Alberta Provincial Highway Network

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Alberta Provincial Highway Network
Alberta Highway 1.svg Alberta Highway 2.svg Alberta Highway 520.svg
Highway markers for Highway 1, Highway 2, and Highway 520
Alberta Provincial Highway System.png
Alberta's provincial highway system as of 2016
System information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors
Length31,400 km (19,500 mi)
Formedc. 1934 [1]
Highway names
TypesCore: Highway 1–216
X: Highway 1X–43X
Local/Rural: Highway 500–986
System links

    The Alberta Provincial Highway Network consists of all the roads, bridges and interchanges in Alberta that are maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC). This network includes over 64,000 lane kilometres of roads (equivalent to 31,400 kilometres), and over 4,800 bridges and interchanges. [2] The longest highway in the network is Highway 2 with a total length of 1,273 kilometres (791 mi). Over 58,000 lane kilometres (equivalent to 28,400 kilometres) of the roads in the network are paved, with the remaining being unpaved. [3] Outside this network, the total length of the road infrastructure in Alberta totals over 473,000 kilometres of single-lane equivalent roads. [4]

    Contents

    Regulations

    In Alberta, similar to Ontario, all public roads are legally considered highways under the Traffic Safety Act (TSA), which sets forth traffic regulations, or the rules of the road that drivers on Alberta's highways are legally required and obligated to follow. [5] The Highways Development and Protection Act (HDPA) sets the regulations concerning roads and highways that are under the ownership and authority of the Government of Alberta. [6]

    Speed limits on provincial highways are regulated by the Traffic Safety Act, and vary between 50 km/h (31 mph) and 100 km/h (62 mph) depending on the type of highway, [5] however divided highways usually have a set speed of 110 km/h (68 mph).

    Classification

    Alberta has two distinct series of highways:

    1–216 series

    These highways form the core component of Alberta's highway network. All highways within this series are numbered from 1 to 100, with the exception of highways 201 and 216 which serve as the ring roads for Calgary and Edmonton, respectively. Highways 1 and 16 make up part of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) system, and are the only highways within the network that are given this designation. The remaining highways lack this designation and are not considered part of the TCH, however various other, or portions of, highways within the network are considered to be part of the National Highway System (NHS). Some of the highways in Alberta's highway network that are part of the NHS are highways 9, 28, 35, and 63. In total, sixteen highways in the province's highway network are part of the NHS.

    500–986 series

    These highways form the remainder of Alberta's highway network. The highways within this series are typically considered to be local and/or rural highways.

    History

    In April 1918, Bill 37, entitled "An Act to provide for a System of Highways in the Province", was passed, establishing the basis of a true highway network within the province. It designated all public roads within the province as highways, including trails. As part of this, highways were split into three separate classifications: main highways, district highways, and local highways. Main highways were considered crucial highways necessary for the effective means of transport between more important ciites and towns within the province; district highways were highways considered to be important locally; and local highways were any remaining highways that were not classified as either main or district highways. [7] However, the concept of highways within the province have existed since c. 1906. [8]

    In 1926, Alberta discontinued its system of marking highways with different colours in favour of a numbering system. [9] By 1928, the year a gravel road stretched from Edmonton to the United States border, Alberta's provincial highway network comprised 2,310 km (1,440 mi). [9]

    Prior to 1973, the expanding highway system comprised one-digit and two-digit highways, with some numbers having letter suffixes (e.g., Highway 1X, Highway 26A). [10] In 1973, a second highway system emerged, using three digits starting in the 500s and referred to as secondary roads, while the existing system continued to be referred to as provincial highways. [11] In 1974, provincial highways became known as primary highways; [12] and in 1990, secondary roads became known as secondary highways. [13]

    Secondary highways were abolished in 2000, with most becoming primary highways. [14] The expanded primary highway system was divided into two subsets: former primary highways, which became the 1–216 series; [15] and former secondary highways, which became the 500–986 series. [16] In 2010, all highways became known as provincial highways, while maintaining the two numbered series. [17] [18] Despite this, the series are still often referred to as primary and secondary highways, respectively.

    See also

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Canada Highway</span> Transcontinental highway system in Canada

    The Trans-Canada Highway is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast. The main route spans 7,476 km (4,645 mi) across the country, one of the longest routes of its type in the world. The highway system is recognizable by its distinctive white-on-green maple leaf route markers, although there are small variations in the markers in some provinces.

