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.

Idylwyld Drive

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 Hwy 16 Hwy 11
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	Circle Drive (Hwy 11 / Hwy 16) – Yorkton, Regina	No direct access from eastbound Circle Drive.
	1.2	0.75	Lorne Avenue (Hwy 219 south) / Ruth Street	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	22nd Street to Hwy 7 / Hwy 14 west – Rosetown, Biggar	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	25th Street to Hwy 5 east – Humboldt	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	Circle Drive (Hwy 11 / Hwy 16) – Airport	Diamond interchange Hwy 11 / Hwy 16 (TCH) concurrency begins.
	9.2	5.7	Avenue C south / 51st Street east – Airport	Parclo A4 interchange
	10.4	6.5	Hwy 16 (TCH) west – The Battlefords	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	Hwy 11 north – Warman, Prince Albert Hwy 12 north – Martensville, Blaine Lake	Northbound exit, southbound entrance Continues as Hwy 12 north.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access       Route transition

References

1. Gmaps Pedometer
2. "Circle Drive South". Flatiron. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
3. 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.
4. "A View From Above – Key to Landmarks". City of Saskatoon – Archives. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
5. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 April 2016.