Ontario's first diverging diamond interchange is now fully open and it looks cool
It's all systems go for Ontario's very first diverging diamond interchange with the opening of a major on-ramp that will put drivers in the Niagara region straight on the path to Toronto.
The new QEW Toronto Bound on-ramp opened last week, according to the province's Ministry of Transportation.
"Ontario's first-ever Diverging Diamond Interchange at Glendale/QEW Niagara is now fully open," reads a tweet from the ministry. "The new design will make it easier for people to travel through the region, while improving safety for drivers."
A construction notice published Dec. 6 ahead of the opening explains that "the new QEW Toronto bound on-ramp will re-open in the permanent location" and that "the previous detour ramp via York Road to Airport Road will be permanently closed."
Ontario’s first-ever Diverging Diamond Interchange at Glendale/QEW Niagara is now fully open.
— Ontario Ministry of Transportation (@ONtransport) December 12, 2022
The new design will make it easier for people to travel through the region, while improving safety for drivers.
Watch the clip or see the full video at: https://t.co/nV4fOoa1uq pic.twitter.com/lYtOFz2hAO
While already accessible to the public as of September, the opening of the new on-ramp marks the completion of the project (save for some landscaping work in the spring and summer), which was undertaken in an effort to cut down on gridlock in the busy area.
Some drivers may still be leery of the unusual-looking interchange, but it's been working well in other cities around the world.
While only two of these strange roundabouts currently exist in Canada, many U.S. cities are starting to experiment with diverging diamonds. You can already find them in Missouri, New Mexico, Delaware, Virginia and even Calgary.
Officials have put together a comprehensive document for anyone who wants to learn more about how to use the interchange, though ample signage has been placed around the crossing.
