Alberta Highway 13


Alberta Provincial Highway No. 13, commonly referred to as Highway 13, is an east-west highway through central Alberta. It spans from Alder Flats, west of Highway 22, to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Highway 13 is about long. East of the City of Wetaskiwin, it generally parallels a Canadian Pacific rail line.

Route description

From the west, Highway 13 begins at Alder Flats before intersecting Highway 22. It continues east, passing south of Buck Lake and Winfield before crossing Highway 20. The highway then passes south of Battle Lake, the headwaters of the Battle River, and then south of Pigeon Lake, passing through the hamlets of Westerose and Falun prior to intersecting Highway 2, approximately south of Edmonton.
East of Highway 2, Highway 13 enters Wetaskiwin as 40 Avenue and turns north along Highway 2A. At the north side of Wetaskiwin, it turns east and passes north of Gwynne through Bittern Lake. After crossing Highway 21, it enters Camrose as 48 Avenue.
East of Camrose, Highway 13 travels generally southeast, passing by Ohaton, Bawlf, Daysland and Strome prior to an intersection with Highway 36 in Killam. The highway continues southeast passing by Sedgewick, Lougheed, Hardisty, Amisk and Hughenden, crossing Highway 41 north of Czar. The road travels by Metiskow, through Provost, and by Hayter. Upon entering Saskatchewan, Highway 13 continues as Saskatchewan Highway 14 to Saskatoon.

History

The section of Highway 13 from Wetaskiwin to Winfield was originally designated as Highway 19, but was renumbered in the late 1960s. Highway 13 was extended further west to Alder Flats in when Highway 612 was renumbered, coinciding with the commissioning of Highway 22 north of Cremona.

Major intersections

From west to east:

Highway 13A

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 13A is the designation of the following two current and one former alternate routes of Highway 13.
;Ma-Me-O Beach
From east of Westerose to west of Falun, the first segment of Highway 13A travels through Pigeon Lake Indian Reserve 138A. It provides access to the Summer Village of Ma-Me-O Beach on the southern shore of Pigeon Lake. This segment, which runs north of Highway 13, formed the original Highway 13 alignment prior to it being realigned to bypass the Indian reserve and summer village to the south in the 2000s.
;Camrose
The second segment of Highway 13A is a southern bypass of Camrose and is in length. Commissioned in 1989, the route follows 68 Street south from Highway 13 for and then turns east and becoming Camrose Drive, reconnecting with Highway 13 on the eastern ends of Camrose. Highway 13A serves as the main dangerous goods route through Camrose, as dangerous good are prohibited on Highway 13 through the centre of the city, and is maintained by the City of Camrose.
;Wetaskiwin
Highway 13A is a former alternate route of Highway 13 through Wetaskiwin. From the present Highway 13 / Highway 2A intersection, Highway 13A used to proceed east along 40 Avenue for, then turned north and followed 47 Street for and reconnected with Highway 13 at the present-day Highway 13 / Highway 814 intersection. The route was decommissioned in mid-1980s.