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.
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.[3] By 1966, the highway had been realigned to closely follow the Canadian National Railway (CNR) Rossburn Subdivision line, removing the sharp curves and unnecessary turns and allowing the highway to be more streamlined for safer travel.[4]
