.svg) Highway 21 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Highway 21 highlighted in red | ||||
 Highway 21 through Maple Creek | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byMinistry of Highways and Infrastructure | ||||
| Length | 714.6 km[1] (444.0 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  Canada–U.S. border (S-233) atWillow Creek | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| North end |   Highway 919 /Highway 950 inMeadow Lake Provincial Park | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Saskatchewan | |||
| Rural municipalities | Reno,Big Stick,Fox Valley,Happyland,Chesterfield,Newcombe,Kindersley,Oakdale,Progress,Mariposa,Grass Lake,Tramping Lake,Round Valley,Cut Knife,Hillsdale,Eldon,Frenchman Butte,Loon Lake,Beaver River | |||
| Towns | Maple Creek,Leader,Eatonia,Kindersley,Kerrobert,Unity,Maidstone | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Highway 21 is aprovincial highway in theCanadian province ofSaskatchewan. It runs fromMontana Secondary Highway 233 at theUnited States border atWillow Creek toHighway 950 /Highway 919 within theMeadow Lake Provincial Park.[2] Highway 21 is about 715 kilometres (444 mi) long.[1]
Along Highway 21's route, it intersects two interprovincial highways, provides access to multiple communities, crosses several large rivers, and travels throughprovincial parks. The highways include theTrans-Canada andYellowhead while some of the larger communities areMaple Creek,Kindersley,Kerrobert, andUnity. Significant rivers include theFrenchman,South Saskatchewan,Battle, and theNorth Saskatchewan. It crosses the North Saskatchewan River via theToby Nollet Bridge. Near the southern end, the highway provides access toCypress Hills Interprovincial Park, which is Canada's first interprovincial park; towards the northern end, it travels throughBronson Forest Recreation Site, which has a thriving population ofwild ponies;[3] and the northern terminus is in Meadow Lake Provincial Park, which is Saskatchewan's largest park.
The originalProvincial Highway 21 is betweenHighway 13 west ofRobsart andLeader.[4] It originally continued west from Leader toEstuary andEmpress, Alberta, before it turned north and followed Range Road 3293, adjacent to theAlberta–Saskatchewan border. It followed a series of country roads throughLoverna,Macklin, andLloydminster toOnion Lake.[4] In the 1930s, the Leader–Empress section was renumbered toHighway 32 while the Empress-Onion Lake segment was renumbered toHighway 17 (the section south of Macklin was later decommissioned).[5][6]
At the same time,Provincial Highway 30 ran fromLemsford, throughGlidden and Kindersley, to Kerrobert; the section between Lemsford and Glidden was decommissioned in the 1940s.[4][5][6] In the 1960s, Highway 330 was commissioned between Kerrobert, through Unity, toHighway 40 west ofCut Knife.Provincial Highway 48 ran betweenGovenlock and Willow Creek; however in the 1960s, it was renumbered to Highway 348.[5][7]
In 1971, the Chesterfield Bridge across theSouth Saskatchewan River was opened, extending Highway 21 toEatonia.[7][8] Bridges were opened across theBattle andNorth Saskatchewan Rivers later in the decade, and along with the renumbering Highways 348, 30, and 330, Highway 21 assumed its present length.[9]
Highway 21 has average annual daily traffic (AADT) of 500 vehicles a day and truck traffic is 30% of this total.[10]
The south end of Highway 21 begins at theWillow Creek Border Crossing. From there, it heads north-west following Lodge Creek[11] for about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) before turning north towardsGovenlock. At Govenlock, Highway 21 meets Highway 13 and begins a 44-kilometre (27 mi) long eastwardconcurrency that ends west ofRobsart. Along this stretch, the highway crossesBattle Creek and provides access to the communities ofSenate,Consul,[12] andVidora. At the end of the concurrency, Highway 13 continues east while Highway 21 turns north towards the town ofMaple Creek. En route to Maple Creek, the highway crosses theFrenchman River, travels through theCypress Hills, and provides access toCypress Hills Interprovincial Park.[13] Coming out of the hills, Highway 21 crossesMaple Creek and enters the town of Maple Creek. The highway runs along the western edge of town before turning east on Pacific Ave. After about one kilometre running concurrently with Pacific Ave, Highway 21 resumes its northerly routing for a further 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) as it heads toHighway 1 — theTrans-Canada Highway.[14]
Once Highway 21 crosses Highway 1, it heads north towardsLeader and theSouth Saskatchewan River. Along this section, the highway provides access toFox Valley andLiebenthal. To the east of the highway are theGreat Sand Hills. Access is fromHighway 32 which intersects Highway 21 at Leader.[15] North of Leader, the highway crosses the South Saskatchewan River via theChesterfield Bridge and heads in a northerly direction toEatonia.[16] Just before Eatonia, the highway begins a 19-kilometre (12 mi) long eastward concurrency withHighway 44 that ends atGlidden. At Glidden, Highway 44 continues east while Highway 21 heads north toKindersley and the intersection withHighway 7.[17] From Kindersley, the highway continues north towardsKerrobert.[18] Heading into Kerrobert, Highway 21 has a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) long concurrency withHighway 31. At Kerrobert, it turns into the town and has a 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) long concurrency with bothHighways 51 and 31 before heading north. Travelling north, the highway passes Grill Lake, Ear Lake, Muddy Lake, and End Lake before meetingHighway 14 and running along the eastern edge ofUnity.[19] It keeps its northerly routing and meetsHighway 40 at Wilbert, at which point the two highways begin a 16-kilometre (9.9 mi) long concurrency to the north-west. Highway 21 leaves the concurrency and heads north crossing theBattle River, passing by Soda, Bryans, and Maidstone Lakes, and then meetingHighway 16 — theYellowhead Highway — west ofMaidstone.[20]
After a short one-mile long eastward concurrency with Highway 16, Highway 21 once again heads north where it crosses theBattle River and then theNorth Saskatchewan River (via the Toby Nollet Bridge, which was named afterIsidore Charles Nollet) en route toHighway 3. Communities and parks along this stretch includeSilver Lake Regional Park, McLaren, Milleton, and Bolney. At Highway 3, Highway 21 turns west and has a 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) long concurrency with 3 that runs to just east ofParadise Hill. From there, Highway 21 heads north following theMonnery River to theBronson Forest Recreation Site[21] where it crosses thedivide between theSaskatchewan River andChurchill River. For the final leg to its northern terminus inMeadow Lake Provincial Park, the highway crosses rivers, passes by several lakes, and provides access toIndian reserves and small communities. Some of the lakes and rivers include Cache Lake,Peck Lake,Little Fishing Lake,Ministikwan Lake, Mudie Lake, andBeaver River. Indian reserves and communities includeLittle Fishing Lake,Ministikwan 161,Thunderchild First Nation 115X,Ministikwan 161A, Mudie Lake, andPierceland.[22]
From south to north:[23]
The Chesterfield Bridge, north of Leader, did not open for traffic until 1971.
Media related toSaskatchewan Highway 21 at Wikimedia Commons
