Between 2011 and 2016, Highway 7/8 is being widened from four to six lanes throughout the construction area. The contract includes the replacement or extension of various highway underpasses, the rehabilitation of the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass, as well as highway operational improvements such as high-mast lighting, a tall-wall median barrier as well as signage and ramp improvements.
Construction Schedule:
2012: Replacement of the Westmount Road underpasses, rehabilitation of the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass, as well as Fischer-Hallman Road interchange improvements.
2013: Replacement of the eastbound Courtland Avenue underpass, extension of the CPR spur underpass, and construction of the eastbound ION light rail underpass
2014: Replacement of the westbound Courtland Avenue underpass, extension of the CPR spur underpass, and construction of the westbound ION light rail underpass
2015: Replacement of both the Homer Watson Blvd and Ottawa Street underpasses
2016: Application of final asphalt wearing surface and project completion.
Additional details are available here
| Photos Taken July 24th, 2013 | |||
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| Westerly view from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. Median widening has been completed in order to add additional lanes. | Signage for the north to eastbound ramp. This ramp was constructed during 2012. Before hand, traffic bound for Highway 7/8 East had to turn left to enter the freeway. | View looking easterly overtop of the median of Highway 7/8 from the Fisher-Hallman Road overpass. | The eastbound on-ramp from Fisher-Hallman Road has been constructed with retaining walls in order to minimize the ramp's footprint. |
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| Westerly view towards the Courtland Avenue interchange from the pedestrian bridge. | Additional westbound view, overtop of the westbound lanes from the pedestrian bridge. All traffic was shifted onto the westbound lanes to reconstruct the eastbound lanes of the highway. | ||
| Photos Taken May 11th, 2014 | |||
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| Southerly view along Homer Watson Boulevard towards the Conestoga Parkway structure. | Northerly view along Homer Watson Boulevard towards the Conestoga Parkway structure. This structure will be demolished during the 2015 construction season. | This view looks northerly along Ottawa Street towards the Highway 7/8 (Conestoga Parkway) overpass. This overpass will also be replaced during the 2015 construction season. | Southerly view along Ottawa Street towards the Conestoga Parkway overpass. |
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| Easterly view across the bridge deck of the CPR underpass. | Northern view looking through the CP Rail underpass between Ottawa Street and Courtland Avenue. This underpass was extended during the 2013 construction season. | View of the partially completed Ion Light Rail grade separation adjacent to the CP Rail spur structure. | Southerly view through the CP Rail spur structure. The westbound side of this structure had not been widened yet when this photo and still maintained its 1968 facade. |
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| Because the footprint of the freeway has been widened, retaining walls were constructed from Ottawa Street to Courtland Avenue. | Northeasterly view of the 2013 constructed Courtland Avenue grade separation. | Northwesterly view towards the Courtland Avenue grade separation. | View underneath the Courtland Avenue grade separation. The 1960s era westbound structure is visible at left, with the 2013 structure at right. |
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| This view looks south-easterly towards the 1960's era westbound structure. This structure was demolished and replaced during the 2014 construction season. | Southerly view towards the Courtland Avenue structure. This structure was completed in 1968. | ||
| Photos Taken October 9th, 2014 | |||
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| Eastbound advanced signage for the off-ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road. | View at the eastbound off-ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road. | Looking westerly from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | Centralized view of Highway 7/8 from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. |
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| Another westerly view from Fischer-Hallman Road. The westbound off-ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road has a long tangential speed change lane between the freeway bullnose and loop segment. | Easterly view from the Fischer Hallman Road overtop of the westbound lanes. | Centralized view looking easterly from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | Easterly view towards the new northbound to eastbound ramp from Fischer-Hallman Road. |
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| Northerly view towards the Highway 7/8 grade separation along Westmount Road. | Southerly view along Westmount Road. The clear sound barriers that have been placed along the Westmount Road structure greatly enhance to aesthetics of the freeway corridor. | ||
| Photos Taken July 3rd, 2015 | |||
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| Westbound view from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | View overtop of the westbound lanes from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. The third westbound lane will end ahead. | Centralized view from the Fischer-Hallman overpass, looking east. The on-ramp from Fischer-Hallman Road South will continue as the third eastbound lane when construction is complete. | View looking easterly overtop of the westbound lanes from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. |
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| An overhead variable message sign has been erected over the eastbound lanes east of the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | Westerly view from the Carlin Avenue pedestrian overpass. | Construction to widen the platform of Highway 7/8 west of the Carlin Avenue pedestrian overpass has been completed. | Easterly view along Highway 7/8 from the Carlin Avenue pedestrian overpass. |
| Photos Taken May 13, 2016 | |||
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| Eastbound advanced signage for the Fischer-Hallman Road interchange. | Signage at the eastbound off-ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road. | View looking westerly overtop of the eastbound lanes from the Fischer-Hallman Road interchange. | Centralized view looking westerly from the Fischer-Hallman Road interchange. |
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| View looking westerly at the westbound lanes of Highway 7/8 from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | Easterly view from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | View looking easterly overtop of the westbound lanes of Highway 7/8 from the Fischer-Hallman Road overpass. | Easterly view of the COMPASS sign that stands east of the Fischer-Hallman Road interchange. |
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| Westbound signage for the ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road. The third westbound lane ends beyond this interchange. | Westbound advanced signage for the ramp to Fischer-Hallman Road. | Eastbound advanced signage for the Homer Watson Boulevard interchange. | Eastbound signage at the off-ramp to Homer Watson Boulevard. |
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| Westbound signage at the off-ramp to Homer Watson Boulevard. This off-ramp was recently widened to two lanes. | Westbound advanced signage for the off-ramp to Homer Watson Boulevard. | Eastbound advanced signage for the off-ramp to Courtland Avenue. | Eastbound view at the off-ramp to Courtland Avenue. |
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| Westbound signage at the off-ramp to Courtland Avenue. | Westerly view from the Carlin Avenue pedestrian overpass. | View looking westerly at the Carlin Avenue pedestrian bridge. | View looking westerly overtop of the westbound lanes from the Carlin Avenue pedestrian bridge. |
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| Easterly view from the Carlin Avenue pedestrian bridge. | Eastbound advanced signage at the off-ramp to Highway 8. | Signage at the eastbound off-ramp to Highway 8. | View looking easterly beneath the K/W flyover ramp. |
