Alberta Highway 1

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 1, commonly referred to as Highway 1, is a major east–west highway in Southern Alberta that forms the southern mainline of the Trans-Canada Highway. It runs from the British Columbia border near Lake Louise through Calgary to the Saskatchewan border east of Medicine Hat. It continues as Highway 1 into both provinces. It spans approximately 534 km (332 mi) from Alberta's border with British Columbia in the west to its border with Saskatchewan in the east.[3] The route is a divided 4 lane expressway throughout the province with the exception of a section in central Calgary where it is an arterial thoroughfare and Urban Boulevard carrying 4 to 6 lanes. The highway is a freeway between the Sunshine exit near the town of Banff and Home Road in Calgary. Other rural sections have at grade intersections with Interchanges only at busier junctions. Twinning of the final 8.5 km (5.3 mi) of Highway 1 between Lake Louise and the British Columbia border was completed by Parks Canada and opened to traffic on June 12, 2014 making the whole length of Alberta Highway 1 a divided minimum 4 lane route.[3]

Highway 1
Trans-Canada Highway
Highway 1 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	533.8 km[1] (331.7 mi)
Existed	1941[2]–present
Major junctions
West end	Hwy 1 (TCH) at BC border
	Hwy 93 in Lake Louise Hwy 22 near Cochrane Hwy 201 in Calgary Hwy 2 in Calgary Hwy 9 near Langdon Hwy 21 near Strathmore Hwy 56 near Crowfoot Hwy 36 near Brooks Hwy 3 in Medicine Hat Hwy 41 near Dunmore
East end	Hwy 1 (TCH) at SK border
Location
Specialized and rural municipalities	I.D. No. 9, Bighorn No. 8 M.D., Kananaskis I.D., Rocky View County, Wheatland County, Newell County, Cypress County
Major cities	Calgary, Brooks, Chestermere, Medicine Hat
Towns	Banff, Canmore, Strathmore, Bassano, Redcliff
Highway system
Provincial highways in Alberta ← Hwy 986 → Hwy 1A

Route description

Westbound to the Rocky Mountains

Eastbound near Canmore

Highway 1 is designated as a core route in Canada's National Highway System[4] and is a core part of the developing Alberta Freeway Network.

British Columbia border to Calgary

Wildlife overpass on eastbound Alberta Highway 1 in Banff National Park

British Columbia Highway 1 becomes Alberta Highway 1 as it crosses Kicking Horse Pass into Alberta.[3] It generally travels in a southeast direction along the wide and scenic Bow River valley through Banff National Park (Improvement District No. 9) crossing the Bow river 3 times. After a scenic descent from the pass with great views of Mount Temple it crosses the Bow River. Its first junction is an interchange with Highway 93 north (the Icefields Parkway), which runs concurrent with Highway 1 for the next 25km. Shortly after that Highway 1/93 crosses the Pipestone River passes through a single Interchange servicing the Hamlet of Lake Louise, the Lake Louise Ski Resort and access to Lake Louise itself as well as Moraine Lake. From there the highway crosses the Bow River and travels along the west bank of the river passing by several trail heads until reaching the Interchange for Highway 93 south (Banff-Radium Highway) which contributes a significant amount of eastbound traffic and is also a mid point access to the Bow valley Parkway. From there the highway continues past several more trailheads turn offs (all at grade) with great views of the Sawback range from the highway. After passing a Interchange for the Banff Sunshine Ski Area the highway bends to the west and approaches the town of Banff. The Highway climbs up from the river and scales the side of a cliff above the town. A pullout at the top of the small climb allows visitors to overlook Town of Banff,[5]Vermilion Lakes and Mount Rundle. The highway then passes 2 Interchanges servicing Banff and surrounding attractions. From there the highway bends to the south and leaves the park. The entire segment of Highway 1 through the national park is maintained by the Government of Canada,[6] all sections of Banff Park Highway have wildlife fences and overpasses to keep animals off the road. The speed limit on most park sections is 90km/h.

