Manitoba Highway 3A Explained

Province:MB
Type:PTH
Route:3A
Spur Of:3
Spur Type:MB
Maint:Manitoba Infrastructure
Length Km:11.2
Established:1960
Direction A:West
Direction B:East
Terminus A: east of Mather
Junction: in Clearwater
Terminus B: in Crystal City
Previous Type:Hwy
Previous Route:3
Next Type:Hwy
Next Route:4

Provincial Trunk Highway 3A (PTH 3A) is a provincial primary highway located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from PTH 3 to the same route concurrent with PTH 34. The highway continues as PR 423 from its eastern terminus.

The highway serves as a direct connection to the town of Clearwater, and also is a shortcut. The speed limit is 90 km/h (55 mph).

Route description

PTH 3A begins at an intersection with PTH 3 (Boundary Commission Trail) in a rural part of the Municipality of Louise. It heads north through the flat farmland of the prairies to cross a bridge over Cypress Creek (closed since 2016) and pass along the eastern edge of Clearwater, where it has an intersection with PR 342 and makes a sharp curve to the east. The highway begins paralleling a former railroad line as it travels along the southern edge of Crystal City, where it comes to an end at an intersection with PTH 3 / PTH 34 (Boundary Commission Trail). The road continues east as gravel PR 423.[1]

The entire length of Manitoba Provincial Trunk Highway 3A is a paved, rural, two-lane highway, located entirely in the Municipality of Louise.

Bridge closure

Since 2016, PTH 3A has been split into two segments, both meeting a dead end at Cypress Creek. This due to the bridge across the creek being closed by the province due to safety concerns. The bridge was a concrete version of a Bowstring arch truss, originally built between 1919 and 1920 by the Winnipeg construction firm of Alex Gall and Company. Its original cost was $13,700. In deteriorating condition, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 2016 and was demolished in spring 2018.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Manitoba Highway map #2. Government of Manitoba. December 19, 2022.
  2. Web site: Historic Sites of Manitoba: Concrete Bowstring Arch Bridge (Cypress Creek, Clearwater, Municipality of Louise). Manitoba Historical Society. November 28, 2019. December 19, 2022.