Ontario's first diverging diamond interchange opens. Here's how it works
Ontario's first-ever diverging diamond interchange opens to drivers Monday morning, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed.
The new interchange, located at Glendale Avenue and the Queen Elizabeth Highway (QEW) in Niagara, will open to drivers on the morning of Sept. 26.
According to the Ministry of Transportation, the interchange has been installed to reduce gridlock and improve traffic flow for motorists getting on and off the QEW at Glendale Avenue.
It is supposed to accomplish this by reconfiguring traffic lanes to allow for direct access to all four directional highway ramps.
The diverging diamond interchange eliminates the need for motorists to make any left-hand turns when entering or exiting the highway by using a series of interconnected crossover lanes controlled by traffic lights and highway signage.
The Queen Elizabeth Way and Glendale Avenue in Niagara, Ont. (CTV News Toronto)
"A diverging diamond interchange provides easier access and flow for traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians,” the ministry said in a statement to CTV News Toronto earlier this month.
"This interchange design will reduce the number of vehicle conflict points and allow unrestricted access to the QEW."
(CTV News Toronto)
While diverging diamond interchanges will be new to drivers in Ontario, they have been used in other places, like the U.S., for years. There are currently two diverging diamond interchanges in Canada, one in Calgary and the other in Regina.
The Ontario government held an in-person public education session to learn "how to navigate" the new interchange.
At that time, an animated drive-through video was released showing how Ontario's interchange works.
(CTV News Toronto)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.