Expanded Kensington Humboldt Parkway Tunnel to Include the Scajaquado Expressway past Agassiz Circle

 

 

We MUST suspend the current project as it now stands.  But not with a surrender but rather an extension, giving Buffalo what it really needs instead of a project that falls short by requiring a wasteful reconstruction at the now as proposed expressway tunnel's northern end, even better than simply extending some of the later excavation within the initial project.

 

First and foremost we must have a decision on how to address the buried Scajaquado Creek concrete culvert.

 

To have the expressway tunnel pass below is a waste as it requires nearly double the depth of the excavation.  And it is best that the expressway tunnel pass atop the underground creek.   With waterway regulations likeliest to preclude some underground spillway waterfalls for simply relocating the under the expressway and its downstream extension, this project requires an all new underground creek tunnel extending in both directions in order to maintain a continuous descending grade.  And as I wrote more recently, we now how new high heat rock excavation to deal with the underground rock that affects this project, along with its extension to include the Scajaquado- new excavation techniques capable of reducing such costs by 30 to 90 percent.  So lets not only extend the project, but improve upon what is already being proposed, with a somewhat deeper cut for more substantial trees, as well as with more fully using the corridor, perhaps by going back to the previous design that was not only deeper, but had a 4th lane in each direction southward to the Science Museum.

 

 

But how do we best configure the details to restore/reconstruct Humboldt Parkway?

 

 

 

 

First, do not saddle it with standard straight line access ramps, as such are incompatible.

 

And do not make it to require having Scajaquado Expressway (Route 198) to Route 33 traffic cross the surface.

Rather, give it such ramps that continue as cut and cover tunnel to turn away to portals nearby, and yes give it a full set of underground connections for 198/33 movements- yes, mandate a heating system to preclude ice.

During the latter part of 2023 I began some preliminary rough design work upon such ramps.

Firstly, eliminate the southbound off-ramp at Ferry Avenue, instead carrying its lane as a 4th southbound lane to the Best Street off-ramp.  And have a 4th northbound lane starting with the corresponding northbound on ramp.  We have the space within the existing corridor, so do NOT waste the potential capacity.

Second, we can add a 33 Kensington Expressway Tunnel northbound off ramp.

 

 

 

And lets have a cut and cover underground Scajaquado Expressway, with underground cut and cover tunnel ramps in both westbound and eastbound directions.

Yes, these are rough, preliminary sketches.

Has anyone else done such work?

I can't be the only person who has done this?

I certainly doubt that everyone is simply going along with the NONSENSE about either maintaining the expressway as is, let alone eliminate it with filling in its short trench that is being touted.