Manitoba Highway 21

Provincial Trunk Highway 21 (PTH 21) is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from the U.S. border (where it meets with ND 14) to PTH 45 and PR 577 in the village of Oakburn.

PTH 21 is two lanes and runs north–south in the southwestern region of the province. It is the main highway for the towns of Deloraine (where it meets PTH 3), Hartney, Hamiota, and Shoal Lake.

The speed limit is 90 km/h (55 mph).

In 2012, PTH 21 was given the dubious distinction of being named the second-worst road in the province that year.

Route description
PTH 21 begins in the Rural Municipality of Deloraine - Winchester at the North Dakota border, with the road continuing south towards Carbury and Bottineau as North Dakota Highway 14 (ND 14). Traveling along the western edge of Turtle Mountain, the highway heads north, running along the border with the Rural Municipality of Brenda - Waskada, to have a junction with PR 251 before bypassing the town of Deloraine along its western side, where it has a short concurrency (overlap) with PTH 3 (Boundary Commission Trail), crossing a small creek. It travels through the community of Dand before entering the Rural Municipality of Grassland.

PTH 21 continues north, having intersections with PR 345 and PTH 23, before passage through the town of Hartney, where it crosses the Souris River. The highway enters the Rural Municipality of Sifton and has a short concurrency with PTH 2 (Red Coat Trail) near Deleau before traveling along the borders of the Rural Municipality of Souris - Glenwood and Rural Municipality of Whitehead, having an intersection with PR 543 and crossing a causeway over some wetlands and a small lake before traveling along the eastern side of Griswold, where it junctions with PTH 1 (Trans-Canada Highway).

The highway has a junction with PR 455 and crosses the Assiniboine River into the Rural Municipality of Wallace - Woodworth, immediately making a sharp curve to the west, junctioning with PR 564 and passing through the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. PTH 21 makes another sharp curve back to the north at an intersection with PR 463, and travels through Kenton, where it has an intersection with PR 259. The highway enters the Rural Municipality of Hamiota, passing by Oakner on its way to Parks Corner, where it junctions with PTH 24. PTH 21 now travels through the town of Hamiota, where it has an intersection with PR 469, as it heads northward past several ponds and small lakes, having a short concurrency with PR 355 5 km west of McConnell, before entering the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead.

PTH 21 winds its way along Shoal Lake for a few kilometers to enter the town of Shoal Lake, traveling through neighborhoods before making a sharp right in downtown at an intersection with The Drive, which leads to PTH 42. The highway curves back northward as it crosses a railroad line, passing through more neighborhoods before having a junction with PTH 16 (Yellowhead Highway). PTH 21 leaves Shoal Lake and heads north for several kilometers to enter Oakburn. It passes through neighborhoods, as well as the eastern edge of downtown at the intersection with Main Street, before crossing a former railroad line and coming to an intersection with PTH 45 (Russell Subdivision Trail), where PTH 21 ends and the road continues north as PR 577 towards Olha.

The entire length of Manitoba Highway 21 is a rural, paved, two-lane highway.

History
The northern terminus for PTH 21 was originally located at PTH 2 in Deleau. In 1947, it extended north to PTH 1 in Griswold. In 1949, it extended north to PTH 4 in Shoal Lake, replacing part of PTH 1 and all of PTH 28. In 1960, PTH 21 extended north to its present terminus.