Idylwyld Drive
Idylwyld Drive (/ˈaɪdəlwaɪld/ EYE-del-wild) is an arterial road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is one of the main roads in and out of the downtown area of the city.
Former name(s) | Avenue A |
---|---|
Maintained by | City of Saskatoon |
Length | 8.46 km[1] (5.26 mi) |
Location | Saskatoon |
Coordinates | 52°07′11″N 106°40′08″W |
South end | Circle Drive S |
Major junctions | 8th Street 22nd Street Circle Drive N ![]() ![]() |
North end | 71st Street |
Construction | |
Inauguration | 1966 |
On the south side of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, it is a freeway and is also known as the Idylwyld Freeway. It merges into Circle Drive at an interchange completed in 2013.[2] At its north end the road divides into two highways, Highway 11 and Highway 12.
The oldest section of Idylwyld Drive used to be known as Avenue A, the easternmost of the "lettered" north-south streets (continuing westward to Avenue Y {contrary to popular belief, Witney Avenue was never known as Avenue Z}). In 1966, the Canadian National Railway tracks were relocated out of the downtown; the former railway bridge was demolished and replaced by a traffic bridge; and the former railroad right-of-way south of the river was made into the Idylwyld Freeway. The freeway crossed the river at the bridge and connected at 20th Street to Avenue A, renamed Idylwyld Drive. Two blocks of Avenue A still exist south of 20th Street, as a small remnant.[3][4]
As with the city's other major transitional arterials, 22nd Street West and 8th Street East, Idylwyld Drive features a mixture of uses. At its southern end, on the border of the Central Business District and Riversdale business areas, commercial uses dominate. North of 25th Street, residential dominates the west side of the street, with a mix of hotels, motels, schools and institutional uses, including the Saskatoon campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly called SIAST Kelsey Campus). North of 33rd Street, a mix of single-family residential and commercial is featured until approximately 36th Street, at which point the road becomes a commercial district. North of Circle Drive, the street elevates to freeway status and passes through suburban commercial and industrial regions until it exits the city.
Exits and intersections
All exits are unnumbered.
Location | km[5] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saskatoon | 0.0 | 0.0 | ![]() ![]() | No direct access from eastbound Circle Drive. | |||
1.2 | 0.75 | ![]() | Four ramps together form a complete interchange; access via Adelaide Street, St. George Avenue, and Vernon Avenue. | ||||
2.1 | 1.3 | Taylor Street | Northbound entrance only. | ||||
3.2 | 2.0 | 8th Street / Lorne Avenue | Southbound exit, northbound entrance. | ||||
3.9 | 2.4 | Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge over South Saskatchewan River | |||||
4.0 | 2.5 | 1st Avenue – City Centre | Northbound exit, southbound entrance. | ||||
4.3 | 2.7 | Avenue A to 19th Street | Southbound exit only. | ||||
Freeway ends; becomes arterial road with many at-grade intersections and property entrances. | |||||||
4.4 | 2.7 | 20th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
4.7 | 2.9 | ![]() ![]() | Traffic signals | ||||
5.0 | 3.1 | Jamieson Street W / 23rd Street E | Traffic signals | ||||
5.1 | 3.2 | 24th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
5.2 | 3.2 | ![]() | Traffic signals | ||||
5.6 | 3.5 | 29th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
5.9 | 3.7 | 31st Street | Traffic signals; access to Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST Kelsey Campus) | ||||
6.1 | 3.8 | 32nd Street | Traffic lights for pedestrian crossing | ||||
6.4 | 4.0 | 33rd Street | Traffic signals | ||||
6.9 | 4.3 | 36th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
7.4 | 4.6 | 39th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
Expressway resumes | |||||||
7.9 | 4.9 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Diamond interchange![]() ![]() | ||||
9.2 | 5.7 | ![]() | Parclo A4 interchange | ||||
10.4 | 6.5 | ![]() ![]() | Northbound exit, southbound entrance Hwy 16 concurency ends; continues as Hwy 11 | ||||
12.0 | 7.5 | Marquis Drive | Traffic signals; southbound access to Hwy 16 west | ||||
12.8 | 8.0 | 71st Street (Auction Mart Road) | Stop signs on 71st Street | ||||
Corman Park No. 344 | 13.0 | 8.1 | ![]() ![]() | Northbound exit, southbound entrance Continues as Hwy 12 north. | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- Gmaps Pedometer
- "Circle Drive South". Flatiron. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- Jeff, O'Brien (2005). "Saskatoon Chronology: 1882-2005" (PDF). City of Saskatoon – Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- "A View From Above – Key to Landmarks". City of Saskatoon – Archives. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 April 2016.