Winnipeg Route 85

Winnipeg Route 85
Corner of Portage and Main as seen from eastbound Route 85
Other name(s) Portage Ave
Part of PTH 1 (TCH) (Trans-Canada Highway)
Yellowhead Highway
Maintained by City of Winnipeg
Length 14 km (9 mi)
Location Winnipeg, Manitoba
West end PTH 100 (TCH) south / PTH 101 north (Perimeter Hwy)
PTH 1 (TCH) west (Portage Ave)
Major
junctions		 Route 96 south (Moray St)
Route 90 (Century St)
Route 70 north (Maryland St)
Route 70 south (Sherbrook St)
PTH 1 (TCH) east / Broadway
Route 62 (Colony St / Memorial Blvd)
Route 42 south (Donald St)
Route 42 north (Smith St)
Route 57 west (Notre Dame St)
East end Route 52 (Main St) / Route 57
Other
Known for Junction of Portage and Main
Looking west down Portage Avenue, one of Winnipeg's busiest streets.

Route 85, also known as Portage Avenue, is a major arterial route in the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is one of the city's oldest and most important roads and is part of both the Trans-Canada and Yellowhead Highways.

Route description

Route 85 begins in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, at the corner of Portage and Main (Route 52), and runs southwest through the downtown to Broadway. From Broadway to the west Perimeter Highway (PTH 100/101), it runs concurrently with the Trans-Canada Highway (PTH 1). Route 85 ends at the Perimeter Highway interchange, however, Portage Avenue and PTH 1 continue to the official city limit and into Headingley. Portage Avenue is also the first leg of the Yellowhead Highway from Winnipeg to Edmonton, which branches off PTH 1 on to PTH 16 near Portage la Prairie.

Route 85 is a six-lane road for its entire length and passes by major destinations such as Winnipeg Square, Bell MTS Place, Portage Place, Polo Park Shopping Centre, and the University of Winnipeg. It is also the main link (via Route 90) between the city's downtown and airport.[1]

Portage Avenue East, which extends approximately 200 meters southeast from the Portage and Main intersection to Westbrook Street near Shaw Park, is not part of Route 85 or the Yellowhead Highway.

History

The origin of the route stems from its use as a part of an old Red River ox cart trail.[2][3]

The (red river) carts left deep ruts in the soft prairie turf, so deep that the wagons tended to spread out, the right wheel of one cart travelling in the wake of the left wheel of the cart ahead; thus, the prairie trails could be as much as twenty carts wide, a phenomenon that helps explain the many broad streets in Winnipeg. Portage Avenue is the widest thoroughfare in Canada and was known as Queen Street during the period from 1891 to 1893 as part of a failed scheme to introduce a numbering scheme to Winnipeg's streets. It is actually part of the old trail that led west to Portage la Prairie and then on to Edmonton.

— Pierre Berton, The National Dream

Major intersections

Major intersections for Route 85 starting from Westbrook Street and heading west to the Perimeter Highway.

LocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Downtown−0.2−0.12 Westbrook Street (Route 57 east) – Shaw ParkEast end of Portage Avenue
0.00.0 Main Street (Route 52)See Portage and Main
Route 85 / Yellowhead Highway eastern terminus;
east end of Route 57 concurrency
0.10.062 Notre Dame Avenue (Route 57 west) / Fort StreetWest end of Route 57 westbound concurrency;
one-way northbound (westbound)
0.20.12Garry StreetOne-way southbound
0.30.19 Smith Street (Route 42 north) – Burton Cummings TheatreOne-way northbound
0.40.25 Donald Street (Route 42 south) – Bell MTS Place, CityplaceOne-way southbound
0.50.31Hargave StreetOne-way northbound
0.60.37 Carlton Street (Route 57 south) – Convention CentreWest end of Route 57 eastbound concurrency;
one-way southbound (eastbound)
0.70.43Edmonton StreetOne-way, northbound (no access, T-intersection)
0.80.50Kennedy StreetOne-way southbound
0.90.56Vaughan Street – Portage PlaceOne-way northbound
1.00.62 Colony Street / Memorial Boulevard (Route 62) – Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg Art Gallery
West End1.20.75Balmoral Street – University of Winnipeg
1.751.09 Sherbrook Street (Route 70 south)One-way southbound
1.81.1 Maryland Street (Route 70 north)One-way northbound
2.01.2 Broadway (PTH 1 (TCH) east)East end of PTH 1 concurrency; no left turn (westbound)
2.31.4Arlington Street – Vimy Ridge Memorial Park
3.01.9Dominion Street – RCMP Division 'D' headquarters
3.52.2Wall StreetOne-way northbound
3.72.3Erin StreetOne-way southbound
4.02.5Valour Road
4.52.8Empress Street – Polo ParkGrade separated
4.93.0St. James Street – Polo ParkNo left turn (both directions)
St. James-Assiniboia5.03.1 Route 90 (Kenaston Boulevard / Century Street) – AirportInterchange
9.35.8 Moray Street (Route 96 south)
10.76.6 Sturgeon Road – Grace Hospital
11.67.2Westwood Street
13.38.3Buchanan Boulevard
14.08.7 Perimeter Highway (PTH 100 south / PTH 101 north) – KenoraInterchange; signed as exits 318A (east) and 318B (north);
Route 85 western terminus
PTH 1 (TCH) (Portage Avenue) continues west to Headingley, Portage la Prairie, and Brandon
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
  1. ↑ Vanderhart, Tessa. "Best intersection in Canada? Portage and Main nominated as one of Canada's Greatest Places". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Things you might not know about Portage and Main". CBC News. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  3. ↑ George F. Reynolds (October 26, 2014). "The Man Who Created the Corner of Portage and Main". Manitoba Historical Society. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
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