Raise the Hammer

Gridlock is all traffic being at a stand still for hours. Having one lane obstructed isn't gridlock. Taking 3 hours to get to a destination that ought to take 20 minutes is gridlock. Not moving in a car for 15 or more minutes is gridlock. It happens in Hamilton far too often & for some strange reasons. Every time a serious accident happens on the 403, or hwy. 6, or on the Link, Hamilton experiences actual gridlock, & this happens more than several times a year. I know. I have experienced it for nearly 16 years. The November sleet storm had all of Hamilton, from core to burbs gridlocked. I sat at Main & Dundurn for over 25 minutes waiting for cars stuck in the intersection to move out of the intersection, but more just kept filling in the gaps. It had taken me 1 1/2 hours to get there. (it would normally take about 20 minutes)

The problem is that the 403 goes right through the heart of Hamilton, & then it crosses the outskirts several times. When it is closed, all traffic that would be on it, is..dare I say..Gridlocked onto all of the streets near it. If traffic is at a standstill from Ancaster to Stoney Creek, & through the core of Hamilton, then YES! This is gridlock. Last Summer, all GHA 403 exits remained closed from about 2 p.m. until well after 8:30 p.m. because of an early afternoon accident on Hwy 6 South. WHY? When I called the OPP to ask what had happened, the police were at a loss to explain to me why private citizens had placed barricades at the Garner Rd. entrance & exit ramps to the 403. Garner Rd/Rymal Rd was blocked as far as Stoney Creek. There was no way in or out of the GHA. I saw 2 accidents happen on Garner because of people becoming impatient. Police & ambulances had a difficult time getting to the scenes of these accidents.

The problem is the 403 & other hyw's & how accidents are handled. If an accident happens, why is the entire hwy system closed from one end of the GHA to the other? Block some entrances, or exits as need be to investigate & clean up, but why block any possible escape route for rush hour traffic? We do have gridlock, but not because of lane closures.