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 2, commonly referred to as Highway 2 or the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is a major highway in Alberta that stretches from the Canada–United States border through Calgary and Edmonton to Grande Prairie. Running primarily north to south for approximately 1,273 kilometres (791 mi), it is the longest and busiest highway in the province carrying more than 170,000 vehicles per day near Downtown Calgary. The Fort Macleod—Edmonton section forms a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links Alaska to Mexico. More than half of Alberta's 4 million residents live in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor created by Highway 2.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 22</span> Highway in Alberta, Canada

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 22, commonly referred to as Highway 22 and officially named Cowboy Trail, is a 584-kilometre (363 mi) highway in the Canadian province of Alberta. It generally parallels Highway 2, beginning in the foothills of southern Alberta at Highway 3 near Lundbreck Falls. It proceeds north along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains passing through the foothills and ranch country to the aspen parkland of northern Alberta, ending at Highway 18 near Mayerthorpe.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 4</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 4, commonly referred to as Highway 4, is a 103-kilometre (64 mi) highway in southern Alberta, Canada that connects Highway 3 in Lethbridge to Interstate 15 in Montana. The highway was designated in 1999 as the First Special Service Force Memorial Highway in honour of elite soldiers who travelled to Helena, Montana for training before World War II. The highway continues into the United States retaining that name.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Henday Drive</span> Freeway that encircles Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 216, better known by its official name of Anthony Henday Drive, is a 78-kilometre (48 mi) freeway that encircles Edmonton, Alberta. It is a heavily travelled commuter and truck bypass route with the southwest quadrant serving as a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links Canada to the United States and Mexico. Henday is one of the busiest highways in Western Canada, carrying over 95,000 vehicles per day in 2022 at its busiest point near West Edmonton Mall. Rush hour congestion is common on the four-lane section in southwest Edmonton, where traffic levels have risen due to rapid suburban development. Work began in fall 2019 to widen this section to six lanes by the end of 2023.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 21</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 21, commonly referred to as Highway 21, is a north–south highway in Alberta, Canada that parallels Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton. It is approximately 328 kilometres (204 mi) in length. It begins at the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) east of Strathmore, and ends at Fort Saskatchewan where it is succeeded by Highway 15. The northernmost 25 kilometres (16 mi) of the highway are twinned. Highway 21 runs roughly parallel to the main north–south CN rail line between Calgary and Edmonton between Three Hills and Looma.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 14</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 14, commonly referred to as Highway 14, is an east-west highway in central Alberta, Canada. It stretches from Edmonton through Wainwright to the Alberta–Saskatchewan border, running parallel to the more northern Highway 16. Highway 14 is about 257 kilometres (160 mi) long.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway 17 (Alberta–Saskatchewan)</span> Highway in Western Canada

    Highway 17 is a highway in Canada that straddles and criss-crosses the Alberta–Saskatchewan provincial border. The portion from the provincial border at Dillberry Lake Provincial Park to the provincial border 800 metres (2,600 ft) north of the North Saskatchewan River is designated as Alberta Provincial Highway No. 17 by Alberta Transportation, commonly referred to as Highway 17.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 19</span> Highway in Alberta, Canada

    Highway 19 and Highway 625 are two provincial highways south of Edmonton in the Canadian province of Alberta that form a continuous east–west route connecting Highway 60 near Devon to Highway 21 east of Beaumont. Highway 19 was acquired by the City of Edmonton in the land annexation approved by the Province in 2019. Highway 19 passes north of the Edmonton International Airport and, in tandem with Highway 60, provides a southwest bypass of Edmonton between Highways 2 and 16. East of Highway 2, Highway 19 becomes Highway 625 and continues through Nisku Industrial Park. It intersects Highway 814 in Beaumont before ending at Highway 21.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 28</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 28, commonly referred to as Highway 28, is a 293-kilometre (182 mi) highway in north-central Alberta, Canada that connects Edmonton to Cold Lake. It begins at Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16) in Edmonton as 97 Street NW, running through the city's north suburbs before entering Sturgeon County and passing CFB Edmonton. After merging with Highway 28A near Gibbons it winds through agricultural lands of north-central Alberta, roughly paralleling the North Saskatchewan River until Smoky Lake before continuing east through St. Paul County to Bonnyville. It turns northeast to CFB Cold Lake, before ending at Lakeshore Drive in the city of Cold Lake shortly thereafter.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 28A</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 28A, commonly referred to as Highway 28A, is an 18-kilometre (11 mi) highway in Alberta, Canada that connects Highway 15 in northeast Edmonton to Highway 28 near Gibbons. It is numbered 17 Street NE within Edmonton and forms an alternate route to Highway 28 into the city from the north. As the southernmost component of the Edmonton–Fort McMurray corridor, the highway is designated as a core route of Canada's National Highway System for its entire length.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 43</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 43, commonly referred to as Highway 43, is a major highway in northern and central Alberta, Canada that connects Edmonton to the British Columbia border via the Peace Country, forming the northernmost portion of the CANAMEX Corridor in Alberta. It stretches approximately 495 km (308 mi) from Highway 16 near Manly Corner west of Edmonton to the British Columbia border west of Demmitt. It is designated as a core route in Canada's National Highway System, comprising a portion of a key international corridor that stretches from Alaska into Mexico.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 63</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 63, commonly referred to as Highway 63, is a 434-kilometre (270 mi) highway in northern Alberta, Canada that connects the Athabasca oil sands and Fort McMurray to Edmonton via Highway 28. It begins as a two-lane road near the hamlet of Radway where it splits from Highway 28, running north through aspen parkland and farmland of north central Alberta. North of Boyle, it curves east to pass through the hamlet of Grassland and becomes divided west of Atmore where it again turns north, this time through heavy boreal forest and muskeg, particularly beyond Wandering River. Traffic levels significantly increase as Highway 63 bends through Fort McMurray, crossing the Athabasca River before connecting the city to the Syncrude and Suncor Energy plants further north. It ends approximately 16 km (10 mi) beyond a second crossing of the Athabasca River northeast of Fort McKay.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherwood Park Freeway</span> Highway in Alberta, Canada

