Saskatchewan Highway 11

Highway 11 is a major north–south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada, that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately 393 kilometres (244 mi) long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail (LRT) after the 19th century Métis leader, Louis Riel. It runs from Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) in Regina north until Highway 2 south of Prince Albert. Historically the southern portion between Regina and Saskatoon was Provincial Highway 11, and followed the Dominion Survey lines on the square, and the northern portion between Saskatoon and Prince Albert was Provincial Highway 12.

From Regina to Saskatoon, Highway 11 is a four-lane divided highway except in the village of Chamberlain, where the road narrows to two lanes through the community, including its intersection with Highway 2 south to Moose Jaw. Highway 11 passes through Saskatoon, officially following Idylwyld Drive through the downtown area; however, Circle Drive is also signed as Highway 11 which serves as bypass route. North of Saskatoon, the road continues as a four-lane divided highway past the communities of Warman, Osler, Hague, Rosthern, and Duck Lake. Highway 11 then runs through the Nisbet Provincial Forest and past the hamlet of MacDowall before it reaches its northern terminus with Highway 2 approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) south of Prince Albert.

Most of the intersections along the highway are at-grade; however, there are several interchanges and overpasses along the Regina Bypass and through Saskatoon. There is a partial cloverleaf at Lumsden in the Qu'Appelle Valley and another one at Warman.

The Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway came through the region between Regina and Prince Albert via Saskatoon, as early as 1890 providing an early method of travel following the Red River cart and trail days. Chamberlain and Aylesbury were first linked via a highway in 1929; before this date transportation between the two was by a variety of trails. The summer of 1929 also started another road leaving the Qu'Appelle River valley east. Construction required building up low spots with elevating graders and dump wagons operated by horses. The elevating grader was to till unbroken soil and turn it towards a conveyor which lifted the dirt into the dump wagons. This process used eight horses pulling in the front, and another eight at the rear pushing. The fresno crew constructed the level areas. Ditches were constructed on a 7% grade and filled with field rock to help prevent erosion. One of the main problems constructing the highway was the heavy field stone knolls. This highway served until 1949 when it was upgraded.

"The upland collection area for the underground streams comes together on top of the valley near Chamberlain. Highway construction surveyors had to curve the right-of-way to avoid this area. Another interesting diversion that the highway surveyors had to make, at the insistence of local residents, was to go around a large stone that had a metal marker spike in it, likely set up and recorded by early explorers. This site is now marked on the LRT with a large silhouette buffalo statue made by Don Wilkins."

The 1926 highway map of Saskatchewan marks the route of Provincial Highway 11 following along the Canadian National Railway (CNR) using township and range roads, so travel is in lines straight north, changing direction to west travel at 90 degree angles from Regina through to Saskatoon. Only Provincial Highway 12 is marked in the same fashion between Saskatoon and Prince Albert on the 1926 highway map of Saskatchewan, which has formed the base of the northern section of Highway 11. (The current Saskatchewan Highway 12 travels between Saskatoon and Shell Lake.)

As tractors replaced horses in the field and motorized vehicles replaced horses on the road, an increasing need arose to replace the early dirt trails with graded gravel highways. In the early 1930s, the gravel highway constructed between Chamberlain and Aylesbury in 1929 was further extended to Dundurn to meet this need. Shortly thereafter, the gravelled highway extended between Saskatoon and Regina.

As the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) increased, the need for wider, all-weather, paved roads became increasingly apparent. As early as the 1930s, various Saskatchewan cities, towns, and rural municipalities lobbied the provincial government to develop hard surfaced roads, including Highway 11, to connect its major centres, particularly Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Moose Jaw. Saskatoon mayor R.M. Pinder argued that Highway 11 should receive priority because "it serves the greatest number of people for the longest period of time" and its hard surfacing would facilitate the travel of American tourists to Prince Albert National Park and support transport operations to and from the Dundurn Military Camp. A dispute flared up between Saskatoon and Prince Albert community organizations over whether Highway 11 or Highway 2 should be paved first. Prince Albert advocated prioritizing Highway 2 as a more direct route between the northern and southern parts of the province and a more attractive route for American tourists driving to Prince Albert National Park. Saskatoon preferred Highway 11 because the alternative would bypass it and not provide as many Saskatchewan residents the transportation benefits of direct access to a paved highway. In 1950, the provincial government indicated that it would prioritize the paving of Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Regina; by October 1952 this section was completely paved.