Upon exiting Banff National Park, Highway 1 is maintained by Alberta Transportation for 91 km (57 mi) until it reaches Calgary.[5][7] This segment of the highway generally travels in an east direction through the rural municipalities of the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 and Rocky View County, It also briefly crosses a portion of Kananaskis Improvement District.[8] Shortly after leaving Banff Park the highway passes through the Hamlet of Harvie Heights and the mountain town of Canmore which is serviced by 4 Interchanges. Since many people from Canmore commute to Calgary weekly, traffic levels pick up after passing the town. From there the highway travels by the hamlets of Dead Man's Flats and Lac des Arcs each serviced by its own interchange. A popular rest area on the shore of Lac des Arcs provides access to the water. From there the highway exits the mountains passing the Interchange for Highway 1X, a 1 km connection to Highway 1A and access to Bow Valley Provincial Park. It then crosses the Kananaskis River and enters the Morley Reserve and passes a relatively busy Interchange for Alberta Highway 40, the main access to the Kananaskis region of the Alberta Rockies. From there the highway passes across the Morley Reserve climbs up a steep hill to a highpoint at Jack Lake Summit before descending to the prairies. From there it continues due east across level terrain and agricultural lands. As it approaches Calgary the highway passes an Interchange at Highway 22 servicing the town of Cochrane and Bragg Creek[5] where Traffic volumes double. Traffic continues to pick up as it passes through the Springbank semi rural area until it arrives at the edge of Calgary itself. The speed limit on most Alberta transportation maintained segments of Highway 1 is 110km/h. Highway 1A, the original Highway 1 from Canmore to Calgary, is an alternate route to this segment of Highway 1, providing access to the Hamlet of Exshaw, the Summer Village of Ghost Lake, and the Town of Cochrane.[5]

Calgary

Highway 1 and 1X interchange and with crossing of the Kananaskis River visible.

In Calgary, Highway 1 is 16 Avenue N and maintained by the City of Calgary. Plans for a crosstown Highway 1 freeway were cancelled long ago leaving the city section of Highway 1 mainly a slow moving Urban Boulevard with small fragmented freeway sections near the edges of the city. The section between Crowchild Trail and Deerfoot Trail in particular has numerous at-grade intersections and a gauntlet of 21 signal lights, the speed limit is 50km/h.[3] Stoney Trail (Highway 201) provides an alternate controlled-access freeway route around the north side of the city and is the signed bypass of 16 Avenue. Despite being a longer distance Highway 201 takes less time. Using Sarcee Trail, Glenmore Trail and Deerfoot Trails to access Highway 22X E which connects back to Highway 1 near Gelichen is another bypass of 16 Avenue and is commonly used by truckers to get through the city. It is shorter and faster than Stoney or 16th Avenue most times of the day, however it involves travels on freeways that are sometimes congested during rush hour. The length of Highway 1 (16 Avenue) within Calgary is 27 km (17 mi).

Calgary to Saskatchewan border

Upon exiting Calgary, Highway 1 is maintained by Alberta Transportation for 273 km (170 mi) until it reaches the City of Medicine Hat.[5][7] This segment of the highway generally travels in a southeast direction through the rural municipalities of Rocky View County, Wheatland County, the County of Newell, and Cypress County.[8] For urban communities, this segment passes through the City of Chestermere and the Town of Strathmore, by the Town of Bassano, the City of Brooks, and the Hamlet of Suffield, and through the Town of Redcliff.[5] Chestermere Boulevard (formerly Highway 1A), the original Highway 1 from Calgary to Chestermere, is an alternate route to initial portion of this segment of Highway 1.[5]

Within Medicine Hat, Highway 1 is a controlled access highway with maintained by Alberta Transportation.[7] The majority of the highway is a freeway; however, a section between the South Saskatchewan River and Seven Persons Creek still has a few at-grade intersections. The length of Highway 1 within Medicine Hat is 13 km (8 mi).[5] East of Medicine Hat, Highway 1 is maintained by Alberta Transportation for 48 km (30 mi) until it enters the Province of Saskatchewan,[5][7] continuing as Saskatchewan Highway 1.[3] This segment of the highway generally travels in an east direction through Cypress County.[8] For urban communities, this segment passes through the Hamlet of Dunmore and by the hamlets of Irvine and Walsh.[5] The speedlimit on the highway East of Calgary is 110km/h for the most part however the highway speedlimit does drop when passing through some towns.

History

A review of historical Alberta Official Road Maps shows that Highway 1 was numbered Highway 2 prior to 1941 (while Highway 2 as it is known today was numbered Highway 1 prior to 1941).[2]

Exit numbering along Highway 1 began in 2005.[9][10] As of March 2010, only the stretch of Highway 1 between Banff National Park and Calgary had been assigned exit numbers.[5]

Between 1964 and 1972, a completely new route from Calgary to Canmore was built. The route included new overpasses, bridges, the Canmore Bypass, and 4 lane divided highway. In 1976, Parks Canada began twinning Highway 1 through Banff National Park, with the highway twinned to Banff by 1985 and to Castle Junction by 1997.[11] Twinning of the 33.5 km (20.8 mi) section between Castle Junction and the British Columbia border was completed in 2014,[11] with the final 8.5 km (5.3 mi) of Highway 1 between Lake Louise and the British Columbia border opening to traffic on June 12 of that year.[12] Between 1973 and 1990 the highway was twinned from Calgary to the Saskatchewan Border.