    Sherwood Park Freeway is a 7.1-kilometre (4.4 mi) freeway that connects east Edmonton to Sherwood Park in Alberta, Canada. It begins in the Gainer Industrial area, where Argyll Road and 82 (Whyte) Avenue merge, before it intersects 50 Street. It then curves slightly northeast through industrial areas in southeastern Edmonton across 34 Street into Strathcona County, then across 17 Street, and the freeway ends at Anthony Henday Drive. It then continues into Sherwood Park as Wye Road (Highway 630). It is primarily a commuter route, with heavier weekday volume westbound in the morning and eastbound in the afternoon, as residents of Sherwood Park commute to Edmonton.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 55</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 55, commonly referred to as Highway 55, is a 263-kilometre (163 mi) long east–west highway in northeast Alberta, Canada. It extends from the Saskatchewan border in the east through the Cold Lake, Lac La Biche, and Athabasca where it ends at Highway 2. In Saskatchewan, it continues as Saskatchewan Highway 55.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 630</span> Highway in Alberta

    Wye Road is a major arterial road and rural highway that links Sherwood Park from Anthony Henday Drive on the east side of Edmonton to Highway 14 west of Tofield. It is preceded by Sherwood Park Freeway, and east of Highway 21 is designated as Alberta Provincial Highway No. 630, commonly referred to as Highway 630. Wye Road is part of a 40-kilometre-long (25 mi) continuous roadway that runs through Sherwood Park, Edmonton, and St. Albert that includes Sherwood Park Freeway, Whyte Avenue, portions of University Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive, Groat Road, and St. Albert Trail.

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 14X, commonly referred to as Highway 14X, was the designation of a former spur route of Highway 14 in Alberta, Canada. It was a short north-south provincial highway located in Strathcona County between Edmonton and Sherwood Park and is now part of Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 986</span> Highway in Alberta

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 986, commonly referred to as Highway 986, is an east-west highway in Northern Alberta. It spans approximately 158 km (98 mi) from Highway 35 to Highway 88.

    Alberta Provincial Highway No. 16X, commonly referred to as Highway 16X, is the designation of one former and three proposed routes off Highway 16 in Alberta, Canada. The former section was a 36 km (22 mi) east–west provincial highway in Edmonton Capital Region, that existed for approximately 20 years between the 1970s and 1997 and is now part of Highway 16. Right of way is set aside around Hinton, Edson, and Lloydminster that is presently designated as Highway 16X.

    References

    1. ↑ "The evolution of regional highways". Lacombe Express. August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
    2. ↑ "Major construction projects". Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    3. ↑ 2024–27 Transportation and Economic Corridors Business Plan (February 2024) (PDF). Alberta Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors. p. 3. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    4. ↑ "How Alberta built enough roads to reach the moon". CBC News. October 4, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    5. 1 2 "Traffic Safety Act" (PDF). Government of Alberta. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    6. ↑ "Highways Development and Protection Act" (PDF). November 30, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    7. ↑ "An Act to provide for a System of Highways in the Province" (PDF). Canadian Legal Information Institute. April 13, 1918. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
    8. ↑ "An Act to regulate the speed and operation of Motor Vehicles on highways, SA 1906, c 26" (PDF). Canadian Legal Information Institute. May 9, 1906. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
    9. 1 2 Zdeb, Chris (February 22, 2014). "Feb. 22, 1928: Gravel road from Edmonton to U.S. border to be completed in a few months". Edmonton Journal . Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
    10. ↑ Surveys Branch (1972). Alberta 1972 Road Map (Map). Department of Highways and Transport.
    11. ↑ Surveys Branch (1973). Alberta 1973 Road Map (Map). Department of Highways and Transport.
    12. ↑ Surveys Branch (1974). Alberta 1974 Road Map (Map). Department of Highways and Transport.
    13. ↑ Alberta Tourism (1990). Alberta Road Map (Map). Alberta Tourism.
    14. ↑ "Provincial Highway Service Classification – Final Report" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. November 2007. p. 1.5. Retrieved October 24, 2016. It is noted that secondary highways ceased to exist by late 2000 and most were re-designated as primary highways.
    15. ↑ "Primary Highways 1–216 Progress Chart" (Document). Alberta Transportation. March 2006.
    16. ↑ "Primary Highways 500–986 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
    17. ↑ "Provincial Highways 1 –216 Progress Chart" (Document). Alberta Transportation. March 2010.
    18. ↑ "Provincial Highways 500–986 Progress Chart" (Document). Alberta Transportation. March 2010.
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