Manitoba Highway 12

PTH 12 near the Minnesota border

PTH 12 begins in the southeast corner of the province in the Rural Municipality of Piney as a continuation of Minnesota State Highway 313 (MN 313) at the Warroad-Sprague Border Crossing. It immediately has an intersection with Buffalo Point Road, which leads to Buffalo Point, before curving to the west as a two-lane highway to pass through Middlebro. Between the U.S. border and Buffalo Point Road, the highway lies less than 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the shores of Lake of the Woods. The road heads nearly due west for the next several kilometers, traveling through wooded areas while having an intersection with PR 308 in Sprague (which provides access to the Northwest Angle), and PR 310 in South Junction (which provides access to Roseau, MN), before having intersections with access roads leading to Vassar. PTH 12 transitions into farmland as travels along the north side of Piney, where it junctions with PTH 89, PR 201, and PR 203 at a single intersection. The highway enters woodlands again to have an intersection with PR 210 near Menisino before curving northwest to cross into the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn.

PTH 12 has a junction with Road 53 east, which leads to Sundown, before passing through the community of Lonesand. The highway crosses into the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie at a junction with PR 404 and PR 203. It now travels through the community of Zhoda, junctioning with PR 302 and re-entering farmland, and has an intersection with PR 403 before entering the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

PTH 12 curves due northward to have an intersection with PR 205 near Sarto, as well an intersection with PR 303 near Friedensfeld, before entering the city of Steinbach as it passes by the Steinbach (South) Airport. The road widens to a four lane divided highway as it passes through neighborhoods and the western end of downtown as Brandt Street, where it has a junction with PTH 52 (Main Street) in the middle of an S-curve. PTH 12 continues north through a business district, passing by Steinbach Airport, before leaving Steinbach and returning to the Rural Municipality of Hanover. The highway has a short concurrency (overlap) with PR 311 in Blumenort, which it bypasses along its eastern side, before crossing into the Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne.

PTH 12 has a junction with PR 210 before bypassing the town of Ste. Anne along its western side, where it has an interchange with PR 207 (part of the Old Dawson Trail). It now has a rather large Cloverleaf interchange with PTH 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) before narrowing to two lanes as it enters the Rural Municipality of Tache. The continues due north through rural farmland, having an intersection with PR 501 near Rosewood, before crossing into the Rural Municipality of Springfield.

PTH 12 travels through the center of the town of Anola, where it has an intersection with PTH 15, before traveling along the border with the Rural Municipality of Brokenhead for the next several kilometers, junctioning with PR 213 and PR 215 as it travels through the community of Hazelglen. It fully enters the Rural Municipality of Brokenhead as it becomes concurrent with PTH 44 near Garson and Tyndall. The two head due east as a four lane divided highway for a couple kilometers to bypass the town of Beausejour on the north side, where PTH 12 splits of and heads north as a two lane highway. PTH 12 has an intersection with PR 435 before traveling through Ladywood and Dencross, where it junctions with PR 317.

PTH 12 crosses into the Rural Municipality of St. Clements shortly before crossing the Brokenhead River, traveling through Thalberg before becoming concurrent with PTH 59 in Gull Lake (after passing by the Lake of the same name). They head north along the border with the Rural Municipality of Alexander, having intersections with PR 304 and PR 500 in Beaconia, before returning to the Rural Municipality of St. Clements as PTH 12 splits off and heads east. PTH 12 has another intersection with PR 500 before traveling through the town of Grand Marais, where it comes to a dead end in Grand Beach Provincial Park, along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg.[2][3]

PTH 12 was originally designated in 1928 and followed the Old Dawson Trail from St. Boniface to Ste. Anne.[4] In the 1950s, it was extended south to Sarto, then southeast to Zhoda, Piney, South Junction, and eventually Sprague. The original portion of PTH 12 was decommissioned (most of it is now part of Provincial Road 207) and then extended north to Beausejour and Pine Falls, replacing PTH 22 north of Anola. A spur, Manitoba Highway 12V, was created from PTH 12 to Victoria Beach from the part of PTH 22 that was not replaced by PTH 12. Another spur, Manitoba Highway 12G, was created from PTH 12 to Grand Beach as a renumbering of PTH 22A. In 1960, PTH 12 was extended southeast to the Minnesota border. In 1966, the section of PTH 12 from PTH 12V to Pine Falls became part of PTH 11, and the section of PTH 12 from PTH 12G to PTH 12V, along with PTH 12V itself, became part of PTH 59. At the same time, PTH 12 was rerouted over PTH 12G.

• Official Name and Location - Declaration of Provincial Trunk Highways Regulation - The Highways and Transportation Act - Provincial Government of Manitoba
• Official Highway Map - Published and maintained by the Department of Infrastructure - Provincial Government of Manitoba (see Legend and Map#3)
• Google Maps Search - Provincial Trunk Highway 12