Saskatchewan Highway 7 - Route Description

Route Description

The entirety of Highway 7 is a primary weight asphalt concrete (AS) national highway within the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (SHS) West Central Municipal Government Committee planning jurisdiction. Travel on Highway 7 begins east at the Alberta - Saskatchewan provincial border through the Missouri Coteau which features mixed prairie vegetation. Entering Alberta, the highway continues west as Alberta Highway 9. Alsask is a village of about 150 people on the border and Highway 44. The Military Dome site radar station is a heritage site and has been acquired by Alsask along with the 1960s airforce base. At Alsask, Highway 7 turns north east until km 3.9 when again the highway is routed east. Again at km 6.1 the highway turns north east until km 19.8 just past the intersection with Highway 317. Marengo, a small village of about 50 residents is 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) north of the junction. Highway 7 continues for several kilometres east reaching the village of Flaxcombe, which has a population of just over 100. Highway 307 north provides access to the villages of Coleville and Smiley. This area belongs to the West Central Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA). The town of Kindersley is the largest center featuring both oil and agricultural industries along Highway 7 and with a population of about 4,500 is almost at city status of 5,000 residents. The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) ranges from approximately 1,600 to 2,000 vehicles per day (vpd) near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border to over 3,000 vpd near Kindersley. Continuing east, Highway 7 comes to a short 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) concurrency between Highway 658 south and Highway 658 north. The village of Netherhill is also located between the Highway 658 junction and Highway 30 junction.

Highway 30 south provides access to the hamlet of McMorran. The highway takes a few gentle curves north east at km 106.1 through the unincorporated areas of Fiske and McGee to the junction with Highway 4. Rosetown is a town about half the size of Kindersley located at this junction. The Goose Lake Plain landscape area of the Moist Mixed Prairie ecoregion is the main feature between Rosetown and Saskatoon. The bearing of the highway continues north east until the town of Zealandia whose population is hovering around 100 people. After Zealandia, the highway continues in a north-northeast direction coming to junction with Highway 768 north and the junction with Highway 655 west and with Highway 655 south. The village of Tessier is next along this north east section of highway, and then Delisle. Delisle, a town, with a population of about 800 residents is located at the intersection of Highway 7, Highway 45 south, and Saskatchewan Highway 673 east on the south west side of town. The AADT along the route fluctuates between 2,000 and 3,000 vpd until Delisle. The intersection with Highway 766 is to the north east of Delisle. The corner of Highway 672 (South and east) is at the intersection with Highway 7 at the village of Vanscoy. Agrium Vanscoy Potash Mine is located 32 kilometres (20 mi) south west of Saskatoon, just to the north west of Vanscoy. The potash mine was established in 1931 as Cominco Fertilizers Ltd. changing names in 1995 to Agrium Inc., the nation's third largest producer of potash The AADT on Highway 7 near Vanscoy increases to over 5,600 vpd. Both Highway 672 east and Highway 766 east provide access to Pike Lake Provincial Park. Highway 7 continues north westerly arriving at the first interchange at km 249.7 with Highway 60 south.

The twinned overpass is 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) in length continuing on as a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) length of twinned highway. This twinned section of the highway

handles between 7,000 to 12,000 vpd on average throughout the year. The 11th Street West intersection provides access from the south end of the City of Saskatoon to Highway 7. Highway 7 becomes concurrent with Highway 14 at the west end of Saskatoon. This is the new Blairmore Suburban Development Area (SDA) hosting seven new neighbourhoods and a future interchange at the intersection of Highway 14 west, Dalmeny Road north, and 22nd Street West. Highway 7 continues east along 22nd Street West, concurrent with Highway 14. There are two routes through Saskatoon; one is on Circle Drive north ending at Saskatchewan Highway 16 (Yellowhead Trans Canada Highway) and Idylwyld Drive North, the second continues east along 22nd Street West, ending at Saskatchewan Highway 11 and Idylwyld Drive North.