I come across a lot of content that I never publish because it never really becomes relevant but I found this on a blog from Windsor, Ontario that now seems relevant. Unfortunately I cannot now find the orginal poster otherwise I would reference their orginal concept from 2024.

1. Core design principle

From the CBSA plaza throat, you create two functionally separate systems:

• A limited-access “Trade Spine” for trucks that runs almost express from the plaza to the 401.
• A “Local & Car Corridor” that handles cars, buses, and neighbourhood access, with controlled, predictable interfaces to the truck spine.

Think of it as de-risking the freight flow while still giving cars flexibility.

2. Truck “Trade Spine” (plaza – 401)

• Dedicated truck-only connector: From the plaza exit, trucks enter a grade-separated, dual-carriageway connector (2–3 lanes each way) that bypasses local intersections as much as possible.
• Minimal conflict points: No direct driveways, no local turns. Any necessary crossings are handled with overpasses/underpasses and braided ramps where it interfaces with existing arterials.
• Direct 401 interface: At the 401, trucks merge into a collector–distributor system rather than directly into mainline lanes, giving space for weaving and lane selection without destabilising the 401 flow.
• Stacked or semi-depressed alignment where needed: In constrained urban segments, the truck spine can be slightly depressed with local streets bridging over it, reducing noise, emissions, and severance for residents.

Net effect: trucks experience something that feels like a short, controlled-access freeway from CBSA to the 401.

3. Car & local traffic corridor

• Cars split early from trucks: At or just downstream of the plaza throat, cars peel off to a parallel surface corridor (upgraded Huron Church–type alignment), with:
  • 2–3 lanes each way
  • signalised intersections for local access
  • turning pockets and protected phases
• Local access preserved here, not on the truck spine: All neighbourhood, commercial, and institutional access is concentrated on this corridor, not on the truck connector.
• Optional car-only 401 ramp pair: If volumes justify it, provide separate car ramps to/from the 401, so cars aren’t forced to share the truck merge zones.

Net effect: cars retain flexibility and access, but don’t contaminate the reliability of the freight corridor.

4. Interfaces and transitions

Key to making this work is where and how the two systems talk to each other:

• Interchange nodes: At 1–2 strategic points between plaza and 401, build compact interchanges where cars can move between the local corridor and the truck spine (for example, for mixed-use logistics sites), but keep these rare and controlled.
• Collector–distributor at 401: A C–D road on the 401 side handles:
  • truck on/off ramps from the trade spine
  • car on/off ramps from the local corridor This avoids short-weave chaos on the 401 mainline.
• ITS + dynamic lane management: Overhead gantries from plaza to 401 provide:
  • lane control (closures, incidents)
  • travel time estimates
  • diversion messaging (e.g., to Sarnia or Gordie Howe once open)

5. Neighbourhood and political optics

Because the plaza is private, the public value case has to be strong:

• Noise and air quality mitigation: Depressed or screened truck spine + noise walls + green buffers along residential edges.
• Local street reconnection: Where previous truck routes severed neighbourhoods, use the redesign to reconnect local grids over or under the truck spine.
• Safety narrative: “We are taking heavy trucks off local streets and school routes” is the core message.

6. Phasing without chaos

It would be staged it roughly like this:

1. Build new truck spine and 401 C–D system largely off-line from existing routes.
2. Shift trucks from current mixed corridor onto the new spine.
3. Rebuild the old truck route into the car/local corridor with calmer geometry and better crossings.

That way, you avoid a long period where everyone is equally miserable.

The post-plaza split (truck spine vs local corridor) is the only unavoidable disruption point

This is the one place where trucks and construction crews must occupy the same physical space.

Expected disruption:

• 4–8 weeks of heavy impact
  • lane narrowing
  • temporary signals
  • reduced speeds
• 3–6 months of moderate impact
  • alternating closures
  • night-time diversions
  • short detours for cars, not trucks

This is the “surgical” part of the project.

