning. The end of the bypass around Arnprior, Division Street, is the beginning of this study. The total cost of this section is estimated to be $2, 710 million ($2.7 billion).

Arnprior to North Bay spans 275 km. beginning at Arnprior Division street north ending at the junction of highway 11 in North Bay. The city of North Bay four laning is in the plan and should commence 2012.

Construction schedulingThe 4-laning should be done simultaneously from North Bay to Arnprior and Arnprior to North Bay to reduce construction time. The high risk areas, which are low construction challenges; Chalk River area, Pembroke area, and Mattawa to North Bay should be commenced immediately.

The Bonnechere River Bridge is an obvious point of construction delay and cost. The budget of $13.8 is at least the cost. It is not doubled but should average out on smaller bridge costs. That is the largest bridge. The next largest is the Petawawa bridge.

Renfrew, Pembroke and Petawawa are now bypassed. Cobden, Calk River, Deep River, and Mattawa municipal areas are exempt from


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the calculations, because they cannot be bypassed or can the frontage be available.

There is some trickiness at Bisset Creek where the railway and river are very close but that is the challenge of being an engineer. The Mattawa municipal area (and Mattawa railway bridge) is exempt from the study.

Pembroke County roads and overpasses There are many county roads at Pembroke and some are very busy and some are not so busy, A new divided highway is not meant to be a limited highway; not a 400, limited access highway. Grade separation interchanges (overpass) are numerous. The obvious ones are the junction of highway 60 at Renfrew, and county road 20, Highway 41 at Pembroke. There are a number of entrances at the Pembroke and Petawawa municipality County road 35 Road Lake Road, County road 26, Doran Road and Paquette Road. Overpasses are classified as a highly safe design feature by Transport Canada and are advised where ever possible.

Cobden The junction of county road 8 is in the municipality of Cobden and not costed in this study. A new route is under consideration by MTO.

Mattawa to North Bay section Between Mattawa and North Bay, the Bonfield exit, Junction of highway 64 at Corbeil corners are candidates for overpasses.


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ARNPRIOR TO NORTH BAY

Section Length Treatment Unit Cost Total Cost

Arnprior to Hwy.60 (Renfrew) 27.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 226.8

1.0 Railway Bridge (S. of Mayhew) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway Bridge (W. of Mayhew) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

Hwy. 60 to Cobden 26.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 218.4

1.0 Bonnechere R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

Cobden Townsite 2.0 Widening, Turning Lanes $ 0.9 $ 1.8

Cobden to Hwy. 41 (Pembroke) 28.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 235.2

1.0 Railway Br. (Shields Crossing) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Snake R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Muskrat R. Bridge (I) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway Br. (Kathmae Siding) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Muskrat R. Bridge (II) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

Hwy. 41 to Chalk River 29.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 243.6

1.0 Indian R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway Br. (Hiam) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Petawawa R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway/Road Br. (CFB) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Chalk River Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

Chalk River Townsite 2.0 Widening, Turning Lanes $ 0.9 $ 1.8

Chalk River to Deep River 10.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 84.0

Deep River Townsite 5.0 Widening, Turning Lanes $ 0.9 $ 4.5

Deep River to Mattawa 105.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 882.0

1.0 Railway Br. (Heeney Creek) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway Br. (Bissett Creek) $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Deux Rivieres Cr. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Railway Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Aumond Cr. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

Mattawa Townsite 5.0 Widening, Turning Lanes $ 0.9 $ 4.5

Mattawa to Hwy.11 (North Bay) 60.0 Four-Laning $ 8.4 $ 504.0

1.0 Pautois Creek Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Amable du Fond R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Sharpe's Creek Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

1.0 Kaibuskong R. Bridge $ 13.8 $ 13.8

TOTAL COST $ 2,710.2


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Total Four-Laning (km.) 275.0Cost of 4-Laning $ 8.4 $ 2,310.0

Total Urban Roads (km.) 14.0Cost of Urban Roads $ 0.9 $ 12.6

Total Major Structures 22.0Cost of Major Structures $ 13.8 $ 303.6

Annual Expenditure 601.0Years to Complete 4.37


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Appendix One:MTO Project Information for 2005-2009 contracts

Cost information was derived from the MTO website data given in “Construction Reports: Northern” which includes contract costs for all ongoing northern highway projects. Contacts for four-laning were broken down to cost per kilometre and averaged, giving a figure of $8.4 million per kilometre. Similarly, costs for major bridge replacements were averaged to give a cost of $13.8 million per structure. A cost of $0.9 million per kilometre for the urban sections was derived from rebuilding costs for 2-lane highways.

