Alberta Highway 55
Highway 55 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Woods and Water Route | ||||
 | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Alberta Ministry of Transportation | ||||
| Length | 263 km[1] (163 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  Hwy 2 in Athabasca | |||
 Hwy 63 near Atmore Hwy 36 near Lac La Biche Hwy 41 in La Corey Hwy 28 in Cold Lake | ||||
| East end |  Hwy 55 at Saskatchewan border near Cherry Grove | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Alberta | |||
| Specialized and rural municipalities | Athabasca County, Lac La Biche County, Bonnyville No. 87 M.D. | |||
| Major cities | Cold Lake | |||
| Towns | Athabasca | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Alberta Provincial Highway No. 55, commonly referred to as Highway 55, is a 263-kilometre (163 mi) long east–west highway in northeast Alberta, Canada.[2] It extends from the Saskatchewan border in the east through the Cold Lake, Lac La Biche, and Athabasca where it ends at Highway 2. In Saskatchewan, it continues as Saskatchewan Highway 55.[3][1]
The entire length of Highway 55 comprises the easternmost segment of Alberta's portion of the Northern Woods and Water Route (NWWR). West of Athabasca, the Northern Woods and Water Route continues westward along Highway 2 and then Highway 49.
History[edit]
The original designation Highway 55 was a 15-kilometre (9 mi) long north-south highway that appeared on maps in the mid-1950s and connected Fort Saskatchewan with Highway 16, just east of Edmonton.[4] In 1973, Alberta established its secondary highway system along mostly existing unimproved roads, with Secondary Highway 662 running between Highway 36 and Cold Lake, and Secondary Highway 664 running between Athabasca and Donatville.
The idea of a northern highway corridor between Dawson Creek, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba was originally lobbied by George Stevenson, a retired CN employee who lived in McLennan, Alberta. The communities along the proposed corridor supported his idea and eventually resulted in the incorporation of the Northern Woods and Water Route Association in the western provinces 1974.[5] As part of establishing the corridor in northeastern Alberta, two secondary highways (662 and 664), along with Highway 28X and a portion of Highway 46 were renumbered to Highway 55 in c. 1977, matching Saskatchewan Highway 55, while the original route east of Edmonton became part of Highway 21.[6][7] Highway 55 was paved throughout the 1980s.[8]
- Former Highways
| Former Number |
Length (km) |
Length (mi) |
Western terminus | Eastern terminus | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hwy 664 | 32 | 20 | Hwy 2 in Athabasca | Former Hwy 46 at Donatville | ||||
| Hwy 46 | 63 | 39 | Former Hwy 664 at Donatville | Hwy 36 in Lac La Biche | Hwy 46 south of Atmore replaced by Hwy 63; 23 km (14 mi) concurrency Hwy 63. | |||
| Hwy 36 | 20
|
12
|
Former Hwy 46 in Lac La Biche | Former Hwy 662 south of Lac La Biche | Concurrency remains. | |||
| Hwy 662 | 125 | 78 | Hwy 36 south of Lac La Biche | Hwy 28 in Cold Lake | ||||
| Hwy 28 | 10
|
6
|
Hwy 28 in Cold Lake | Former Hwy 28X south of Cold Lake | Concurrency remains. | |||
| Hwy 28X | 13 | 8 | Hwy 28 south of Cold Lake | Saskatchewan border | ||||
| Concurrency | ||||||||
Major intersections[edit]
From west to east:
| Rural/specialized municipality | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athabasca County | Athabasca | 0.0 | 0.0 | Hwy 2 (50 Avenue / 50 Street) – Slave Lake, Peace River, Edmonton | Northern Woods and Water Route continues on Hwy 2 north |
| 0.5 | 0.31 |  Hwy 813 north – Calling Lake, Wabasca | |||
| | 5.2 | 3.2 |  Hwy 827 south – Thorhild | ||
| 31.5 | 19.6 | Hwy 63 south – Boyle, Edmonton | West end of Hwy 63 concurrency | ||
| Grassland | 47.0 | 29.2 | Passes through Grassland | ||
| Atmore | 54.3 | 33.7 | Hwy 63 north – Wandering River, Fort McMurray Hwy 855 south – Smoky Lake | East end of Hwy 63 concurrency | |
| Lac La Biche County | | 69.0 | 42.9 |  Hwy 858 north – Plamondon | |
| 90.5 | 56.2 |  Hwy 663 south – Hylo, Boyle | |||
| Lac La Biche | 94.0 | 58.4 | 101 Avenue (former Hwy 55 alignment) | West end of Lac La Biche bypass | |
| 95.9 | 59.6 | Hwy 36 south / 100 Street (former Hwy 55 alignment) Hwy 881 north – Conklin, Fort McMurray | East end of Lac La Biche bypass; west end of Hwy 36 concurrency | ||
| | 113.7 | 70.6 | Hwy 36 south – Ashmont, Two Hills | East end of Hwy 36 concurrency | |
| 131.1 | 81.5 |  Hwy 866 south – McRae, Spedden | |||
| 143.3 | 89.0 | UAR 225 south – Rich Lake | |||
| 147.7 | 91.8 |  Hwy 867 south | |||
| M.D. of Bonnyville No. 87 | | 165.5 | 102.8 | Hwy 881 south – Therien, St. Paul | |
| La Corey | 202.2 | 125.6 | Hwy 41 south – Bonnyville | ||
| | 220.8 | 137.2 |  Hwy 892 – Ardmore | Former Hwy 92 north | |
| 230.6 | 143.3 |  Hwy 897 – Cold Lake Provincial Park, CFB Cold Lake | |||
| City of Cold Lake | 239.0 | 148.5 | Hwy 28 east (8 Avenue) 16 Avenue – Cold Lake Provincial Park | North end of Hwy 28 wrong-way concurrency | |
| 244.0 | 151.6 | 50 Avenue / Centre Avenue – CFB Cold Lake | Former Hwy 897 west | ||
| M.D. of Bonnyville No. 87 | | 249.1 | 154.8 | Hwy 28 west – Bonnyville, Edmonton | South end of Hwy 28 wrong-way concurrency |
| 249.9 | 155.3 | Hwy 897 south – Elizabeth Metis Settlement, Marwayne, Lloydminster | |||
| Cherry Grove | 257.5 | 160.0 | |||
| | 262.7 | 163.2 | Hwy 55 east (Northern Woods and Water Route) – Pierceland, Meadow Lake, Prince Albert | Continues east into Saskatchewan | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References[edit]
- ^ a b c Google (2017-12-14). "Highway 55 in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ^ Provincial Highways Designation Order, Alberta Transportation, p. 8
- ^ "2015 Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ^ The H.M. Gousha Company (1956). "British Columbia–Alberta" (Map). Shell Map of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The Shell Oil Company. § C-12.
- ^ "History". Northern Woods and Water Route. 2016. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map). Alberta Business Development and Tourism. 1976–1977. §§ H-6, H-7, I-6.
- ^ Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map). Alberta Business Development and Tourism. 1978–1979. §§ H-6, H-7, I-6.
- ^ Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map). Alberta Business Development and Tourism. 1990. §§ H-6, H-7.