Idylwyld Drive
| Avenue A | |
| Maintained by | City of Saskatoon |
|---|---|
| Length | 8.46 km (5.26 mi)[1] |
| Location | Saskatoon |
| Coordinates | 52°07′11″N 106°40′08″W / 52.1197°N 106.6690°W |
| South end | Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge |
| Major junctions |  Highway 16 Highway 11 |
| North end | Auction Mart Road |
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.
On the south side of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, it is a freeway and is known as the Idylwyld Freeway. It eventually turns into Circle Drive, just east of Prairieland Park. 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). 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.[2][3]
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 Riverdale's 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 city's main campus of SIAST. 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
The entire route is in Saskatoon.
| km[4] | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.0 | Highway 11 / Highway 16 (TCH) – Yorkton, Regina | No access from eastbound Circle Drive. | ||||
| 1.2 | 0.75 |  Highway 219 | Four ramps together form a complete interchange. Access is provided via the side streets 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 | 22nd Street To   Highway 7 / Highway 14 west | Traffic signals | ||||
| 5.0 | 3.1 | Jamieson Street west / 23rd Street east To  Highway 5 east | Traffic signals | ||||
| 5.1 | 3.2 | 24th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
| 5.0 | 3.1 | 25th Street To Highway 5 east | Traffic signals | ||||
| 5.6 | 3.5 | 29th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
| 6.4 | 4.0 | 33rd Street | Traffic signals Access to Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly SIAST Kelsey Campus) | ||||
| 6.9 | 4.3 | 36th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
| 7.4 | 4.6 | 39th Street | Traffic signals | ||||
| Expressway resumes | |||||||
| 7.9 | 4.9 |  Highway 11 / Highway 16 (TCH)Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport | Diamond interchange Highway 11 / Highway 12 / Highway 16 (TCH) concurrency begins. | ||||
| 9.2 | 5.7 | Avenue C south / 51 Street east Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport | Parclo A4 interchange | ||||
| 10.4 | 6.5 |  Highway 16 (TCH) west – The Battlefords, Lloydminster, Edmonton | Northbound exit, southbound entrance Hwy 16 concurency ends Highway 11 / Highway 12 concurrency continues | ||||
| 12.0 | 7.5 | Marquis Drive To Highway 16 (TCH) west | Traffic signals | ||||
| 12.8 | 8.0 | 71st Street (Auction Mart Road) | Stop signs on 71st Street | ||||
| 13.0 | 8.1 | Highway 11 north (Louis Riel Trail) – Warman, Rosthern, Prince Albert | Northbound exit, southbound entrance. Hwy 11 / Hwy 12 concurrency ends. | ||||
| Continues as Highway 12 north – Martensville, Blaine Lake, Shell Lake | |||||||
| |||||||
References
- ^ Gmaps Pedometer
- ^ Jeff, O'Brien (2005). "Saskatoon Chronology: 1882-2005" (PDF). City of Saskatoon – Archives. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "A View From Above – Key to Landmarks". City of Saskatoon – Archives. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 April 2016.