MTO Project Information

Contract # Description Value Length Unit Cost 2008-5129 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $19,381,478.00 12.0 $1,615,123.17 2008-5113 Hwy 11 4-Laning $81,578,835.00 10.6 $7,696,116.51 2007-5189 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $35,476,860.00 4.6 $7,712,360.87 2007-5188 Hwy 11 4-Laning $24,570,443.00 1.2 $20,475,369.17 2007-5181 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $59,948,627.00 5.0 $11,989,725.40 2006-5156 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $64,469,347.00 6.1 $10,568,745.41 2006-5151 Hwy 11 4-Laning $75,295,000.00 4.0 $18,823,750.00 2006-5150 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $72,002,086.00 8.8 $8,182,055.23 2005-5009 Hwy. 69 4-Laning $60,462,087.00 6.3 $9,597,156.67 4-Laning Totals/Average $493,184,763.00 58.6 $8,416,122.24 2008-5135 Opasatika R. Bridge $10,729,005.00 1.0 $10,729,005.00 2008-5118 Mindemoya Bridge $6,643,075.00 1.0 $6,643,075.00 2008-5001 Vernon Lk. Narrows Br. $21,087,040.00 1.0 $21,087,040.00 2007-5105 Pagwachuan R. Bridge $16,363,515.00 1.0 $16,363,515.00 2007-5104 Kabinakagami R. Bridge $14,620,895.00 1.0 $14,620,895.00 Bridge Replacement Tot./Avg. $69,443,530.00 5.0 $13,888,706.00


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Appendix Two:Safety Standards - Transport Canada

In 2003, Transport Canada commissioned a study by experts to identify safety design countermeasures for Canadian highways.

In this report of the 41 engineering countermeasures divided highways was highest priority scoring 67 out of a possible 78 points. Next were overpasses at 58 points out of 78.

www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14328/pdf/tp14328e.pdf

ROADWAY SAFETY BENCHMARKS OVER TIMETP 14328 E Prepared for: Transport CanadaRoad Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation DirectoratePrepared by:Hamilton Associates Sany R. Zein, M.Eng., P.Eng., V P,TransportationIn association with:Montufar and Associates Jeannette Montufar, Ph.D., P.Eng. Principal March 2003

3.1 Divided Highways These are highways where opposing traffic lanes are separated by grass or a raised median strip, or a barrier. The construction of the United States Interstate system in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s introduced the widespread application of divided highways. By the mid 1960s, it was recognized that despite their higher operating speeds, divided highways (both freeways and highways) represented the safest form of roadway, particularly in rural contexts. The literature describes the advantages of divided highways versus undivided highways in terms of improved safety.

• BTS (2002) produces collision rates by roadway type as part of theannual publication on national transportation statistics. This publicationshows that in 2000, the fatality rate for rural interstates (these are allin association with divided highways) was 1.19 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles. For other rural arterials (most of these are undivided highways), the rate was 2.12 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles.

• Montufar (2002) conducted a study of heavy truck collisions in theCanadian prairie region. The study considered all reported heavy truckcollisions between 1993 and 1998 on provincial highways and in urbanareas. From the rate analysis, the research found that the heavy truckcollision rate on undivided provincial highways in the region is about 12percent higher than on divided highways.Transport Canada (cont’d)


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• Huang et al. (2001) conducted a study of fatal and injury collisions inNorth Carolina between 1993 and 1997. One of the findings was that inrural settings, multilane undivided (non-freeway) highways have acollision rate 68 percent higher than multilane divided (non-freeway)highways.

• Using information from California, Michigan, North Carolina, andWashington, Council and Stewart (1999) found that conversions fromtwo-lane undivided to four-lane divided highways result in significantsafety benefits. Going from a typical two-lane undivided road to atypical four-lane divided road results in an collision per kilometerreduction of between 40 and 60 percent.

• Liu and Leeming (1996) conducted an extensive study in the UnitedKingdom about the statistical variations in heavy truck collision ratesinvolving combinations of road and traffic characteristics. They foundthat in general, the injury heavy truck collision rate on undivided roadsis two times that on divided roads.

Summary:Divided highways are significantly safer than undivided highways.The benefits of divided highways are emphasized in rural areas. Collision rate reductions of up to 60 percent can be expected when converting undivided roads into divided roads


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Appendix Three:

In 1997, the Swedish Parliament

adopted the “Vision Zero” program

www.vv.se

Sweden’s long-term road safety goal is that there should be no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic. This goal was ratified by the Swedish Parliament in 1997 and is based on the “Vision Zero” program. Sweden is already among those countries with the lowest number of traffic fatalities in relation to its population.

