Highway in Manitoba
Provincial Trunk Highway 34 (PTH 34) is a provincial primary highway located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from the U.S. border (where it meets with ND 20) to PTH 16 at the town of Gladstone.
PTH 34 is two lanes and runs north-south in the south-central region of the province. It is the main highway for the towns of Crystal City, Pilot Mound, and Holland. While the village of Austin is actually located 1 km east of the highway along PTH 1, the highway itself provides access to Austin's Agricultural Museum, which hosts the annual Thresherman's Reunion and Stampede each July.[1]
The speed limit is 90 km/h (55 mph).
Route description
PTH 34 begins in the Municipality of Louise at the North Dakota border, with the road continuing south towards Sarles, Calvin, and Devils Lake as North Dakota Highway 20 (ND 20). It heads north through rural farmland for a few kilometers, crossing Cypress Creek and becoming concurrent (overlapped) with PTH 3 (Boundary Commission Trail) to travel through the town of Crystal City, where they cross Crystal Creek and junction with PTH 3A and PR 423. The highway travels along the eastern edge of town before curving northeast to leave Crystal City and enter the town of Pilot Mound a few kilometers later. The road travels along the eastern edge, and mostly bypasses, the town, having an intersection with PR 253 here. They leave Pilot Mound and come to a T-intersection, with PTH 3 and the Boundary Commission Trail continue straight towards Morden, and PTH 34 turning due northward to enter the Rural Municipality of Lorne.
PTH 34 crosses the Pembina River at the eastern edge of Swan Lake to enter the Swan Lake First Nation, where it junctions with PTH 23. It leaves the reserve and heads through rural farmland for several kilometers, having a short concurrency with PR 245 near Bruxelles before going through a switchback to enter the Rural Municipality of Victoria. The travels along the eastern edge of the town of Holland, where it has intersections with PR 449 and PTH 2 (Red Coat Trail), before crossing the Assiniboine River and winding its way through wooded areas to enter the Municipality of North Norfolk.
PTH 34 re-enters farmland and travels through Pratt, having an intersection with PR 352, and winding it way north to pass along the western side of Austin, where it crosses a railroad track and PTH 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). The highway heads north through rural farmland for several kilometers, crossing into the Rural Municipality of WestLake – Gladstone near Pine Creek Station.
PTH 34 crosses Pine Creek and heads through rural areas for a few kilometers, passing by Gladstone Aerodrome and crossing over another creek before entering the town of Gladstone, where it comes to an end at an intersection with PTH 16 (Yellowhead Highway) on the south side of town. The road continues north as Morris Avenue into downtown.[2] [3]
The entire length of Manitoba Highway 34 is a rural, paved, two-lane highway.
History
PTH 34 first appeared on the 1955 Manitoba Highway Map.[4] When it was first added, the highway was a much shorter route between Gladstone and Holland, with the southern terminus located at PTH 2. The highway's southern terminus was extended to PTH 23 in 1957,[5] and then to PTH 3 the following year.[6]
The section between PTH 3 and the US border was originally designated as PTH 17. This southernmost portion was redesignated to PTH 34 in 1964.[7]
When the highway was initially added, it was originally slated to end at PTH 3 in the south and PTH 4 (now PTH 16) in the north. As a result, the highway was designated as PTH 34 to reflect this configuration.[citation needed]
ND 20 (Sarles–Crystal City Border Crossing)
PTH 16 (TCH) at Gladstone
