Saskatchewan Highway 16

Highway 16 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The highway represents the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway. It runs from the Alberta border in Lloydminster at the intersection with Highway 17 south-east to the Manitoba border east of Marchwell, Saskatchewan. Major cities along the route include Saskatoon, North Battleford in the central part of the province, Yorkton in the far east, and Lloydminster to the far west.

The highway is a divided, four-lane limited-access road from the Alberta–Saskatchewan border to just east of the village of Clavet. From Clavet east to the Manitoba border, it is an undivided, two-lane highway with multiple passing lanes. Through the city of Saskatoon, the highway has an concurrency with Circle Drive.

The Yellowhead Route began as the Yellowhead Red River cart trail. When the province of Saskatchewan was surveyed, the road evolved from a dirt to gravel to all-weather road known as Provincial Highway 5 from the Alberta–Saskatchewan border to Saskatoon, and as Provincial Highway 14 from Saskatoon to the Manitoba–Saskatchewan border. In the late 1950s and 1960s, the highway was straightened and widened. On August 15, 1970 the Yellowhead was opened for the northern Trans-Canada Highway. The highway was completely designated for the entire route as Saskatchewan Highway 16 in 1976.

Route description

Highway 16 West

Saskatchewan's Highway 16 is a segment of the Yellowhead Highway that traverses the width of the province. The western section is twinned and runs from Lloydminster east to Saskatoon. Major highways that intersect 16 West include 17, 21, 4, 40, and 11. Cities include Lloydminster, North Battleford, and Saskatoon.

Highway 16 begins as a continuation of Alberta's Highway 16 at the intersection of the north–south Highway 17 in the city of Lloydminster. Lloydminster straddles the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta with Highway 17 running right down the provincial boundary. Over-sized border markers run down either side of Highway 17 through Lloydminster. From its western terminus at Highway 17, Highway 16 travels east through the Saskatchewan side of Lloydminster and, as the highway exits the city, it passes by the Lloydminster Upgrader where it turns south-east towards Marshall and Lashburn. South-east of Lashburn, the highway turns east towards Waseca.

From Waseca, Highway 16 continues east to Maidstone where it has a 2-mile concurrency with Highway 21. Maidstone was bypassed in 2005 when the highway was twinned. After Maidstone, it resumes its southeasterly travel to Battleford. En route to Battleford, the highway provides access to Paynton, Bresaylor, and Delmas. Attractions along this section include Silver Lake Regional Park and a high Canola Plant Sculpture at Maidstone and Bresaylor Museum at Bresaylor. From about Paynton onward to Battleford, the highway parallels the North Saskatchewan River. At the north end of Battleford, Highway 16 enters a partial cloverleaf interchange where it becomes concurrent with Highways 4 and 40 as it heads north-east across the North Saskatchewan River via the dual-spanned Battlefords Bridge. Prior to the building of the Battlefords Bridge, Highway 16 had continued south into Battleford where it crossed the river via the Battleford Bridge. After the completion of the first span of the Battlefords Bridge, that leg of Highway 16 was renamed Highway 16A. Soon after the completion of the second span in 2002, Battleford Bridge was closed to vehicle traffic and 16A was decommissioned.

Once across the Battlefords Bridge, Highway 4 continues north into the city of North Battleford while 40 and 16 veer south-east skirting the southern edge of the city. Highway 40 then turns east while 16 continues south-east. Highway 16B, an earlier routing of Highway 16, runs through North Battleford. Attractions accessible from the highway in North Battleford include the RCMP Statue, Gold Eagle Casino, and the Western Development Museum. From the intersection with Highway 40, Highway 16 continues south-east for a further paralleling the North Saskatchewan River. Communities along this stretch include Brada, Denholm, Ruddell, Maymont, Fielding, Radisson, and Borden. After Borden, the highway once again crosses the North Saskatchewan River via a highway bridge. The highway bridge parallels the old Borden Bridge, which was closed to vehicle traffic in 1985. At the foot of the southern end of the bridge is the Borden Bridge Campground.

