Photos are from construction on June 5, 2013. Circle Drive opened on July 31 after about a year's delay, so I very nearly had the opportunity to drive the length of the road.


SK 7 ends west of here at SK 14, at a partial interchange begging for completion with an outer northwestern ring road. SK 14 now ends here at Circle Dr. but, in 2013, extended east to SK 11/Idylwyld Drive. (SK 11 now follows Circle Drive - both sides at once.) I present this sign assembly as an example of shields that are too small, street names that are too big, and spacing that is all wrong.


The main work delaying the opening of Circle Drive was the underpass of a railway level crossing, and especially the barrier on either side - come on guys, 56 days until opening! The tracks cross at-grade perpendicularly while the highway now burrows underneath. The signs demonstrate that SK 11 and TCH 16 follow Circle Drive, and you'll see the same signs on the eastern half of the beltway. Saskatchewan doesn't have to follow your rules. (Arrow placement being another.)


Looking south along Dundonald Street from the top of the 11th Street ramp. This uses a high zoom, so the sign at left is actually after the merge from 11th St., and the unfinished roadway you see in the background is actually the Valley Rd. trumpet interchange. The signs at far right are for the SB exit to Valley Rd. Sorry, in trying to maximize detail, I also maximized confusion.


Looking back north at the underpass from 11th St. The track in the foreground is a wye connector between the crossing railways, which also bridges future Circle Dr.


A little cleanup is needed before the 11th St. ramp can open. Starting with the sign. Someone ripped off the "CLOSED" banner, apparently, but we've already seen on this page how noticeable those are.


The new freeway curves to the south and then east, and you can see the signs from the Dundonald St. view in context. Newer sections of Circle Dr. were built as freeway, but it incorporates some arterial segments on the west and north sides that warrant a new bypass. (This may be what the stub of SK 7 that I mentioned before is for.)


Here are the Circle Dr. NB ramps for 11th St. In most places, a closed turn lane would be closed for its entire length, not just at the end. (And a sign not in use would be covered.) Saskatchewan and rules, again. Speaking of rules, "squeeze left" apparently only exists in Toronto and SK. Who wants to bet SK will use it 15 years after Toronto stops?


A look back west at the new 11th St. overpass.


All of 11th St. is shoved in the future WB lanes on the east side of the interchange. 11th St. used to be 4 undivided lanes until just before the railway crossing, but is now 2 very crowded lanes as I make my way around the closures. If the EB roadway is indeed as brand-new as I believe it to be, the lane stripes are a few weeks premature.


Bonus if you made it through the entire page: the future Circle Dr. WB exit for SK 219 as it leaves Idylwyld Dr.

Onto SK 11
Onto TCH 16

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