Future

Alberta Transportation has long term, conceptual plans for Highway 1 to have a phased upgrade to a freeway standard within its area of jurisdiction (outside Banff National Park and Calgary city limits). Currently, areas that have been studied are a proposed interchange located between Garden Road and Conrich Road,[13] Rainbow Road near Chestermere,[14] and Highway 36 near Brooks.[15] There is not timeline for construction of these interchanges.

Strathmore

Alberta Transportation has plans for a bypass around the Town of Strathmore.[16] Initial proposals included a realignment northwest of Gleichen, continuing west to run south of Eagle Lake and then continuing northwest where it will rejoined the existing alignment near Cheadle, between Highway 24 and Strathmore, as well as a link to the Highway 22X corridor.[17] The final proposal is a more scaled back realignment around Strathmore to the south, bypassing approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) of existing Highway 1,[1][16] and the right-of-way is currently designated as Highway 1X.[5] There is no timeline for construction.

Medicine Hat

The Trans-Canada Highway has a few remaining signalized intersections within Medicine Hat, and Alberta Transportation is studying both a long-term realignment of Highway 1, as well as possible upgrades to the existing alignment. The realignment would bypass Redcliff, Medicine Hat and Dunmore to the south, bypassing approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) of existing Highway 1,[1][18] and the right-of-way is also currently designated as Highway 1X.[5] Possible upgrades to the existing alignment include a new interchange at 1 Street SW and intersection closures at 6 Street SW and 16 Street SW.[19][20] There is no timeline for the bypass construction or any upgrades to the existing alignment.

