The provincial Alberta government is looking to start a trial in 2026. This demonstration project would raise speed limits on selected rural divided highways to 120 kilometres per hour. This recent renewed momentum has officials taking a hard look at lowering speed limits on all divided highways throughout the entire province. Or they think these highways exist so that people can drive faster.
Today, the default speed limit on many of Alberta’s divided highways is 110 km/h. To improve the efficiency of long-distance travel, the province is testing out higher limits. This amendment specifically focused on the most used corridors in the country, in particular, the corridor between Calgary and Edmonton. In addition, this highway – like many others across the province – will be wired in for faster speeds because the infrastructure is already in place.
The province initially welcomed responses from Albertans through an open and broadly advertised online survey. It provided a space for residents to air their concerns about any proposed changes. Despite this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for public engagement, local opposition has galvanized. Town councillors in Okotoks, a fast-growing bedroom community just south of Calgary, have been unabashed in calling out the province’s dangerous overreach. They’re claiming hazards to drivers are primarily behind their opposition.
Meanwhile, the provincial government is floating the proposal to increase speed limits. This move follows in the footsteps of British Columbia’s 2014 legislative increase of limits to 120 km/h on three major highways. B.C. soon backtracked on many of these changes amid a dramatic increase in collision rates. This history should be a cautionary tale for Alberta as it begins this experiment.
The proposed demonstration will be limited to rural divided highways. By implementing these changes, the province would still be able to test the impacts of higher speed limits in more rural communities. The Alberta government aims to gather data on road safety and traffic flow during this period, ultimately informing decisions about potential statewide changes.
