Highway 401, through the Greater Toronto Area, is one of the busiest stretches of expressway in North America, with more than 400,000 vehicles per day. In 2003, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) investigated the possibility of closing the eastbound Highway 401 express lanes, between Kipling Avenue and Jane Street, for two weekends in 2004 to rehabilitate the road base. Such a closure would have previously been considered too risky in terms of the impact on traffic flow. However, the alternative construction schedule would involve approximately 70 overnight closures and an additional cost of $1.5 million. A micro-simulation model (VISSIM) was used to assist in the assessment of traffic impacts and the development of a traffic management strategy to keep traffic moving on the collector lanes through the work-zone area. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E211426.
Abstract