Once across the river, Highway 16 continues south-east, passes by Langham, and heads towards the city of Saskatoon. At the northern end of the city, it is met by the north–south Highway 11. The two highways have a short concurrency before Highway 16 turns east and runs concurrently with Circle Drive East. Highway 11 continues south as Idylwyld Drive then Circle Drive West. The two highways meet up again at a cloverleaf interchange at the south end of Saskatoon. Highway 11 heads south to Regina while Highway 16 continues east to Manitoba.

Highway 16 East

The eastern portion of Highway 16 runs from Saskatoon south-east to the border with Manitoba. Only the first east of the junction with Highway 11 is twinned. Major highways that intersect 16 East include 11, 2, 6, 35, 47, 9, 15, and 8. Cities include Saskatoon and Yorkton.

The first community east of Saskatoon is Clavet. When this section of Highway 16 was twinned in 2016, Clavet was bypassed. The original section of Highway 16 runs through town as 'Old Highway 16'. Highway 316 runs north–south connecting the Old Highway 16 and Clavet to Highway 16. About east of the intersection with Highway 316, the divided highway portion of Highway 16 East ends. It continues east as an undivided highway providing access to the communities of Elstow and Colonsay before intersecting with the north–south Highway 2 — the longest highway in Saskatchewan. Highway 2 runs from the Canada–United States border crossing of Opheim–West Poplar River north to La Ronge. From that intersection with Highway 2, 16 heads south-east towards the Quill Lakes providing access to Viscount, Sclanders, Plunkett, Wolverine, Guernsey, Lanigan Potash Mine, Lanigan, Esk, and Jansen. Along this section, Highway 16 has a long concurrency with Highway 20 that runs from Guernsey east to Lanigan. Langenburg is home to the world's largest swing, named Goliath, and is the last incorporated Saskatchewan community before the Manitoba provincial boundary.

At the Big Qill Lake, Highway 16 intersects with Highway 6 where it begins a southbound concurrency with 6. At the community of Dafoe, Highway 16 leaves the concurrency with 6 and heads east skirting the southern end of Big Quill Lake en route Highway 35. Big Quill Lake is the largest salt lake in Canada and the Quill Lakes complex (consisting of Big, Middle, and Small Quill Lakes) is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Communities along this section of 16 include Kandahar, Wynyard, and Elfros. Wynyard Regional Park is south of Highway 16 and Wynyard along Highway 640.

From the intersection with Highway 35, 16 continues south-east en route to the town of Foam Lake. It provides access to the village of Leslie and passes by the southern shore of Foam Lake. At Foam Lake, Highway 16 intersects Highway 310 and then heads east for before resuming its south-easterly routing to the city of Yorkton. Communities along this stretch include Sheho, Insinger, Theodore, and Springside. From about Sheho to Springside, the highway parallels the Whitesand River. At Springside, Highway 16 intersects Highway 47 — a north–south highway that runs from the Canada–US border north to Preeceville. A statue of a sharp-tailed grouse, Saskatchewan's provincial bird, was erected in 1985 at Sheho to commemorate both the 80th anniversary of the province of Saskatchewan as well as the incorporation of Sheho as a village.

As the highway approaches Yorkton, it turns east to Highway 9. At that bend, Highway 16A splits off and continues south-east into Yorkton. At the north–south Highway 9, the two highways begin a long south bound concurrency. Highway 10 also joins this concurrency for . When Highway 16 leaves the concurrency, it resumes its south-easterly routing to the border with Manitoba. Attractions at Yorkton include the Western Development Museum and York Lake Regional Park. Communities along the final leg of Highway 16 from Yorkton to the Manitoba border include Rokeby, Saltcoats, Bredenbury Churchbridge, Langenburg, and Marchwell. A large Canadian Dollar Coin was erected in 1993 at Churchbridge south of the Yellowhead to commemorate Rita Swanson, the artist resident of Churchbridge whose design was chosen to mark Canada's 125th birthday in 1992. About east of Marchwell is the Manitoba border where the Yellowhead Trail continues as Manitoba Highway 16.

