Economic corridor development

The National Highway System was defined and endorsed by the Council of Ministers in 1988. The system includes more than 38,050 km of core, feeder and northern/remote routes across Canada (4,480 km of these in Alberta) that support inter-provincial and international trade and travel by connecting, as directly as possible, a capital city or major provincial population or commercial centre in Canada with:

• another major provincial population or commercial centre
• another major population or commercial centre in an adjacent province or territory
• a major port of exit or entry with the United States
• another type of transportation that is directly served by a highway, such as railway and airport terminals

View the map of national highways in Alberta.

North and south connections are important for allowing products to reach North American and global markets. Going south, these connections take our products to our largest export market, the United States. Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton provides a vital link between the two major urban centres and connects to other economic corridors across the province.

CANAMEX Corridor

The CANAMEX Corridor links the Coutts, Alberta and Sweetgrass, Montana port of entry to the Alberta and British Columbia border on Highway 43.

The corridor includes:

• approximately 1,150 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network
• parts of Highways 4, 3, 2, 201, 216, 16 and 43

Goals of the CANAMEX Corridor are to:

• improve access for the north-south flow of goods and people
• increase transport productivity and reduce transport costs
• support efficient connections between intermodal transport sites
• reduce administration and enforcement costs through harmonized regulations

The value of Alberta’s international merchandise trade using the corridor has experienced significant growth. At the port of entry, for example:

• Alberta exported goods valued at $4.46 billion to the US and Mexico ($4.3 billion to the US and $160 million to Mexico) by road through the port of entry in 2017
• an estimated 98,000 trucks and 145,000 passenger vehicles crossed in 2018

Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors has invested more than $2 billion in this important north-south trade link, including investments in the following projects.

• Converting Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton to a full freeway
  • Since the 1970s, the route replaced the old Highway 2 (now Highway 2A) by bypassing the smaller communities and continued to be upgraded through twinning and replacement of most at-grade intersections with interchanges.
  • Only a few at-grade crossings remain before the link attains full freeway standard.
  • Most of the planning for further expansion and replacement of at-grade intersections is either complete or has been prioritized and construction work continues as funding becomes available.
• Other projects completed along the CANAMEX Corridor include:
  • enhanced services at the Coutts, Alberta and Sweetgrass, Montana port of entry, including the Single Joint Use Vehicle Inspection Station operated by Alberta and Montana to improve operations and efficiency
  • completion of major transportation projects, such as:
    • the Milk River bypass along Highway 4
    • Highway 43 twinning to east of Wembley

To help ensure Alberta’s competitiveness in the international marketplace and enhance tourism, continued investment in this high-efficiency, multi-lane corridor to access USA and emerging Mexican markets is essential.

Read more about the CANAMEX Corridor.

Northeast Alberta Trade Corridor (Highway 63 to Fort McMurray)

A safe and efficient corridor to northeast Alberta is vital to the future prosperity of Alberta. The Government of Alberta has made significant investments in the highways leading to Fort McMurray and beyond, including major capacity upgrades through Fort McMurray.

The Northeast Alberta Trade Corridor includes:

• approximately 500 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network
• Highways 15, 28A, 28 and 63

Read more about the Northeast Alberta Trade Corridor (Highway 63 to Fort McMurray).

Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor (Highways 36, 41 and 881)

The Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor provides alternate routes to the CANAMEX Corridor, connecting the southern part of the province to northern part and provides business opportunities and direct access to companies in agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, manufacturing, defense and tourism.

The Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor includes the following three highways on Alberta’s provincial highway network:

• approximately 679 km on Highway 36 officially named Veterans Memorial Highway
• approximately 686 km on Highway 41 officially named Buffalo Trail
• approximately 265 km on the north segment of Highway 881

Read more about the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor (Highways 36, 41 and 881).  

Highway 22 Cowboy Trail

Highway 22 Cowboy Trail provides an alternate route to the CANAMEX Corridor, connecting the southern part of the province to northern part.

Highway 22 Cowboy Trail includes:

• approximately 584 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network

Read more about Highway 22 Cowboy Trail.

Arctic Corridor (Highway 35 and Highway 58 East)

The Arctic Corridor provide an interprovincial connection to the Northwest Territories.

The Arctic Corridor includes the following two highways on Alberta’s provincial highway network:

• approximately 464 km on Highway 35 starting north of the Town of Grimshaw. Highway 35 is a north-south highway corridor that, together with Northwest Territories Highway 1, is known as the Mackenzie Highway.
• approximately 194 km on Highway 58 east of High Level to Garden River, just beyond the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary.

