Labrador?

We will be travelling slowly along this route. Hopefully all will be okay. I know they are in the process of working on it (always). Travelling during the day and staying in towns at night (originally thought we might just stay out in the boondocks but that may not happen).

Donna

Little Kopit wrote:
Re. type of gravel and your term "normal gravel", my question "normal" for where. Did you expect the road builders to ship in what is normal rock crusher created gravel from where you live?

;)

They never "ship in" gravel on any job unless it's absolutely necessary, it's too expensive.

"Normal" is when they bring in a crusher and produce gravel from the oversize material after they've produced the 'bank run' stuff which is normally used for base only.

However, since this road was designed and built as a 'tote road' for construction transport vehicles they didn't bother.

Besides, this road was a freebie, a condition of the deal between Quebec Hydro and NL & Labrador, so they built it as absolutely cheaply as they could. That's why it's not even a full 2 lanes wide standard road.

BTW, I know the Trans-Lab a little better than the average Canadian, between '93 & '99 I drove that route no less than 6 times a year, in the early years of the nickel play, it was more like once a month, many of those times it was during the winter. I've spent a lot of time chatting with the folks who built, maintain and drive that road.

We did it in '98. Slow and no problems. Be sure to visit the underground power plant at Churchill Falls. Very cool trip!

It has grading very very very regularly. Still when I drove I drove at 40 or 50 KM.

Speed limit was 70, I figured that was ok for light weight cars.

Re. type of gravel and your term "normal gravel", my question "normal" for where. Did you expect the road builders to ship in what is normal rock crusher created gravel from where you live?

;)

I can't emphasize enough how careful you'll need to be to do the Trans-Labrador Hwy.

As clearly shown in the above posters blog the road is not paved, in fact it's not even normal gravel, it's merely dredged from old river banks and laid. It's round, so it won't pack. Look at the material in the photo below.



Because it stays loose, it's thrown up by tires, yours and any other traffic. Windshields, fibreglass and paint jobs don't stand a chance.

It is beautiful scenery though.

Check my signature for links to photos from my 2006 trip.

At that time I lived in Newfoundland & I have contacts there now.

The Trans Labrador Highway was opened in 2009. Thus, you can drive from Blanc Sablon to Baie Comeau and on down the No. Shore of the St. Lawrence.

Take your time talk to the locals and you will see all kinds of special things and special people. I thoroughly enjoyed the generator station tours, though they are en francais (with English handout) except for Churchill Falls,

I want to go back when they get the rest of the road built along the No. Shore.

:B