History

Travel across Canada originated in the early 19th century when the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company wanted to transport furs from the east to Fort St. James in the New Caledonia district (in present day British Columbia). Sir George Simpson, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, employed a surveyor, James Macmillan, to find a route west. James Macmillan used the Iroquois guide Pierre Bostonais to help find the most feasible path. Pierre Bostonais was nicknamed ''Tête Jaune'', which is French for 'yellow head', due to his blonde hair. Leather was needed at Fort St. James for moccasins and mukluks. The path from Saskatchewan to British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains became known as the 'Leather Pass' or 'Leather Track' and then more commonly the 'Yellowhead'. Pierre Bostonais "has been credited with blazing the Old North-West Trail — the forerunner of the Yellowhead Highway".
The beginnings of this overland route can be found in the 19th century travel along the Carlton Trail, a Red River cart dirt trail which connected Fort Garry, Fort Ellice, Fort Carlton, Fort Battleford, and Fort Pitt through a northerly route.

In Saskatchewan, cars appeared in the early 20th century. By the late 1920s, the roads were gravelled near the larger centres such as Yorkton, Saskatoon, the Battlefords, and Lloydminster. All-weather roads were developed in the 1930s, which began to depart from the surveyed township roads connecting centres directly. Roads also were constructed to allow for rain run-off, with a rounded top surface.

A larger improvement came about as a part of the industrial revolution in the 1940s following the return of the men from World War II. Following World War II, improved economic and farming factors saw an increase of taxation, and mechanized road building programs resulting in better roads. Improved highways and travel by automobile soon saw the demise of a great majority of settlements along the prairie which were lively communities in the first half of the 20th century.

November 1947 saw communities along the Yellowhead organize together with caravans and meetings to encourage the Trans-Canada Trail to build on the northern route connecting Eastern and Western Canada. The southern route, Saskatchewan's Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, was officially opened in 1957. The northern route — the Yellowhead Highway — was officially opened on August 15, 1970.

Provincial Highway 14

Provincial Highway 14, the precursor to Highway 16 East, followed the surveyed grade of the Manitoba and North West Railway, later the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), between the Manitoba border and Saskatoon. Travel along the current Highway 16 East before the 1940s would have been travelling on the 'square' following the township road allowances, barbed wire fencing, and railway lines. As the surveyed township roads were the easiest to travel, the first highway was designed on 90-degree, right-angle corners as the distance traversed the prairie along range roads and township roads. Two-horse, then eight-horse scrapers, maintained these early dirt roads. The gravelling of Provincial Highway 14 was begun in 1930, starting from Wynyard to Manitoba was gravel. By the 1940s, the entire eastern route gravelled.

The construction of Number 14 Highway between Lanigan and Saskatoon was started in 1929. It was to have an earth-built road bed, with a right of way of and a road surface of .

Some of the communities serviced by Provincial Highway 14 included Elstow, Churchbridge, Fountain, Sheho, and Lanigan. In 1955, the highway near Sheho was re-routed and completely rebuilt. In 1957, the route was straightened bypassing Plunkett and Viscount.

The 1957 road specifications were a right of way of 150′ and a road surface of 38′. The centre 22′ of this road was oiled, leaving 8′ gravel shoulders on each side.

Provincial Highway 5

Provincial Highway 5, known as the 'Evergreen Route', the precursor to Highway 16 West, followed the surveyed grade of the Canadian Northern Railway, later the Canadian National Railway (CNR), between Saskatoon and the Alberta border at Lloydminster.