Swedish road safety work is based on a refusal to accept human death or lifelong suffering as a result of road traffic. Sweden is already among those countries with the lowest number of traffic fatalities in relation to its population. This is not enough, however. Swedish road safety work is based on a refusal to accept human death or lifelong suffering as a result of road traffic.

European Union Issue 11-Transport

The tendency to blame the victim is unique for road traffic and not found in other areas such as occupational safety, where the employee who is injured only have part of the responsibility. With this background the following principle for responsibility have been taken *the designers of the system are always ultimately responsible for the design, operation and use of the road transport system, and are therefore responsible for the level of safety within the entire system…..


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http://www.vv.se/

Appendix 4:

North American Superhighway ‘Inland Support System’ There are several medium sized cities in Canada vying to become the next great shipping hub, including Edmonton and Regina. But it’s Winnipeg that’s furthest along. In September 2008, the Manitoba government introduced the CentrePort Canada Act in an effort to support private-sector investment and growth of the inland port vision in Winnipeg. The city has a cart-and-horse sort of problem, though. It needs private-sector investment to continue putting the infrastructure in place, but it’s the already established

infrastructure that will in part lure the private sector to Manitoba’s capital. “To say we’re not an inland port now is not accurate; to say we have some gaps and spaces to fill would be accurate;’ notes Greg Dandewich, chairman of North American Inland Port Network and director of Economic Development Destination Winnipeg. “It’s not a five-year project; it’s a 50-year project. We have to advance it in a way to meet future challenges.” Inland ports are littered throughout Europe and according to Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue there’s probably not enough business to go around. “In North America it’s the opposite and they don’t make themselves visible enough;’ explains Rodrigue, associate professor of global studies and geography at Hofstra University. There are a number of factors, however, working in Winnipeg’s favor

and many are homegrown. The land put aside for CentrePort’s development spans 20,000 acres and sits adjacent to a 24-hour airport. Plus, the global shift to container freight also bodes well for The ‘Peg. Both CN Rail and CP Rail maintain extensive marshalling yards with major service facilities, including intermodal container terminals and the province has more than 1,000 for-hire trucking companies that operate either interprovincially or internationally. Even some traditional bulk goods like coffee are making the shift to containers- to the tune of about 99 percent. The biggest impediment to growth, however, is maritime shippers’ known unwillingness to send containers deep into the continent. Not only is it expensive to ship an empty container back, it’s been historically difficult to get them back in a timely fashion. As Dr. Rodrigue points out, an inland port needs efficient repositioning, cargo rotation, and an export market to truly be efficient. There’s also the option of offering cheap storage rates, something the coastal ports can’t afford to do. Regardless, involvement from maritime shippers is essential to any inland port’s success. “You could provide ample dwell time here;’ says Rodrigue. “Right now there is too much storage at the gateways.

Infrastructure can be built anywhere, you have to have value-added service from the community. Today’s Trucking May 2009

Study Participants


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Judy Skidmore of Callander ON has undertaken many development projects, this being the second transCanada highway study. Her newspaper, The Working Forest newspaper through its charitable centre, Northerners Inc., has commissioned this study to respond to the long standing questioning of the possible, of how much does it cost and how long does it take to improve the centre of the transCanada highway, across Ontario. Judy’s background in hydro electic development, forestry, transportation and communications is founded from her family history of nearly 100 years in logging

and sawmilling in Cochrane Ontario.

James R. Liddell of North Bay, ON, graduated University of Strathclyde, Scotland in 1966, and has over 20 years of management experience in operations (production, maintenance, human resources, quality control, planning and budgets, cost control, etc.) and in project development (financing, engineering, procurement, permitting, construction, commissioning and start-up, as mill manager at Smooth Rock Falls with Abitibi-Price; Vice-President and Manager of the 40 MW gas turbine/waste heat Iroquois Falls, ON. Also projects in Thunder Bay and all across Ontario. Jim undertook this

commission which easily fell within his intimate knowledge of Northern Ontario and its transCanada highway development requirements, both for the communities and for the industries.

R.G.T. Clouthier Construction Limited was incorporated under the laws of Ontario in 1982. A family owned and operated company, R.G.T. Clouthier Construction started as a small clearing, grubbing, and demolition contractor in the Pembroke area. The firm has since grown to become one of the largest heavy civil contractors in the Ottawa Valley. R.G.T.

Clouthier Construction has a proven record of delivering high quality projects within budget for it's clients. R.G.T. Clouthier Construction's team of professionals collectively provide over 200 years of experience in the construction field. This team of dedicated employees has ensured that high quality projects are completed on time and within budget.


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Arnprior to North Bay

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