Ring Road (Regina)

Ring Road is a 4 lane controlled access highway in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is an extension of the Trans-Canada Highway that bypasses the city on the north-east side. Ring Road has a speed limit of 100km/h (about 62mph) and consists of 7 interchanges.

Directions

Going from the south to north, the first is a diamond interchange that bridges over 7-lane-wide Victoria Avenue (also a part of the Trans-Canada Highway), next is a 1/2 diamond interchange that overpasses 3 lane wide Dewdney Avenue.

Continuing north, Ring Road descends to underpass the Canadian Pacific rail line, curves to the north-west and also underpasses 5 lane Ross Avenue that connects to Ring Road with a 1/2 diamond interchange. Immediately after this underpass, another rail line bridges over the highway. Ring Road then ascends to overpass Provincial Highway 46 (also labelled McDonald Street at this point) with a full diamond interchange.

After this point, there are 2 light-controlled railway crossings that are not bridged over Ring Road. The first is a CN line that has infrequent train crossings, and shortly afterward approaches the CP line that has moderate train crossings. Even though typically the trains crossing these lines are short in length, evening rush hour in Regina often causes vehicle stand-stills at this point of Ring Road stretching over the Highway 46 interchange.

Immediately after these 2 rail crossings, Ring Road underpasses 5 lane wide Winnipeg Street which connects with a diamond interchange and curves to the west. Next, the highway underpasses Broad Street (with no interchange) followed by a pedestrian walkway. Ring Road then underpasses 6 lane wide Provincial Highway 6 (an extension of Albert Street) with a partial cloverleaf interchange (the loop on the south-east corner is occupied by restaurants).

Finally, Ring Road underpasses 5 lane Argyle Street connected with a 1/2 diamond interchange before ending with a traffic light controlled intersection at Pasqua Street. Further west from this point, the road becomes 9th Avenue North.

It is important to note that Regina residents often use the name Ring Road to refer to the above as well as the Trans Canada Highway bypass, as a single roadway. Although considered a ring road or beltway, it does not form a complete circle around the city, nor is it likely to in the foreseeable future as no western leg of Ring Road is planned; the function of this nonexistent western leg is instead covered by a north-south route consisting of Pasqua Street North and Lewvan Drive, which provide a link between the northwest terminus of Ring Road and the Trans-Canada Highway in the south end of the city (and, accordingly, the southwestern terminus of the TCH bypass route.

Usefulness

Ring Road serves as a high speed connection between Regina's east and northwest suburbs and commercial districts with Regina's industrial centre between. In addition to being used as a commuting highway, Ring Road sufficiently connects Provincial Highways 6 and 11 to the Trans-Canada Highway and is a boon to truckers crossing the province/nation. As of 2004, the traffic count on Ring Road is at its highest between Winnipeg Street and Provincial Highway 6 at 38,900 vehicles per day [http://www.regina.ca/pdfs/Traffic_Flowmap.pdf]

New Developments

With the west suburban developments flourishing in Regina, the Pasqua Street and Ring Road intersection becomes congested at peak hours. Thus the city plans to construct a new interchange at this point in the near future. [http://www.regina.ca/Page1004.aspx]