History of the Trans-Canada across Saskatchewan: Swift Current to Regina
This part of the Trans-Canada travels across a variety of ice age terrain. Some parts are gravelly moraine (impossible to farm), and some parts are sandy lake bottom (easy to farm)
Moose Jaw Bypass
The juncture of the Moose Jaw River and Thunder Creek produced the best source of water for steam engines, and Moose Jaw became the CPR divisional point, used to change crews and equipment.
Moose Jaw, called "Little Chicago" since rum-running prohibition times up to and during the Depression, is a city of just over 30,000 along the Trans-Canada.
The Trans-Canada passes just to the north and east of the Moose Jaw city centre. This accommodates city businesses and existing street and parking limitations, while letting highway speed traffic to pass unencumbered around it. The town has a number of large roadside attractions: Capone's Car, Moose Family and Mac the Moose
On November 9, 2011, the section between Moose Jaw and Regina was designated "Saskatchewan's Highway of Heroes" to honour province's soldiers who died in service
Regina Ring Road and ByPass
At Regina, the highway meets the city in the south and has two official courses: through the city along Albert Street north to Victoria Avenue, then east, or on the Trans-Canada Bypass around the southeastern portion of the city. The bypass section is a controlled-access highway and is often called the Ring Road. Traffic continuing east along the Trans-Canada Highway exits at Victoria Avenue. After Regina, Highway 1 continues onward to Brandon and Winnipeg.
New Regina Ring Road in the works
Because of growth of communities to the south and to the east of Regina, the ring road has reached its capacity.
A new bypass around Regina is under construction, connecting Highway 11 to/from Saskatoon, passing west of Regina's suburbs, south of the current Trans-Canada route, and extending east to Balgonie. This new route will increase speed of traffic through Regina and is expected to be complete by 2020, with most construction finished in 2019. The first two overpasses at Balgonie and White City will be complete by the fall of 2017. This project, done by a public-private partnership ("P3") is expected to cost about $1.8 billion. REgina Bypass Updates
More Trans-Canada Highway History← West
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Trans-Canada Highway Itinerary Map
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