Transportation in Saskatchewan - Highways

Highways

See also: Roads in Saskatchewan, Provincial roads in northern Saskatchewan, Category:Roads in Saskatchewan, and List of Saskatchewan provincial highways

The early survey system for homesteading provided for townships which were six miles square (36 sq mi/93 km2). An iron post was driven into the ground at the north east corner of every 1-mile (1.6 km) square. Road allowances were to the north and east of the iron monuments.

Road Allowance
	31		32		33		34		35		36
	30		29		28		27		26		25
Road Allowance
	19		20		21		22		23		24
	18		17		16		15		14		13
Road Allowance
	7		8		9		10		11		12
	6		5		4		3		2		1
Road Allowance

By 1921, there were 210,000 miles (340,000 km) of road allowance in the province which began as dirt roads. A system began of improved and unimproved dirt, gravel, oil-gravel surfaced roads, and all weather paved roads and highways. Currently Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation operates over 26,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) of highways and divided highways, over 800 bridges, 12 separate ferries, and one barge. There are also municipal roads which comprise different surfaces. Asphalt concrete pavements comprise almost 9,000 kilometres (5,600 mi), granular pavement almost 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi), non structural or thin membrane surface TMS are close to 7,000 kilometres (4,300 mi) and finally gravel highways make up over 5,600 kilometres (3,500 mi) through the province. TMS roads are maintained by the provincial government department: Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation. In the northern sector, ice roads which can only be navigated in the winter months comprise another approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) of travel. Dirt roads also still exist in rural areas and would be maintained by the local resident. All in all Saskatchewan consists of over 250,000 kilometres (160,000 mi) of roads and highways, the highest amount of road surface compared to any other Canadian province. Roads need to be constructed for the hot summer months, as well as the frigid winter months. Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation seeks to provide an operational transportation system that ensures the safe travel of people and products within a vast province. Crack filling, snow and ice removal, pavement marking, signage, lighting and infrastructure planning. The rural municipalities care for rural roads of which 97 per cent are gravel and the rest asphalt surface. Road transport provides short and long haul movement for both commercial freight and passenger traffic. Short haul traffic moving small volumes is an economically feasible method low cost method of freight hauling.

The infamous highways in Saskatchewan are the Trans Canada expressway, Yellowhead Highway northern Trans Canada route, Louis Riel Trail, CanAm Highway, Red Coat Trail, Northern Woods and Water route, and Saskota travel route.

The Government of Canada has agreed to contribute $20 million for two new interchanges in Saskatoon. One of them being at the Sk Hwy 219 / Lorne Ave intersection with Circle Drive, the other at the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge (Idylwyld Freeway) and Circle Drive. This is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the Canadian National Railway's intermodal freight terminal thereby increasing Asia-Pacific trade. Also, the Government of Canada will contribute $27 million to Regina to construct a Canadian Pacific Railway CPR intermodal facility and improve infrastructure transportation to the facility from both national highway networks, Sk Hwy 1, the TransCanada Highway and Sk Hwy 11, Louis Riel Trail. This also is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the CPR terminal and increase Asia-Pacific trade.