Major intersections

Rural/specialized municipality	Location	km[1]	mi	Exit[5]	Destinations	Notes
I.D. No. 9 (Banff National Park)	​	0.0	0.0		Hwy 1 (TCH) west – Yoho N.P., Field, Golden, Kamloops	Continental Divide; continuation into British Columbia
				Kicking Horse Pass – 1,627 m (5,338 ft)
		5.9	3.7	Crosses the Bow River
		6.7	4.2	(7)	Hwy 93 north (Icefields Parkway) – Jasper, Rocky Mountain House	Interchange; west end of Hwy 93 concurrency
	Lake Louise	9.3	5.8	(10)	Hwy 1A east (Bow Valley Parkway) / Lake Louise Drive west	Interchange
	​	12.3	7.6	Crosses the Bow River
		34.7	21.6	(35)	Hwy 93 south – Kootenay N.P., Radium Hot Springs To Hwy 1A (Bow Valley Parkway) – Castle Mountain	Interchange; east end of Hwy 93 concurrency
		56.7	35.2	(56)	Sunshine Road – Sunshine Village	Interchange
		58.7	36.5	Crosses the Bow River
		58.8	36.5	(59)	Hwy 1A west (Bow Valley Parkway)	Interchange; seasonal travel restrictions[21]
	Banff	64.5	40.1	(65)	Mount Norquay Road	Interchange
		66.5	41.3	(67)	Industrial area (Compound Road)	Eastbound right-in/right-out
		68.6	42.6	(69)	Banff Avenue	Interchange
	​	81.4	50.6	East gate of Banff National Park
M.D. of Bighorn No. 8	Harvie Heights	82.6	51.3	83	Harvie Heights Road	Interchange; no eastbound entrance
	Canmore	85.3	53.0	86	Bow Valley Trail – Harvie Heights	Interchange; former Hwy 1A
		85.8	53.3	(87)	Mountain Avenue	Eastbound exit and entrance
		88.2	54.8	89	Town Centre (Palliser Trail, Benchlands Trail)	Interchange
		90.1	56.0	91	Bow Valley Trail (Hwy 1A east) – Exshaw, Cochrane	Interchange
		91.5	56.9	Crosses the Bow River
		92.6	57.5	93	Three Sisters Parkway (Hwy 742 south)	Interchange
	​	97.2	60.4	98	Dead Man's Flats	Interchange
		104.5	64.9	105	Lac Des Arcs	Interchange
Kananaskis I.D.	Bow Valley Provincial Park	113.2	70.3	114	Hwy 1X north / Ranch Road – Seebe, Exshaw	Interchange
Stoney Nos. 142, 143, and 144 (Stoney-Nakoda First Nation)	​	117.3	72.9	118	Hwy 40 south (Kananaskis Trail) – Kananaskis Country, Kananaskis Village	Interchange
		123.8	76.9	124	unnamed road	Interchange
	Morley	130.7	81.2	131	Morley Road	Interchange
	​	136.2	84.6	137	Bear Hill Road	Interchange
M.D. of Bighorn No. 8	​	140.1	87.1	Scott Lake Hill – 1,410 m (4,630 ft)
Rocky View County	​	142.6	88.6	143	Hwy 68 south (Sibbald Creek Trail)	Interchange
		155.0	96.3	156	Jumping Pound Road	Interchange
		159.8	99.3	161	Hwy 22 (Cowboy Trail) – Cochrane, Redwood Meadows, Bragg Creek	Interchange
	Springbank	168.0	104.4	169	Range Road 33 – Calaway Park	Interchange
	​	171.2	106.4	172	Old Banff Coach Road (Hwy 563 east)	Interchange
City of Calgary		175.0	108.7	(176)	Valley Ridge Boulevard / Crestmont Boulevard	Interchange
		176.2	109.5	177	Stoney Trail (Hwy 201 north) – Edmonton, Medicine Hat	Interchange; Hwy 201 exit 36; Hwy 201 south under construction
		177.8	110.5	(179)	Canada Olympic Drive / Bowfort Road – Canada Olympic Park	Interchange
		179.3	111.4	(180)	Sarcee Trail / 34 Avenue NW	Interchange
				Freeway ends
		180.2	112.0	Crosses the Bow River
		182.6	113.5		Shaganappi Trail / Memorial Drive / Bowness Road	Interchange
		183.1	113.8		West Campus Boulevard – Alberta Children's Hospital	Interchange
		184.1	114.4		29 Street NW / Uxbridge Drive – Foothills Medical Centre
		184.6– 184.9	114.7– 114.9		Crowchild Trail (Hwy 1A west) / University Drive – McMahon Stadium, University of Calgary	Interchange; direct westbound Hwy 1 to northbound Crowchild Trail ramp under construction[22]
		185.3	115.1		Banff Trail to Crowchild Trail north (Hwy 1A west)
		186.5	115.9		14 Street NW – City Centre	Former Hwy 1A east
		187.2	116.3		10 Street NW
		188.8	117.3		Centre Street N – City Centre
		189.2	117.6		Edmonton Trail
		191.2	118.8		Deerfoot Trail (Hwy 2) – Airport, Red Deer, Fort Macleod	Hwy 2 exit 258
		192.2	119.4		19 Street NE	Interchange proposed (no construction timeline)[23]
		193.0	119.9	—	Barlow Trail	Interchange; former Hwy 2A
		194.4	120.8	—	36 Street NE	Interchange
		196.0	121.8	—	52 Street NE	Interchange
		197.7	122.8		68 Street NE
		198.7	123.5	—	Stoney Trail (Hwy 201) – Edmonton, Banff, Lethbridge	Interchange; Hwy 201 exit 78
Rocky View County	​	202.0	125.5		Garden Road (100 Street NE)	Traffic signals
City of Chestermere		208.4	129.5	—	Chestermere Boulevard	Interchange; former Hwy 1A
Rocky View County	​	212.3	131.9		Hwy 791 (Range Road 280) – Indus
		218.8	136.0	—	Hwy 9 north – Drumheller, Saskatoon Hwy 797 south – Langdon	Interchange
Wheatland County	​	228.6	142.0		Hwy 24 south – Cheadle, Lethbridge
	Strathmore	238.3	148.1		Wheatland Trail (Hwy 817) – Carseland
		239.9	149.1		George Freeman Trail
	​	248.1	154.2		Hwy 21 north – Rockyford, Three Hills, Drumheller
		260.5	161.9		Hwy 561 east – Standard, Hussar, Rosebud
	Gleichen	277.9	172.7		Hwy 547 south – Siksika Nation, Arrowwood
		282.3	175.4		Hwy 901 west – Siksika Nation
	​	292.1	181.5		Hwy 842 – Chancellor, Cluny, Milo
		308.1	191.4		Hwy 56 north – Hussar, Drumheller, Crowfoot Ferry
Newell County	Bassano	325.1	202.0		11th Street	Eastbound exit only
		326.4	202.8		6th Avenue	Former Hwy 847
	​	330.1	205.1		Hwy 550 east – Rosemary, Bassano
		364.2	226.3		Hwy 36 (Veterans Memorial Highway) – Hanna, Vauxhall, Taber
	Brooks	372.6	231.5	—	2nd Street W (Hwy 873) – Duchess	Interchange
		375.8	233.5	—	Cassils Road (Hwy 542 west)	Interchange
	​	385.0	239.2		Hwy 875 south – Rolling Hills
		393.4	244.4		Hwy 876 – Tilley, Patricia
Cypress County	Suffield	438.6	272.5		Hwy 884 north – CFB Suffield, Ralston, Jenner
	​	465.2	289.1		Hwy 524 west – Hays, Rolling Hills
	Redcliff	471.0	292.7		Mitchell Street
		471.9	293.2		Broadway Avenue
City of Medicine Hat		472.9	293.8		Boundary Road
		475.2	295.3	—	Box Springs Road	Interchange
		476.5	296.1		3 Street NW	Interchange
		477.1	296.5	Crosses the South Saskatchewan River
		477.7	296.8		1 Street SW	At-grade; uncontrolled Proposed interchange[19][20]
		478.6	297.4		6 Street SW / 7 Street SW	Traffic signals Proposed intersection closure[19][20]
		479.1	297.7	—	Gershaw Drive (Crowsnest Highway) (Hwy 3 west / Hwy 41A east) – Lethbridge	Interchange
		479.7	298.1		16 Street SW	Traffic signals Proposed intersection closure[19][20]
		481.5	299.2	—	College Avenue / South Ridge Drive	Interchange
		483.0	300.1	—	13 Avenue SE	Interchange
		484.5	301.1	—	Dunmore Road / South Boundary Road	Interchange
Cypress County	Dunmore	491.4	305.3		Eagle Butte Road
	​	493.0	306.3		Hwy 41 north (Buffalo Trail) – Oyen	West end of Hwy 41 concurrency.
		509.0	316.3		Hwy 41 south (Buffalo Trail) – Cypress Hills P.P., Elkwater, Havre	East end of Hwy 41 concurrency.
	Irvine	513.5	319.1
	Walsh	530.6	329.7
	​	533.8	331.7		Hwy 1 (TCH) east – Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Regina	Continuation into Saskatchewan
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