Read more about the Arctic Corridor.

East and west connections are important for allowing products to reach North American and global markets. Going west, these connections take our products to tidewater with access to global markets, particularly Asia. Going east, the corridors connect our products and resources with eastern North American markets (major centres in Canada and the US) and to tidewater through the Port of Montreal.

Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) Corridor

Highway 1 is an important corridor in southern Alberta that connects to international markets to the west through the port of Vancouver, and to North American markets to the east and to the port of Montreal.

The Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) Corridor includes:

• approximately 534 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network
• Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) mainline

Read more about Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) Corridor.

Highway 3 (Crowsnest) Corridor

Highway 3 is an important corridor in southern Alberta that is experiencing economic growth, connects to international markets through the port of Vancouver, and can offer an alternate transportation route in times of emergencies like the 2021 flooding in British Columbia.

The Highway 3 (Crowsnest) Corridor includes:

• approximately 324 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network
• Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) mainline

Read more about Highway 3 (Crowsnest) Corridor.

Highway 16 (Yellowhead) Corridor

Highway 16 is an important corridor in central Alberta that connects to international markets to the west through the port of Vancouver and port of Prince Rupert, and to North American markets to the east through Manitoba.

The Highway 16 (Yellowhead) Corridor includes:

• approximately 634 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network
• Canadian National Railway mainline

Read more about Highway 16 (Yellowhead) Corridor.

Highway 9 (Calgary to Saskatchewan)

Highway 9 (Calgary to Saskatchewan) is designated as a core route on the National Highway System, forming a portion of an interprovincial corridor.

Highway 9 (Calgary to Saskatchewan) includes:

• approximately 324 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network

Read more about Highway 9 (Calgary to Saskatchewan).

Highway 11 (Red Deer to Saskatchewan River Crossing)

Highway 11 (Red Deer to Saskatchewan River Crossing) is a provincial highway in central Alberta and connects Alberta’s third-largest city, Red Deer, to the Rocky Mountains.

Highway 11 (Red Deer to Saskatchewan River Crossing) includes:

• approximately 318 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network

Read more about Highway 11.

Highway 28 (Edmonton to Cold Lake)

Highway 28 (Edmonton to Cold Lake) is designated as a feeder route on the National Highway System.

Highway 28 (Edmonton to Cold Lake) includes:

• approximately 293 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network

Read more about Highway 28.

Northern Corridor

The Northern Corridor includes multiple highways and future roads of growing importance to Alberta.

The Northern Corridor includes:

• Approximately 136 km on Highway 58 west of High Level to Rainbow Lake.
• Approximately 158 km on Highway 986 and approximately 90 km on Highway 686. The Government of Alberta announced a future development to extend Highway 686 by approximately 218 km to connect Peerless Lake to Fort McMurray.
• Approximately 62 km on the La Loche Winter Trail to the Saskatchewan border with engineering planned within the Provincial Construction Program to study an all-weather road connection.

Learn more about the Northern Trade Corridor.

The High Load Corridor, also called the Oversize and Overweight Corridor, is a network of designated highways where overhead utilities are raised or buried to accommodate high loads, and in many cases, heavy, wide and long loads. About 150,000 oversized and overweight permits are issued annually in Alberta.

Corridor development began in 1985. It now includes approximately 5,000 km of Alberta’s provincial highway network. The corridor plays an essential role in allowing Alberta companies to safely and cost-effectively manufacture products in large centres and transport them to their destinations.

Calgary Ring Road, Stoney Trail (Highway 201)

• The Calgary Ring Road is part of the larger east-west and north-south trade corridors that enhance access to markets in and out of Alberta, supporting economic diversification and sustained economic growth.
• The Calgary Ring Road provides more than 101 km of free-flow travel around the city of Calgary.
• The Calgary Ring Road fully opened to traffic on December 19, 2023.
• For more information, visit Calgary Ring Road.

Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216)

• The construction of Anthony Henday Drive around Edmonton was completed in 2016.
• The ring road provides a free-flow corridor operating at 100 km per hour and spans 80 km creating a vital link in Alberta’s economic corridors by safely and efficiently routing long-distance traffic to various areas within and through the city.
• For more information, visit Edmonton Ring Road.

Economic corridor-related research and analysis has been conducted by the following organizations:

• