AlbertaProvincial 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 from Alberta's border with British Columbia in the west to its border with Saskatchewan in the east. The route is a divided expressway throughout the province with the exception of a section in central Calgary where it is an arterial thoroughfare. Twinning of the final of Highway 1 between Lake Louise and the British Columbia border was completed by Parks Canada and opened to traffic on June 12, 2014.
In Calgary, Highway 1 is 16 Avenue N and maintained by the City of Calgary. Certain stretches of 16 Avenue N function as either a freeway or an expressway, while other stretches function as an urban arterial road, particularly between Bow River and Bowness Road and between Crowchild Trail and Deerfoot Trail where there are numerous at-grade intersections. As a result, speed limits on 16 Avenue N drop as low as. Stoney Trail provides an alternate controlled-access freeway route across the city. The length of Highway 1 within Calgary is.
Calgary to Saskatchewan border
Upon exiting Calgary, Highway 1 is maintained by Alberta Transportation for until it reaches the City of Medicine Hat. 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. 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. Chestermere Boulevard, the original Highway 1 from Calgary to Chestermere, is an alternate route to initial portion of this segment of Highway 1. Within Medicine Hat, Highway 1 is a controlled access highway with maintained by Alberta Transportation. 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. East of Medicine Hat, Highway 1 is maintained by Alberta Transportation for until it enters the Province of Saskatchewan, continuing as Saskatchewan Highway 1. This segment of the highway generally travels in an east direction through Cypress County. For urban communities, this segment passes through the Hamlet of Dunmore and by the hamlets of Irvine and Walsh.
History
A review of historical Alberta Official Road Maps shows that Highway 1 was numbered Highway 2 prior to 1941. Exit numbering along Highway 1 began in 2005. As of March 2010, only the stretch of Highway 1 between Banff National Park and Calgary had been assigned exit numbers. 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. Twinning of the section between Castle Junction and the British Columbia border was completed in 2014, with the final of Highway 1 between Lake Louise and the British Columbia border opening to traffic on June 12 of that year. 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. Currently, areas that have been studied are a proposed interchange located between Garden Road and Conrich Road, Rainbow Road near Chestermere, and Highway 36 near Brooks. There is not timeline for construction of these interchanges.
Strathmore
Alberta Transportation has plans for a bypass around the Town of Strathmore. 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. The final proposal is a more scaled back realignment around Strathmore to the south, bypassing approximately of existing Highway 1, and the right-of-way is currently designated as Highway 1X. 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 of existing Highway 1, and the right-of-way is also currently designated as Highway 1X. 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. There is no timeline for the bypass construction or any upgrades to the existing alignment.