One benefit from the grading of the two railways was that good construction roads paralleled the lines. Thus, the modern Yellowhead Highway between Saskatoon and Lanigan owes its origins to the grading crews.

The one event that had the greatest impact on the western segment of the Yellowhead was the decision of Donald Mann and William Mackenzie, owners of the Canadian Northern, to build from Manitoba to the Pacific.

1926 Saskatchewan map
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In 1927 the Department of Highways suggested that the Jasper Highway follow the C.N.R. tracks between Radisson and Borden, but the Town did not agree with this and asked that the old highway ''on the square'' be continued— or east of Radisson, thence south to a point near Borden. This plan was followed at that time. In 1930 a delegation from council addressed the Minister of Highways and the Cabinet at Regina requesting that #5 Highway be an all-weather highway across the Province. In other words ''gravel all the way''. In 1947 several lots on the north of the town were sold to the Provincial Department of Highways for the construction of Highway #5 to by-pass the town on the north end.

Up until 1936, a ferry was used to cross the North Saskatchewan River along Highway 5's route. The Borden Bridge was completed in 1936 replacing the ferry service. The north-western route from Saskatoon was gravelled by 1955. By then, it was "an excellent all-weather hard-top road running into Saskatoon and connecting with good roads to other centres". The Borden Bridge–Saskatoon cut off was officially opened on October 20, 1969, shortening the trip between North Battleford and Saskatoon by . As the highway was developed and the course straightened out, some towns disappeared as they were disconnected from the highway. Dalmeny survived the Borden Bridge–Saskatoon straightening project.

Situated on the North Saskatchewan River near the confluence of the Battle River, The Battlefords were at a major junction. Highways 4, 5, and 40, as well as the CNR and CPR, all went through town.

Archaeology site

The original Kirilovka Doukhobor village was discovered by the Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation when undertaking construction of new lanes for Provincial Highway 5 north-west of Saskatoon, and west of Langham. Excavations commenced August 23, 1996. A 1944 aerial photograph was superimposed upon the Highway 5 construction area showing house foundations.

Highway 16 twinning

About of Highway 16 is twinned from Lloydminster to east of Saskatoon near the Bradwell Road Access, east of Clavet. It was twinned in stages from the late 1990s to the late 2010s. By 2012, twinning was complete from Saskatoon west to the Alberta border. While there are no immediate plans to twin the rest of Highway 16 East, 26 passing lanes were constructed in 2023 between Clavet and the Manitoba border. "Passing lanes are typically a minimum of two kilometres (km) and allow drivers to pass slower moving vehicles safely". In 2023, a petition was begun to advocate for twinning the remainder of the highway east to the Manitoba border.

Originally, Highway 16's route through Saskatoon was via Idylwyld Drive. In 1983, the north-east quadrant of Circle Drive — a divided perimeter highway around Saskatoon — was completed. A few years later, it was designated as the Highway 16 / Yellowhead Route through Saskatoon. This route includes the twin-span Circle Drive Bridge over the South Saskatchewan River.

;Notable twinning stages include
*1997 — Hwy 16 West, a long section between Saskatoon and North Battleford
*2000 — Hwy 16 West, a long section between Lashburn and Marshall
*2001 — Hwy 16 West, a long section from east of Lashburn to just west of Maidstone
*2002 — the opening of the twin-span Battlefords Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River
*2002 — a long section from west of the Highway 16 / 4 junction to the Battlefords Bridge
*2005 — Hwy 16 West, a long section from east of Delmas east towards the already four-laned section west of North Battleford
*2005 — Hwy 16 West, a long section from " east of the east junction of Highway 21 at Maidstone to west of the west junction of Highway 21"
*2016 — Hwy 16 East, a long section from Saskatoon east to just west of Highway 763

Major intersections

From west to east:

See also

* Transportation in Saskatchewan
* Roads in Saskatchewan

References

External links

Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway Association

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Lloydminster
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Streets in Saskatoon
Transport in Yorkton