Manitoba Highway 45

Provincial Trunk Highway 45 (PTH 45) is a provincial highway in the Parkland Region of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from PTH 16 and PTH 83 in the town of Russell to PTH 10 5 km north of the village of Erickson.

PTH 45 provides an alternate route to Riding Mountain National Park for travelers coming from Saskatchewan and the western part of Manitoba as opposed to taking the Yellowhead Highway to Minnedosa and PTH 10 north.

PTH 45 is officially named the Russell Subdivision Trail. The speed limit is 100 km/h (62.5 mph).

Route description
PTH 45 begins in the Rural Municipality of Russell - Binscarth in Russell at an intersection with PTH 16 / PTH 83 at the southeastern corner of town. It passes by some businesses before heading through rural farmland to leave Russell and enter the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West. The highway curves southeastward as it passes through the communities of Silverton and Angusville, crossing PR 478 and PR 476 prior to entering the Rossburn Municipality.

PTH 45 travels through the Waywayseecappo First Nation, crossing a lake (via causeway) and the Birdtail River, as well as passing through the main business district of the reserve. The highway then goes through several switchbacks as it leaves the First Nation and travels through the town of Rossburn, where it has an intersection with PR 264 (Main Street), and the community of Vista. Crossing into the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead, PTH 45 bypasses the town of Oakburn along its north side, having a junction between PTH 21 and PR 577, before traveling southeast through farmland for the next several kilometers. It passes through Menzie, where it has an intersection with PR 566, on its way to bypass the town of Elphinstone on its south side, crossing the Little Saskatchewan River and having an intersection with PR 354.

Entering the Rural Municipality of Harrison Park, PTH 45 passes by Sandy Lake, where it junctions with PR 250, and Rackham, where it junctions with PR 270, as it travels past several lakes over the next several kilometers, crossing one of them via a causeway. The highway crosses the Trans Canada Trail, entering the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam - Erickson, and coming to an end shortly thereafter at an intersection with PTH 10 (John Bracken Highway) 5 km north of Erickson.

The entire length of Manitoba Highway 45 is a rural, paved, two-lane highway.

History
When the highway was first designated in 1959, PTH 45 was dubbed derisively by some locals as "The Turkey Trail". This was due to its narrow and winding nature at the time, which resembled the winding bush paths commonly found on Prairie farms. This, along with some very sharp curves in the western section between Elphinstone and Russell, increased the travel time along this route. By 1966, the highway had been realigned to closely follow the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) alternate line, removing the sharp curves and unnecessary turns and allowing the highway to be more streamlined for safer travel.