Alberta Highway 1



Highway 1 in Alberta is the Alberta of the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway. It is the main road through the southern portion of the province, and runs through several towns and cities along its 534km route. All but 8km of the highway is at least 4 lanes.

BC to Calgary
When Highway 1 in British Columbia goes through Yoho National Park and crosses the British Columbia-Alberta border, it switches into Banff National Park. It goes east to a point where Highway 93 merges onto it from the north, from which point the two highways share a common alignment. The two highways then go south to Lake Louise where they turn into a freeway. Further south, Highway 93 diverges west. South some more, and then a little bit to the east, Highway 1 crosses the Bow River into the town of Banff. The highway itself doesn't actually enter Banff, but travellers can enter the town via Mt. Norquay Road, which Highway 1 intersects.

From Banff, Highway 1 travels south-southeast through Harvie Heights to a junction with Highway 1A just north of Canmore. Highway 1 then goes east through Dead Man's Flats, Lac Des Arcs, and a junction with Highway 1X out of the mountains and onto the prairies.

From here, Highway 1 goes east past a junction with Highway 22, Calaway Park, and a junction with Highway 563 into the city of Calgary.

City of Calgary
Calgary is by far the largest city on the route, so it is good place to stop and rest.

Once in Calgary, Highway 1 goes east to a junction with Highway 201. It then turns southeast and leaves the freeway. When it crosses Home Road NW, it turns into 16th Ave. It goes east with this designation through a junction with Highway 1A to an intersection with 19th Street. Just past here, it gets the freeway back. It continues east to an intersection with 68th Street, where the freeway leaves it again. Just east of here, Highway 1 goes through a junction with Highway 201, where it loses the 16th Ave designation. From here, it goes east a tiny bit out of the city of Calgary.

Calgary to Medicine Hat
From Calgary, Highway 1 goes east to Chestermere, where it turns south. It goes this direction for about 2km before turning east again. It then goes this direction through junctions with Highways 791, 9, and then 817 in Strathmore. From here, Highway 1 goes east through a junction with Highway 21 to a junction with Highway 561, where it turns south. It then goes this direction through a junction with Highway 547 to a junction with Highway 901, where it turns east.

From here, Highway 1 travels in a general east-southeastward direction through junctions with Highways 842, 56, 550, 873, 542, 876, 884, 524, and then finally Highways 3 and 41A in Medicine Hat. Just west of Medicine Hat, Highway 1 passes through Redcliff. On the way here, it passes through Bassano, Brooks, and Suffield.

Medicine Hat to Saskatchewan
Just east of Medicine Hat, Highway 41 merges onto Highway 1 from the north, just east of Dunmore. The two highways then travel to where Highway 41 diverges south, just west of Irvine. Highway 1 then finishes its route through Alberta east through Walsh to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, where it continues as Saskatchewan Highway 1.