The Riverhurst Ferry is a cable ferry

Cable ferry

A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....

 in the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 province of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

. The ferry crosses Lake Diefenbaker

Lake Diefenbaker

Lake Diefenbaker is a reservoir in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. It was formed by the construction of Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. The lake is long with...

, linking Riverhurst

Riverhurst, Saskatchewan

Riverhurst is a village in the south-west Coteau Hills area of Saskatchewan, Canada and is north of Vermillion Hills. It is primarily a farming community....

 on the west bank to Lucky Lake

Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan

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 on the east bank. The ferry is how Highway 42

Saskatchewan Highway 42

Highway 42 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the intersecion of Highway 2 and Highway 202 near Tuxford until Highway 15...

 crosses Lake Diefenbaker.

The ferry is operated by the Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation, and travels a distance of some 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi). The ferry is free of tolls and operates 24 hours a day, with an hourly crossing departing from the west bank on the hour and the east bank on the half-hour. The ferry operates during the ice-free season; during the winter months the department lays out and maintains an ice road

Ice road

Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...

across the lake.

The Riverhurst Ferry is Saskatchewan’s largest ferry, with a length of 35.6 metres (116.8 ft), a width of 14 metres (45.9 ft), and a weight of 90.7 tonnes. It carries a maximum of 18 cars on each crossing. It is powered by a computer controlled engine and powers a central drive cable. There are three guide cables, two mounted one foot from the left and right sides, and a middle cable running underneath the hull.

In 2003, the Riverhurst Ferry was renovated, with additions of a new drive system, control tower and passenger areas, including restrooms and a small lounge. After the renovations, the ferry was plagued with technical difficulties involving the drive system. The ferry frequently broke down and as a result was unreliable for years after. Presently, the ferry is operating normally.