Alberta Highway 22
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 22, commonly referred to as Highway 22 and officially named Cowboy Trail, is a 584-kilometre (363 mi) highway in the Canadian province of Alberta. It generally parallels Highway 2, beginning in the foothills of southern Alberta at Highway 3 near Lundbreck Falls. It proceeds north along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains passing through the foothills and ranch country to the aspen parkland of northern Alberta, ending at Highway 18 near Mayerthorpe.
Highway 22 | |
|---|---|
| Cowboy Trail | |
Highway 22 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Alberta Ministry of Transportation | |
| Length | 574 km (357 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Hwy 3 near Lundbreck |
| |
| North end | Hwy 18 near Mayerthorpe |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Specialized and rural municipalities | Pincher Creek No. 9 M.D., Ranchland No. 26 M.D., Foothills County, Rocky View County, Mountain View County, Clearwater County, Wetaskiwin No. 10 County, Brazeau County, Parkland County, Yellowhead County, Lac Ste. Anne County |
| Towns | Diamond Valley, Cochrane, Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Mayerthorpe |
| Villages | Longview, Cremona, Caroline |
| Highway system | |
| | |
Cowboy Trail continues south and east of Highway 22 by following Highway 3 to Pincher Creek, Highway 6 to Waterton Lakes National Park, and Highway 5 to Cardston.[1]
Alberta Transportation is currently constructing a new interchange at the over-saturated intersection of Highways 22 and 1A in Cochrane.[2] There are also long-term plans for twinning from Bragg Creek to the north end of Cochrane, and the implementation of passing lanes near the highway's south end.
Route description
Highway 22 begins as a two-lane rural highway in the Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9 near Lundbreck Falls at Highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway. It proceeds north across increasingly flatter terrain of the foothills, parallel to the Oldman River, and then crosses it before entering the Municipal District of Ranchland No. 66. The highway winds to the east of the Black Heritage Rangeland Natural Area, intersecting Highway 520 which branches east to meet Highway 2 at Claresholm. Highway 22 continues north through scenic terrain to the Chain Lakes Reservoir, from which Highway 533 splits east to meet Highway 2 at Nanton. The highway continues north through Longview, Diamond Valley (made up of the former twin towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley), and Millarville. The highway then jogs west at Highway 22X. Approximately 30 km (19 mi) later, the road turns north again and passes through Bragg Creek where Highway 22X ends. Highway 22 continues north past the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) west of Calgary, north through the Town of Cochrane, the Hamlet of Cochrane Lake, and the Village of Cremona to Highway 27.[3]
The highway continues in a generally northward direction (with a number of westward jogs), passing through Sundre, Caroline, Rocky Mountain House and Drayton Valley until it intersects Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) at Entwistle approximately 85 km (53 mi) west of Edmonton).[4] After a 8 km (5 mi) jog to the west, it continues north to cross Highway 43 in Mayerthorpe, ending 7 km (4 mi) north of the town at Highway 18.[4]
History
The original alignment of Highway 22 started at Highway 2 (Macleod Trail) south of Calgary and travelled west to Priddis, where it turned south to Turner Valley and terminated at Highway 7 in Black Diamond.[5] In the 1970s, the province of Alberta began upgrading a series of roads to form a north-south, all-weather highway west of Highway 2. Beginning in c. 1972, the road connecting the Trans-Canada Highway and Cochrane was designated as part of Highway 22.[6] In c. 1973, the numbered secondary highway system appeared, with the road between Cochrane and Highway 27 being designated as Highway 922 (the paved section between Cremona and Bottrel became Highway 22) while the road between Priddis and Bragg Creek was briefly designated as Highway 553,[7] becoming Highway 922 in 1975.[8] Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, Highway 922 was extended from Highway 3 in the south to Highway 57 near Drayton Valley in the north.