Route information | ||||
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Maintained by Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure & Transport Canada | ||||
Length | 262.7 km[1] (163.2 mi) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | Highway 9 at the Alberta border near Alsask | |||
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East end | Highway 14 in Saskatoon | |||
Location | ||||
Country | Canada | |||
Province | Saskatchewan | |||
Rural municipalities | Milton, Elma, Kindersley, Pleasant Valley, St. Andrews, Harris, Vanscoy, Corman Park | |||
Major cities | Saskatoon | |||
Towns | Kindersley, Rosetown | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Saskatchewan Highway 7 is a major paved undivided provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, running from the Alberta border to Saskatoon. Highway 7 continues west into Alberta where it becomes Alberta Highway 9.[2]
Highway 7 is an important trade and travel route linking Saskatoon with several of its bedroom communities such as Delisle and Vanscoy, as well as larger centres farther afield such as Rosetown and Kindersley. Its primary use, however, is by travelers heading for Calgary, Alberta and the Canadian west coast.
Despite being one of the most heavily used roads in the province, as of 2020, there is only approximately 36.5 km of the route that is divided highway; 34.5 km from Saskatoon to Delisle,[3] including a recently completed bypass of Vanscoy, and 2 km just east of Rosetown at the Rosetown Airport and Cargill inland terminal. In 2020, the provincial government announced funding to install eight passing lanes east of Kindersley,[4] as well as further plans for an additional six to the west, bringing the total number of passing lanes to 26 along the corridor and helping to improve safety until such a time as twinning the highway is financially feasible and traffic volumes require such. Extensive oil exploration and development has been occurring since 2010, primarily in the Kindersley Region, from Brock to the Alberta Border. Heavy traffic, agriculture, grain transport, and oilfield service, as well as oil and fuel transports, are common on this highway. Agriculture, and oilfield services are the main industries of the area. The only District hospital on Hwy 7 is located at Kindersley.
Agrium Vanscoy Potash Operations is Canada's third largest producer of potash fertilizer. In the 1930s early homesteaders would maintain Highway 7 as a means to supplement their income. Provincial Highway 7 followed the Canadian Northern Railway grade for direction of travel with the actual road way being on the square on the Dominion survey township lines. Highway 7 was widened in 1944 and rebuilt between 1960 and 1961.
Highway 7 currently terminates at its junction with 22nd Street West (Highway 14) in west Saskatoon, although it is marked to run concurrently to Highway 11 (Idylwyld Drive). In 2005, work began on realigning Highway 7 in order to make way for the Blairmore Suburban Centre development including the Bethlehem High School, Tommy Douglas Collegiate and the Shaw Centre located where Highway 7 linked with 22nd Street prior to 2006.
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