Alberta Seeking Input on Increasing Highway Speed Limits to 120 Kilometres per Hour

Traffic travels along the Trans Canada Highway past Mt. Rundle near Canmore, Alta., on April 24, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

The government of Alberta is asking for feedback on a proposed plan to increase the speed limit on some highways from 110 kilometres per hour to 120 kilometres per hour.

The province has opened an online survey that runs Nov. 7 to Dec. 12 where Alberta residents can share comments about raising the speed limit by 10 kilometres per hour on some highways.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the government was investing $1.5 million to improve highway safety and upgrade infrastructure across the province.

“We want Albertans to be able to drive the speed limit that the highways are designed for. Modern vehicles combined with public awareness mean we can explore higher speed limits,” Dreeshen said.

The survey asks for input on which highways should be prioritized for a speed limit increase, and residents’ views on restricting commercial trucks from using the far-left lane on highways with three or more lanes. Albertans are also invited to provide other feedback that would improve their driving experiences on provincial highways.

The Alberta government said it will also be conducting a “mini-trial” by raising the speed limits to 120 kilometres per hour on some divided highways.

“The trial will include strong monitoring to assess driving behaviour,” it said.

The province said its highway network includes more than 64,000 lane kilometres of highway, with about 11,700 of that being divided highway.

The government said the highways that could potentially be impacted by the speed limit change include Highway 1 from Banff to the Saskatchewan border (about 400 kilometres); Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary and south, excluding Deerfoot Trail (about 400 kilometres); the divided portions of Highway 3 (about 80 kilometres); Highway 4 from Lethbridge to the U.S. border (about 100 kilometres); Highway 16 from Hinton to Lloydminster (about 500 kilometres); Highway 63 from north of Highway 55 to Fort McMurray, and then north of Fort McMurray (about 270 kilometres); and Highway 43 from west of Edmonton to Grande Prairie (about 400 kilometres).

The move comes after a provincial MLA introduced a similar bill in 2021 that would see speed limits increase to 120 kilometres per hour for provincial freeways. The bill was introduced by Spruce Grove-Stony Plain MLA Searle Turton.

At the time, he said he introduced the bill after comparing interprovincial and international speed limits that showed increasing the limit would “better synchronize” driving speeds without leading to safety concerns for drivers.

The bill passed first reading and was sent to a standing committee that said the legislation should proceed.

BC Speed Limit Increase

B.C. increased speed limits on some highways, including to 120 kilometres per hour, in 2014, but reversed the decision in 2018, with the NDP government saying the increased speed caused safety issues.

At the time of reversal, then-Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena said the government’s job was to ensure people travel to their destinations safely.

“Since the former government raised speed limits in 2014, serious crashes have been on the rise. By rolling back speed limits slightly, our goal is to reduce accidents, keep roads open and protect the lives of British Columbians.”

According to the government, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure “thoroughly reviewed” about three years’ worth of data on 1,300 kilometres of highway where the speed limits had been increased.

It said it rolled back the higher speed limit on 570 kilometres of highway in 2018, on top of the 660 kilometres of highways that had the speed limit reduced in 2016.

“The remaining routes did not show higher accident rates and the speed limits will remain the same, including the Coquihalla where variable speed limits are in operation,” the government said at the time.