[8] Coinciding with Highway 922 being paved in c. 1976, Highway 22 was extended from Cochrane to Cremona,[9] while the following year it replaced Highway 922 between the Trans-Canada Highway and Priddis; as part of the project, the section between Priddis and Macleod Trail was renumbered as Highway 22X.[10] In c. 1980, all remaining gravel sections of Highway 922 were reclassified as Highway 22, along with a 18 km (11 mi) section of Highway 7 between Black Diamond and Longview, a 56 km (35 mi) section of Highway 57 between Drayton Valley and Entwistle (the remaining 27 km (17 mi) section of Highway 57 became part of Highway 39) and Highway 755 between Highway 16 and Mayerthorpe.[11] Throughout the 1980s, Highway 22 was paved, with all but a small section near Chain Lakes Provincial Park being completed by 1990 (the latter was completed in the mid-1990s).[12][13]
In 2014, a new $52 million bridge across the North Saskatchewan River near Drayton Valley was completed,[14] replacing the original bridge which was constructed in 1957.[15]
Future
Alberta Transportation retained Tetra Tech EBA to complete a study in the feasibility of new passing lanes over a 118 km (73 mi) distance of Highway 22 between Highways 3 and 543.[16] The study was published in August 2011 and determined that passing lanes are justified at several locations, but Alberta Transportation currently has no plans to proceed with the project.[16] In April 2017, Alberta Transportation announced plans for a new interchange at Highway 1A in Cochrane, with the selection of an engineering consultant taking place during the summer and the anticipated start of construction beginning as early as Fall 2019.[17][18] As part of a separate project, Alberta Transportation completed a long-term study to twin Highway 22 between Cochrane and Highway 8, including replacing the cloverleaf interchange at Highway 1; no timeline has been set for construction.[19]
Major intersections
From south to north:[20]
| Rural/specialized municipality | Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.D. of Pincher Creek No. 9 | Lundbreck | 0.0 | 0.0 | Hwy 3 – Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Crowsnest Pass | |
| | 24.2 | 15.0 | Crosses Oldman River | ||
| M.D. of Ranchland No. 66 | | 44.4 | 27.6 | Hwy 520 east – Claresholm, Barons | |
| Chain Lakes Provincial Park | 71.3 | 44.3 | Hwy 533 east / PAR 152 west – Nanton | ||
| | 82.2 | 51.1 | Hwy 532 west – Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park | ||
| Foothills County | Bar U Ranch N.H.S. | 96.5 | 60.0 | Hwy 540 east – Pekisko, Cayley | |
| Longview | 109.1 | 67.8 | Crosses the Highwood River | ||
| 110.5 | 68.7 | Hwy 541 west – Kananaskis Country | |||
| | 117.9 | 73.3 | Hwy 543 east – High River | ||
| Diamond Valley | 127.6 | 79.3 | Hwy 7 east – Okotoks | Hwy 22 branches west; formerly Black Diamond | |
| 128.4 | 79.8 | Crosses the Sheep River | |||
| 131.6 | 81.8 | Hwy 546 west – Sheep River Provincial Park | Hwy 22 branches north; formerly Turner Valley | ||
| Millarville | 142.9 | 88.8 | Hwy 549 west | South end of Hwy 549 concurrency | |
| | 146.1 | 90.8 | Hwy 549 east – Okotoks | North end of Hwy 549 concurrency | |
| Priddis | 159.1 | 98.9 | Hwy 22X east – Calgary | Hwy 22 branches west | |
| | 175.9 | 109.3 | Hwy 762 south – Millarville | ||
| ↑ / ↓ | | 176.2 | 109.5 | Hwy 66 west – Elbow Falls | Hwy 22 branches north |
| Rocky View County | Bragg Creek | 179.6 | 111.6 | Hwy 758 south – Bragg Creek Provincial Park | |
| Tsuu T'ina Nation No. 145 | Redwood Meadows | 185.3 | 115.1 | Redwood Meadows Drive | |
| Rocky View County | | 190.2 | 118.2 | Hwy 8 east – Calgary | Roundabout |
| 191.3 | 118.9 | Crosses the Elbow River | |||
| 197.3 | 122.6 | Hwy 1 (TCH) – Calgary, Banff | Interchange; Hwy 1 exit 161 | ||
| Cochrane | 208.3 | 129.4 | Crosses the Bow River | ||
| 210.1 | 130.6 | Hwy 1A (Bow Valley Trail) – Calgary, Canmore | Interchange proposed[17] | ||
| | 218.5 | 135.8 | Hwy 567 east – Airdrie | Roundabout | |
| Bottrel | 234.9 | 146.0 | Hwy 574 east – Madden, Crossfield | ||
| Mountain View County | | 245.4 | 152.5 | Hwy 579 west – Water Valley | |
| Cremona | 250.0 | 155.3 | Hwy 580 east – Carstairs | ||
| | 265.3 | 164.8 | Hwy 582 east – Didsbury | ||
| 277.2 | 172.2 | Hwy 27 east – Olds | Hwy 22 branches west; south end of Hwy 27 concurrency | ||
| Westward Ho | 278.9 | 173.3 | Crosses the Little Red Deer River | ||
| Sundre | 287.3 | 178.5 | Hwy 760 south – Bergen | ||
| 287.6 | 178.7 | Crosses the Red Deer River | |||
| 289.6 | 179.9 | Hwy 584 west – Bearberry | Hwy 22 branches north; north end of Hwy 27 concurrency | ||
