Route 85, also known as Portage Avenue, is a major arterial route in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is one of the city's oldest and most important roads and is part of both the Trans-Canada and Yellowhead Highways.
Route 85 | ||||
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| Portage Avenue | ||||
Route 85 highlighted in red
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Westward on Portage Avenue
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by City of Winnipeg | ||||
| Length | 14.0 km[1] (8.7 mi) | |||
| Existed | 1966–present | |||
| Known for | Intersection at Portage and Main | |||
| Component highways | PTH 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) Yellowhead Highway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | Route 52 (Main St) / Route 57 | |||
| Major intersections |
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| West end | PTH 100 (TCH) south / PTH 101 north (Perimeter Hwy) / PTH 1 (TCH) west | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Manitoba | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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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, Canada Life Centre, 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.[2]
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.
The origin of the route stems from its use as a part of an old Red River ox cart trail.[3][4]
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.
Major intersections for Route 85 starting from Westbrook Street and heading west to the Perimeter Highway. The entire route is in Winnipeg.
| km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −0.2 | −0.12 |  Westbrook Street (Route 57 east) | East end of Portage Avenue | ||
| 0.0 | 0.0 |   Main Street (Route 52) / YH begins | See Portage and Main Route 85 / Yellowhead Highway eastern terminus; east end of Route 57 concurrency | ||
| 0.1 | 0.062 | Notre Dame Avenue (Route 57 west) / Fort Street | West end of Route 57 westbound concurrency; one-way northbound (westbound) | ||
| 0.2 | 0.12 | Garry Street | One-way southbound | ||
| 0.3 | 0.19 |  Smith Street (Route 42 north) | One-way northbound | ||
| 0.4 | 0.25 | Donald Street (Route 42 south) | One-way southbound | ||
| 0.5 | 0.31 | Hargrave Street | One-way northbound | ||
| 0.6 | 0.37 | Carlton Street (Route 57 south) | West end of Route 57 eastbound concurrency; one-way southbound (eastbound) | ||
| 0.7 | 0.43 | Edmonton Street | One-way, northbound (no access, T-intersection) | ||
| 0.8 | 0.50 | Kennedy Street | One-way southbound | ||
| 0.9 | 0.56 | Vaughan Street | One-way northbound | ||
| 1.0 | 0.62 |  Colony Street / Memorial Boulevard (Route 62) | |||
| 1.2 | 0.75 | Balmoral Street | Passes the University of Winnipeg | ||
| 1.75 | 1.09 |  Sherbrook Street (Route 70 south) | One-way southbound | ||
| 1.8 | 1.1 | Maryland Street (Route 70 north) | One-way northbound | ||
| 2.0 | 1.2 |  Broadway (PTH 1 (TCH) east) | East end of PTH 1 concurrency; no left turn (westbound) | ||
| 2.3 | 1.4 | Arlington Street | |||
| 3.0 | 1.9 | Dominion Street | |||
| 3.5 | 2.2 | Wall Street | One-way northbound | ||
| 3.7 | 2.3 | Erin Street | One-way southbound | ||
| 4.0 | 2.5 | Valour Road | |||
| 4.5 | 2.8 | Empress Street | Grade separated; passes Polo Park | ||
| 4.9 | 3.0 | St. James Street | No left turn (both directions) | ||
| 5.0 | 3.1 |   Route 90 (Century Street) – Airport | Interchange | ||
| 9.3 | 5.8 |  Moray Street (Route 96 south) | |||
| 10.7 | 6.6 |  Sturgeon Road | Access to Grace Hospital | ||
| 11.6 | 7.2 | Westwood Drive | |||
| 13.3 | 8.3 | Buchanan Boulevard | |||
| 13.7– 14.2 | 8.5– 8.8 |   Perimeter Highway (PTH 100 east / PTH 101 north) – Kenora PTH 1 (TCH) west (Portage Avenue) / YH – Portage la Prairie, Brandon | Interchange; signed as exits 318A (east) and 318B (north); Route 85 western terminus; PTH 1 continues west | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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