Technical Details of 4 key cross-sections from plaza to 401, with indicative dimensions and intent.

1. Urban truck spine – standard at-grade section

Use: Mid-corridor where right-of-way is tight but grade separation isn’t yet needed.

• Total ROW: ~50–60 m
• Configuration (centre – edge):
  • Median: 3–5 m concrete barrier + narrow paved strip (future ITS gantries, lighting)
  • Truck lanes (NB): 3 × 3.75 m
  • Right shoulder (NB): 2.5 m (breakdown, enforcement)
  • Truck lanes (SB): 3 × 3.75 m
  • Right shoulder (SB): 2.5 m
  • Edge treatment: 3–5 m verge, noise wall/landscape buffer to adjacent land uses

Design intent: Feels like a short urban freeway: no direct access, no driveways, no parking, no pedestrians. All crossings are via grade-separated structures.

2. Semi-depressed truck spine – neighbourhood interface

Use: Where you want to protect residential areas and reduce severance.

• Total ROW: ~60–70 m (wider due to cut slopes/retaining)
• Vertical: Truck spine depressed ~4–6 m below local ground
• Configuration (bottom of trench):
  • Median: 3 m barrier
  • Truck lanes (NB): 3 × 3.75 m
  • Right shoulder (NB): 2.5 m
  • Truck lanes (SB): 3 × 3.75 m
  • Right shoulder (SB): 2.5 m
• Above (ground level):
  • Local streets and active travel routes bridging over on short spans
  • 5–10 m landscaped berms between bridge abutments and nearest properties
  • Noise walls on top of berms where needed

Design intent: Trucks are visually and acoustically screened; neighbourhood grid is reconnected over the corridor instead of being sliced by it.

3. Car & local corridor – upgraded surface arterial

Use: Replacement/upgrade of the current mixed truck route (e.g., Huron Church-type alignment) for cars, buses, and local access.

• Total ROW: ~40–50 m
• Configuration (centre – edge):
  • Median: 3–5 m raised, with turn pockets at signals
  • Through lanes (each direction): 2–3 × 3.5 m
  • Left-turn pockets: 1 × 3.5 m at major intersections
  • Right-turn lanes: 1 × 3.5 m where warranted
  • Bike/active lanes: 1.8–2.0 m protected cycle track each side (or shared path)
  • Sidewalks: 1.8–2.5 m each side
  • Boulevard/planting strip: 2–3 m between curb and sidewalk

Design intent: This is the human-scale corridor: signals, crossings, transit stops, driveways. Trucks are discouraged or prohibited except for local deliveries.

4. 401 interface – collector–distributor + ramp cross-section

Use: Where the truck spine and car corridor tie into Highway 401.

• Mainline 401 (existing):
  • 3–4 × 3.75 m lanes each direction + median barrier + standard shoulders
• New C–D road (each side):
  • Lanes: 2–3 × 3.5 m
  • Shoulder: 2.5 m right, 1.0–1.5 m left
  • Function: Receives all on/off ramps from:
    • Truck spine (freight-priority ramps)
    • Car/local corridor (general traffic ramps)
• Ramp cross-section (typical):
  • 1–2 × 3.75 m lanes
  • 1.5–2.5 m shoulders
  • Design speed 60–80 km/h

Design intent: Keep all weaving and merging off the 401 mainline. Trucks get long, forgiving acceleration/deceleration lanes on the C–D, cars have their own ramps where justified.

5. Plaza throat split – trucks vs cars

Right at/just downstream of the CBSA plaza exit:

• Trucks:
  • Immediately funneled into the truck spine cross-section (Section 1 or 2)
  • 3 × 3.75 m lanes + shoulders, no signals
• Cars:
  • Peel off to the car/local corridor (Section 3)
  • Early opportunity to choose: “401 direct” vs “local Windsor access”

Design intent: The split happens as early as physically possible, so the plaza’s private geometry doesn’t contaminate the public optimisation.