| ↑ / ↓ | | 304.1 | 189.0 | Crosses the James River | |
| Clearwater County | James River Bridge | 306.0 | 190.1 | Hwy 587 east – Bowden | |
| | 323.1 | 200.8 | Hwy 54 east – Innisfail | Hwy 22 branches west; south end of Hwy 54 concurrency | |
| Caroline | 328.0 | 203.8 | 50 Street | ||
| | 335.9 | 208.7 | Crosses the Clearwater River | ||
| 336.1 | 208.8 | Hwy 591 west – Ricinus | Hwy 22 branches north; north end of Hwy 54 concurrency | ||
| 353.9 | 219.9 | Crosses the Clearwater River | |||
| 361.2 | 224.4 | Hwy 11 east – Red Deer | Hwy 22 branches west; south end of Hwy 11 concurrency | ||
| Rocky Mountain House | 366.2 | 227.5 | To Hwy 752 south (Township Road 392) | ||
| 369.6 | 229.7 | Hwy 11A west / Hwy 598 east (52 Avenue) – Leslieville | Access to Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site | ||
| 373.1 | 231.8 | Hwy 11 west – Nordegg, Saskatchewan River Crossing | Hwy 22 branches north; north end of Hwy 11 concurrency | ||
| | 379.8 | 236.0 | Hwy 12 east – Lacombe | ||
| 406.5 | 252.6 | Hwy 53 east – Rimbey, Ponoka | |||
| County of Wetaskiwin No. 10 | | 433.4 | 269.3 | Hwy 13 – Alder Flats, Wetaskiwin | |
| Brazeau County | | 452.9 | 281.4 | Hwy 616 – Buck Creek, Breton | |
| 464.6 | 288.7 | Hwy 39 east – Leduc | Hwy 22 branches west | ||
| 470.0 | 292.0 | Crosses the North Saskatchewan River | |||
| Drayton Valley | 474.0 | 294.5 | 50 Street | ||
| 475.1 | 295.2 | Hwy 620 west – Lodgepole, Brazeau Reservoir | Hwy 22 turns north | ||
| 478.3 | 297.2 | 50 Avenue | |||
| Rocky Rapids | 485.2 | 301.5 | Hwy 621 west – Cynthia | ||
| ↑ / ↓ | | 494.9 | 307.5 | Hwy 624 east – Tomahawk | |
| Parkland County | Entwistle | 519.9 | 323.1 | Hwy 16 (TCH) east – Edmonton Hwy 16A west – Entwistle | Interchange; Hwy 16 exit 289; Hwy 22 branches west; south end of Hwy 16 concurrency |
| ↑ / ↓ | ↑ / ↓ | 520.9 | 323.7 | Crosses the Pembina River | |
| Yellowhead County | Evansburg | 522.1 | 324.4 | UAR 115 north | |
| | 527.8 | 328.0 | Hwy 16 (TCH) west – Jasper | Hwy 22 branches north; north end of Hwy 16 concurrency | |
| 528.5 | 328.4 | Hwy 16A – Wildwood, Evansburg | |||
| Lac Ste. Anne County | | 561.1 | 348.7 | Hwy 647 west – Anselmo | |
| Mayerthorpe | 567.3 | 352.5 | Hwy 43 – Whitecourt, Grande Prairie, Edmonton | ||
| | 574.3 | 356.9 | Hwy 18 – Green Court, Barrhead | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
References
- ^ "Cowboy Trail Map". The Cowboy Trail. The Cowboy Trail Tourism Association. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- ^ Alberta, Government of. "Highway 1A / Highway 22 Interchange". majorprojects.alberta.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
- ^ "2015 Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
- ^ a b Google (2017-12-05). "Highway 22 in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ Department of Highways (1960). Alberta Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1972). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1974). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ a b Travel Alberta (1975). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1976). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1978–1979). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1980–1981). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1990). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ Travel Alberta (1995). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
- ^ . Big West Country. June 10, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ "Transportation Infrastructure Management System - Existing Structures in the Provincial Highway Corridor" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. September 28, 2012. p. 108. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Tetra Tech EBA (August 2011). "Highway 22:06 to Highway 22:12 Climbing and Passing Lane Study - Highway 3 to Highway 543" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ a b "Cochrane Interchange". Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
- ^ Tucker, Erika (2017-04-07). "Alberta government announces plans for Town of Cochrane interchange". Global News. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
- ^ ISL Engineering and Land Services (March 2014). Highway 22 Functional Planning Study: South of Highway 8 to Town of Cochrane South Corporate Limits (PDF). Alberta Transportation (Report). Retrieved 2017-09-24.
- ^ Alberta Road Atlas (2005 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 55, 63, 69, 70, 75, 76, 82.
External links
Route map:
- The Cowboy Trail's official webpage