Saskatoon Interchange Project

The interchanges at McOrmond Drive and College Drive and Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 were bundled as a single project called the Saskatoon Interchange Project.

Both intersections had experienced rapid growth in traffic volumes. Continuing development in surrounding areas added to continued growth in traffic and various other indicators were also on an upward trend i.e. delays, collisions, fuel consumption. The most effective way of reducing these trends was to build the interchanges.

Construction at both sites started in April 2017. The McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange was completed in June 2019. The Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange was completed in July 2019.

Through a procurement process, PCL Construction Management Inc. (PCL) was chosen to design and build both interchanges for $56,694,600.00 (not including GST).

The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan each contributed $10,960,885 to the Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects.

Surrounding developers funded 100% of the total cost of the McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange.

Both interchanges were required and there was significant cost savings expected by procuring them together as a design-build package. 

The initial steps included a review of the following considerations:

1. Surrounding land use - urban, suburban, or rural
2. Classification of the intersecting streets –freeway to freeway; freeway to arterial; etc.
3. Traffic volume
4. Availability and cost of right-of-way.

Both interchanges include an eastbound to northbound loop. For example, a driver heading to Willowgrove from the downtown will exit College Drive, travel under the bridge structure, and loop up to McOrmond Drive, and travel north. The driver will then travel over College Drive and will pass through an intersection that will be controlled by traffic signals. The delay at this intersection will be much less than experienced previously by drivers waiting to turn left off of College Drive, as there is much less opposing traffic. There is also a large improvement in safety and comfort for drivers waiting to turn left by eliminating the adjacent traffic.

The College Drive and McOrmond Drive interchange includes three metre wide multi-use pathways on both sides of the McOrmond Drive bridge structure over College Drive. Both pedestrians and cyclists are permitted to use the multi-use pathways.

The Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange includes a three metre wide multi-use pathway on the west side of the Boychuk Drive bridge structure over Highway 16. Both pedestrians and cyclists are permitted to use the multi-use pathways.

The construction of both interchanges did affect the local wetlands. PCL abided by the City’s Wetland Policy and all provincial and federal regulations. If the wetlands were damaged, then the contractor would have had to compensate by establishing additional wetlands of equivalent biodiversity.

As part of the Saskatoon Interchange Project, sound attenuations were built. The walls will minimize the noise levels in adjacent neighbourhoods.

During the development of the functional designs for both interchanges, public open houses were held to present the projects and obtain input. In 2008 and 2009, the functional plan for Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 was presented at a stakeholder meeting and subsequently at an open house. In 2013, the functional plan for McOrmond Drive and College Drive was presented at an open house. The feedback at the time focused on the desire to expedite the construction of the interchanges and the need to retain a free flow movement for southbound traffic. 

Please get in touch with Bryan Zerebeski, Senior Project Management Engineer, at 306-975-3335 or Bryan.Zerebeski@Saskatoon.ca.