Project Details

Market
Division
Delivery
JV Partner
Role
City of Saskatoon
Owner
CA$ 214 million
Value
April 2010
Start Date
July 2013
Completion Date

Building Circle Drive South

Circle Drive is a major road constructed as a ring road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is a part of the Provincial and National Highway systems. As part of a joint venture team, Flatiron executed the first design-build contract and the largest single project in the city’s history–the final link of the existing Circle Drive system, which completed the actual circle. The ring road was first conceived by the Saskatoon city commissioner in 1913, and the first portions of the road – the northwest and southeast segments – were constructed in the 1960s. The ring road supports the movement of merchandise by improving efficiency for shippers to connect with national and international trade routes.

The team designed and constructed the new south bridge over the South Saskatchewan River, which functions as an urban bypass to improve traffic flow in downtown Saskatoon. The roadway is a six-lane divided freeway, with provisions for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the river and access the recreation trails on both sides of the South Saskatchewan River. The project also included construction of five new interchanges, three railway grade separations and ten additional kilometers (6.2 miles) of freeway from Clarence Avenue to Clancy Drive. The project will also include sound walls and utility relocation.

Circle Drive is expected to shorten commutes by 35 percent for approximately 30,000 commuters in Saskatoon. Thousands of local residents turned out for the opening of Circle Drive South on the last day of July, 2013.

Final link of the existing Circle Drive system around the city of Saskatoon

Six-lane bridge with provisions for pedestrians and cyclists

Ten additional kilometers (6.2 miles) of freeway

Five new interchanges, three railway grade separations, sound walls and utility relocation