Provincial Trunk Highway 17 (PTH 17) is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from a junction with PR 224 and PR 325 near Hodgson to a junction with PTH 9 near Winnipeg Beach.

Provincial Trunk Highway 17 marker
Provincial Trunk Highway 17
Teulon Rd
Beach Rd
Clouston Rd
Route information
Maintained by Manitoba Infrastructure
Length127 km (79 mi)
Existed1983–present
Known forNarcisse Snake Dens
Major junctions
East end PTH 9 near Winnipeg Beach
Major intersections
North end PR 224 / PR 325 near Hodgson
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceManitoba
Rural municipalities
TownsTeulon
Highway system
PTH 16A PTH 18

PTH 17 is signed as a north-south route from PR 325 to PTH 7 at Teulon and an east-west route from PTH 7 to PTH 9. The majority of the route is paved, with a gravel section between PTH 8 and PTH 9. The speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) except through urban areas.

The route near Narcisse can be very dangerous as thousands of snakes cross PTH 17 to get to/from the Narcisse Snake Dens. As snakes are run over by vehicles, the road becomes very slippery. A series of 'garter-snake fences' were built in this area to protect both the snakes and vehicle traffic.[citation needed]

Route description

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PTH 17 begins in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews at an intersection with PTH 9 a few kilometers south of Winnipeg Beach, with the road heading due west as a gravel road. 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) later, it has an intersection with PTH 8, where the highway becomes paved, crossing into the Rural Municipality of Rockwood after a few kilometers of rural farmland. PTH 17 then travels straight through the town of Teulon, where it has an intersection with PTH 7, before curving northwest and winding its way through woodlands for the next several kilometers, where it passes by Norris Lake Provincial Park, before entering the Rural Municipality of Armstrong.[1]

At the intersection with PTH 7 in Teulon, PTH 17 switches signed cardinal directions from east-west to north-south.

PTH 17 begins a concurrency (overlap) with PR 229 as it travels through Inwood, where it makes a sharp turn to the north at a junction with PR 416. PR 229 splits off shortly thereafter and PTH 17 winds its way north through a mix of farmland and wooded areas for the next several kilometers, passing through Narcisse, where it crosses a former railroad line as well as having intersections with Road 114N (which leads to the site of Bender Hamlet) and PR 231. The highway passes by the Narcisse Snake Dens and the community of Chatfield, where it has an intersection with PR 419, before crossing into the Rural Municipality of Fisher. PTH 17 has many switchbacks along its route in the Rural Municipality of Armstrong.[2]

PTH 17 almost immediately travels through Poplarfield, where it crosses PTH 68, as it heads due north through farmland to have intersections with Road 134N, which provides accessible to Broad Valley, and PR 329. The highway travels along the eastern side of Fisher Branch, where it junctions with PR 233 and crosses a creek, before continuing north to become concurrent with PR 325. PTH 17 / PR 325 make a sharp curve to the east to pass through Hodgson and cross Bottle Creek before coming to an intersection with PR 224 at the southern edge of the Peguis First Nation, where PTH 17 ends and the road continues east as PR 325.

The entire length of PTH 17 is a rural, two-lane highway.[3][4]

History

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Provincial Road 228
LocationWinnipeg BeachNarcisse
Length65 km (40 mi)
Existed1966–1983

Prior to 1964, PTH 17 was the designation of the route connecting PTH 3 near Crystal City to the US border. This highway is now the southernmost section of PTH 34.[5]

Originally, the section north of PR 231 (along with the section of PR 231 from there to PTH 7) was the northern configuration of PTH 7 between 1956 and 1966[6] before it was reconfigured to its current route. After PTH 7 was reconfigured to Arborg, the route was redesignated as PTH 16. The section south of what is now PR 231 was designated as PR 228. The route number was eliminated in 1979 when the Manitoba portion of the Yellowhead Highway was changed from PTH 4 to PTH 16 so that the route maintained one number throughout the four western provinces. PTH 16 was eliminated and it became an extension of PR 228 and PR 231.[7]

PTH 17 was designated in 1983, replacing part of PR 228, but its south end was at PTH 7. In 1987, PTH 17 was extended east to PTH 8, replacing the remainder of PR 228. It extended east to its current end in 1989. This final extension is a gravel road.

Major intersections

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DivisionLocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
St. Andrews00.0  PTH 9 – Gimli, Selkirk, Winnipeg BeachEastern terminus
53.1  PTH 8 – Gimli, WinnipegPaved highway begins
Rockwood
No major junctions
Town of Teulon2012  PTH 7 – Arborg, WinnipegPTH 17 north begins
Rockwood
No major junctions
Armstrong4226  PR 229 east – Winnipeg BeachSouth end of PR 229 concurrency
Inwood4427  PR 416 south
4629  PR 229 westNorth end of PR 229 concurrency
Narcisse6540  PR 231 east
7647  PR 419 west – Chatfield, Lundar
FisherPoplarfield9157  PTH 68 – Eriksdale, Arborg
10364  PR 329 east – Morweena, Riverton
Fisher Branch11370  PR 233
11974  PR 325 west – AshernSouthern end of PR 325 concurrency
12779  PR 224 north – Peguis, Fisher RiverSouthern terminus of PR 224
12779  PR 325 east – RivertonNorthern terminus; roadway continues as PR 325
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ Government of Manitoba. "Highway map of Manitoba section 3" (PDF). Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Government of Manitoba. "Highway map of Manitoba section 2" (PDF). Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Government of Manitoba. "Manitoba highway map section 5" (PDF). Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Map of Manitoba Highway 17" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  5. ^ Manitoba Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. 1961. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ Manitoba Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. 1964–1965. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  7. ^ Manitoba Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. 1971. Retrieved March 6, 2015.