Terwillegar Drive Explained

Terwillegar Drive
Alternate Name:170 Street SW
Maint:City of Edmonton
Length Km:10.7
Direction A:North
Terminus A:Whitemud Drive
Junction:Rabbit Hill Road, 23 Avenue, Anthony Henday Drive, Windermere Boulevard, Ellerslie Road
Direction B:South
Terminus B:41 Avenue SW (city limits)
Location:Edmonton

Terwillegar Drive is a developing freeway in south-west Edmonton, Alberta. It is under construction, with the majority of its intersection at-grade, it retains its arterial road status. Once completed, it will be the third freeway in Edmonton not to have a highway designation after Groat Road and Wayne Gretzky Drive. South of Windermere Boulevard the roadway goes by 170 Street SW.

Route description

Terwillegar Drive begins at Whitemud Drive where Whitemud Drive turns from an east-west to north-south orientation as it approaches the North Saskatchewan River, and is accessible via a modified trumpet interchange with left exit ramps. It travels in a southwest direction through the Riverbend and Terwillegar Heights areas, passing through three split intersections that are staged for future diamond interchanges. Terwillegar Drive crosses Anthony Henday Drive and enters the Windermere area. At Windermere Boulevard, another split intersection, Terwillegar Drive enters the southwest (SW) quadrant and becomes 170 Street SW, turning south. 170 Street SW continues south to Ellerslie Road / Hiller Road (Ellerslie Road was realigned from the 9 Avenue SW alignment, the original alignment is slated to be removed)[1] where 170 Street is misaligned (aligned to the southbound and northbound off-ramps of a future diamond interchange) and continues south as a rural road. At 41 Avenue SW, the roadway enters Leduc County and continues south as Range Road 253.

Future

The City of Edmonton is presently engaged in two planning studies to upgrade Terwillegar Drive and 170 Street SW to a freeway, which was originally envisioned in the 1980s.[2] [3] While the right-of-way is protected, the interchange plans are still in the design stage and there is no timeline set for construction. It remains to be seen if the 170 Street SW section will be renamed Terwillegar Drive; current planning documents refer to both names.

Additionally, there are plans to extend the freeway into Leduc County. It would go west of the Edmonton International Airport, and then swing east across Highway 2 and join Highway 2A south of Leduc.[4] [5]

Neighbourhoods

Terwillegar Drive is the main spine and highway that travels through the Riverbend/Terwillegar/Windermere area of Southwest Edmonton. The list of specific neighbourhoods that Terwillegar Drive runs through, in order from south to north are:[6]

Major intersections

This is a list of major intersections, starting at the north end of Terwillegar Drive.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Current Planning Branch. Windermere Neighbourhood Structure Plan. City of Edmonton. Sustainable Development. April 10, 2018. 21. April 2014.
  2. Web site: Terwillegar Drive Concept Planning Study. City of Edmonton. April 18, 2018. en.
  3. Web site: 170 Street South Planning Study - Anthony Henday Drive interchange to 41 Avenue SW. City of Edmonton. April 18, 2018. en.
  4. Web site: Queen Elizebeth II Highway Planning Study: South of Leduc to North of Ellerslie Road. Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. April 18, 2018. June 2009.
  5. Web site: Section Five . Leduc County Growth Study . October 2008 . Recommended Growth Strategy . Leduc County . December 23, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101231114425/http://www.leduc-county.com/PDF/Leduc2060/RecommendedGrowth.pdf . December 31, 2010.
  6. http://maps.edmonton.ca City of Edmonton map utility