List of Alberta provincial highways
The Canadian province of Alberta has provincial highway network of nearly as of 2009, of which were paved.
All of Alberta's provincial highways are maintained by Alberta Transportation, a department of the Government of Alberta. The network includes two distinct series of numbered highways:
- The 1–216 series, making up Alberta's core highway network—typically with the highest traffic volume and mostly paved
- The 500–986 series, providing more local access, with a higher proportion of gravel surfaces
History
Prior to 1973, the expanding highway system comprised one-digit and two-digit highways, with some numbers having letter suffixes. 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. In 1974, provincial highways became known as primary highways; and in 1990, secondary roads became known as secondary highways.
Secondary highways were abolished in 2000, with most becoming primary highways. The expanded primary highway system was divided into two subsets: former primary highways, which became the 1–216 series; and former secondary highways, which became the 500–986 series. In 2010, all highways became known as provincial highways, while maintaining the two numbered series. Despite this, the series are still often referred to as primary and secondary highways, respectively.
1 - 216 series
Alberta's 1 to 216 series of provincial highways are Alberta's main highways. They are numbered from 1 to 100, with the exception of the ring roads around Calgary and Edmonton, which are numbered 201 and 216 respectively. The numbers applied to these highways are derived from compounding the assigned numbers of the core north-south and east-west highways that intersect with the rings roads. In Calgary, Highway 201 is derived from the north-south Highway 2 and the east-west Highway 1. In Edmonton, Highway 216 is derived from the same north-south Highway 2 and the east-west Highway 16.Within this series, all or portions of Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 15, 16, 28, 28A, 35, 43, 49, 63, 201 and 216 are designated core routes of Canada's National Highway System. Highway 28 from Highway 63 to Cold Lake is designated a NHS feeder route and Highway 58 between Rainbow Lake and Highway 88 is designated a NHS northern/remote route.
Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, and 43 are considered Alberta's most important interprovincial and international highways and are divided highways or freeways for much or all of their length. Speed limits are generally 110 km/h divided highways/freeways and 100 km/h on others. Segments of Highway 1 and Highway 16 through the national parks within Alberta's Rockies that can be 90 km/h or 70 km/h.
The Highway 15/28A/28/63 corridor between Edmonton and Fort McMurray is considered one of Alberta's most important intraprovincial highways. It is vital to the oilsands operation.
Although only Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 15, 16, 43, 63, 100, 201, and 216 are twinned for most of their length, the vast majority of Alberta's 1 to 216 series of highways are two-laned and paved. Only four highways within the series have segments that remained gravelled. These include segments of Highways 40, 58, and 68 and a short segment near the northern terminus of Highway 63.
Highways 1, 16, 201, and 216 are Trans-Canada Highway routes and are signed with TCH shields, not standard provincial shields.
X series
The roads in the X series are typically highways that are planned realignments or spurs of existing highways. The numbers applied to each highway in the X series are derived from the highway that is planned for realignment or spurred from.[|500] - 986 series
500 [|520] [|540] [|560] [|580] [|600] [|620] [|640] [|660] [|680] [|700] [|730] [|750] [|760] [|780] [|800] [|820] [|840] [|850] [|860] [|880] [|900 series] |
Alberta's 500 - 986 series of provincial highways are generally considered local or rural highways. The 500 - 986 series of provincial highways is divided into three sub-series:
- The 500/600 highways are west-east roads where the numbering increases northward from the Montana border to the Northwest Territories border.
- The 700/800 highways are south-north roads where numbering increases eastward from the British Columbia border to the Saskatchewan border.
- The 900 highways are newer or planned roads that have been established for future consideration as or as potential extensions or realignments of highways within the 1 - 216 series.
500
600
700
800
900
The roads in the 900 are typically highways that are planned realignments or extensions of existing highways. The numbers applied to each highway in the 900 series are derived from the highway that is planned to be realigned or extended.Park access roads
A park access road is an access route managed by Alberta Transportation that connects provincial parks to designated provincial highways. The following is a list of all park access roads in Alberta as of March 2017.| Number | Length | Length | Connecting Highway | Destination |
| PAR 101 | Highway 25 | Park Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 102 | Highway 756 | Crimson Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 103 | Highway 873 | Kinbrook Island Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 104 | Highway 831 | Long Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 106 | Highway 2 | Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 107 | Highway 18 / Highway 763 | Thunder Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 108 | Highway 679 | Winagami Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 109 | Highway 623 | Miquelon Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 110 | Highway 529 | Little Bow Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 113 | Highway 43 | Williamson Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 115 | Highway 41 | Cypress Hills Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 116 | Highway 567 | Big Hill Springs Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 117 | Highway 43 | Saskatoon Island Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 120 | Highway 28 | Garner Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 121 | Highway 41 | Gooseberry Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 123 | Highway 40 | William A. Switzer Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 124 | Highway 20 | Jarvis Bay Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 127 | Highway 771 | Pigeon Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 129 | Highway 881 | Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 130 | Highway 544 | Dinosaur Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 131 | Highway 503 | Woolford Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 132 | Highway 500 | Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 133 | Highway 21 | Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 134 | Highway 527 | Willow Creek Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 135 | Highway 43 | Young's Point Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 136 | Highway 2 | Police Outpost Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 138 | Highway 28 | Cold Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 142 | Highway 32 | Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 143 | Highway 750 | Hilliard's Bay Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 150 | Highway 660 | Moose Lake Provincial Park | - | |
| PAR 152 | Highway 22 | Chain Lakes Provincial Park | - |