See also

• Trans-Canada Highway

References

1. Google (October 18, 2017). "Highway 1 in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
2. Department of Public Works (1939). "Highway Map of Province of Alberta Canada" (PDF). Retrieved April 14, 2010.
3. Alberta Official Road Map (Map) (2011 ed.). Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. § L–3, L-4, L–5, L–6, M–6, M–7, M–8, and N–8.
4. "National Highway System". Transport Canada. December 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
5. "Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
6. "The Trans-Canada Highway". Transport Canada. December 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
7. "August 2009 Contract Maintenance of Provincial Highways" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. May 28, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
8. "Alberta Provincial Highway Projects". Alberta Transportation. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
9. "Exit Numbering – Recommended Practices" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. November 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
10. "TSB Newsletter – Volume 4, Issue 1" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
11. "Trans-Canada Highway Twinning Project: Phase IVB | Fact Sheet" (PDF). Parks Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
12. Schmidt, Colleen (June 13, 2014). "Crews complete twinning of Trans-Canada through Banff National Park". CTV News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
13. McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. (November 22, 2010). "Highway 1 Interchange at Garden/Conrich Road | Recommended Plan" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
14. AECOM (April 2008). "Highway 1 at Rainbow Road Functional Planning Study | Recommended Interchange Configuration and Rainbow Road Alignment" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
15. UMA Engineering Ltd. (September 2007). "Highway 1 and Highway 36 Interchange Functional Planning Study" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
16. McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. (November 2013). "Highway 1 Functional Planning Study (Highway 842 to Highway 797) | Executive Summary" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
17. "Open House #2 – Highway 1 Alignment and Area Network, Highway 842 to Highway 797 Planning Study" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. June 21, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
18. "Highway 1 & 3 Functional Planning Study – Medicine Hat | Overview of Bypass Plan" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Stantec. June 8, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
19. "Highways 1 & 3 Existing Route Improvements: Highway 1 – 1 Street to 16 Street (Option 1 Revised)" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Stantec. April 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
20. "Highways 1 & 3 Existing Route Improvements: Highway 1 – 1 Street to 16 Street (Option 2)" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Stantec. April 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
21. "Bow Valley Parkway Seasonal Travel Restriction - Banff National Park". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. April 1, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
22. "Banff Trail Area Improvements: WB 16th Avenue NW Off-ramp to NB Crowchild Trail NW" (PDF) (Map). City of Calgary. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
23. "16 Avenue N.E. Functional Planning Study – Deerfoot Trail to Barlow Trail". Transportation Planning. City of Calgary. April 2, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2017.

External links

• Media related to Alberta Highway 1 at Wikimedia Commons