Red Hill Valley Parkway

The Red Hill Valley Parkway (popularly called the Red Hill Creek Expressway) is a municipal expressway running through Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, connecting the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway to the Queen Elizabeth Way near Hamilton Harbour. It is a four-lane freeway (four plus a truck climbing lane on the escarpment crossing section) that unofficially opened on November 3, 2007. The opening was accompanied by the Road to Hope race run by 150 people. The parkway was officially originally scheduled to be opened to vehicular traffic on November 16, 2007 but the date was pushed back a day and officially opened November 17, 2007.

Opponents criticized the potential environmental damage of the project and questioned the economic viability of highway building in the face of declining oil production; while asserting that the chief beneficiaries of the expressway will be long-distance truckers, and land developers on the Hamilton Mountain. Opponents also take issue with the city spending $220 million to build the expressway. [ [http://www.hwcn.org/~forhv/expressway/expresswaytitlepage.htm Friends of Red Hill Valley] ] Supporters of the expressway highlighted the possible transportation and economic benefits to the city. Proponents also assert that care is being taken to ensure that the Red Hill Valley will be preserved and environmentally improved from its current situation. The speed on the freeway on the most part is 90km/h.

The freeway, combined with the existing Lincoln Alexander Parkway, completes an express bypass south of Hamilton's urban core. Supporters had argued that the highway was the only viable alternative to the congested roads of Highway 403 and QEW Burlington Skyway Bridge, and that completing the Parkway would divert the growing truck traffic off city streets in southern and eastern Hamilton. In particular, the 1990s reconstruction of the Freeman Interchange (QEW-403-407) resulted in a low capacity loop ramp for QEW Toronto-bound to 403 westbound traffic, increasing the need for a bypass of this junction altogether. In addition to connecting to the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, there are plans to extend the Red Hill Valley Parkway to the proposed Mid-Peninsula Highway further south. [ [https://ospace.scholarsportal.info/bitstream/1873/7958/1/10296146.pdf Niagara Peninsula Needs Assessment Study] , Pages 13 and 19] The interchange with the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and Mud Street and Stone Church Rd has been designed to allow the Red Hill Creek Parkway to be extended south with little modification. [ [http://maps.google.ca/?ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=43.195259,-79.813228&spn=0.009777,0.014184&t=k&om=1 Google Map] ]

The Red Hill Valley Parkway's construction was a contentious political issue during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. It was strongly backed by the provincial governments of Bill Davis and David Peterson. In 1990, citing environmental concerns, the newly-elected administration of Bob Rae withdrew their financial commitment for the expressway project, which prompted a lawsuit from the regional council. [ [http://www.hwcn.org/link/forhv/expressway/projecthistory.htm Friends of Red Hill Valley - Project History] ] Late in his term, Rae proposed a more limited construction along the Red Hill Valley route. His plan to widen existing arterial connections was rejected by Council as insufficient and "too slow" due to traffic signals and stop signs. The succeeding government of Mike Harris restored funding support to a more comprehensive plan.

Lane configurations from north to south

Interchanges

Roads that are parallel with Red Hill Valley Parkway

"Note: Listing of streets from West to East."
*Gage Avenue, North, South
*Ottawa Street, North, South
*Kenilworth Avenue, North, South
*Cochrane Road
*Parkdale Avenue, North, South
*Red Hill Valley Parkway
*Nash Road, North, South
*Woodward Avenue
*Centennial Parkway, North, South
*Lake Avenue, North, Drive
*Gray Road
*Green Road
*Dewitt Road

Other Freeways in Hamilton

Municipal

*Burlington Street
*Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway

Provincial

*
*
*

References

External links

* [http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=43.22144,-79.798679&spn=0.059294,0.160675&t=h&z=13&om=1 View of the construction area in Google Satellite Maps]
* [http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/CityandGovernment/ProjectsInitiatives/RedHill/ The Red Hill Valley Project, City of Hamilton]
* [http://www.hwcn.org/~forhv/ Friends of Red Hill Valley] , a WebSite against the expressway.
* [http://www.escarpment.org/ Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) Official web site]
* [http://onthighways.com/Hamilton/RHVP_Cons.htm Red Hill Valley Parkway picture gallery, from onthighways.com]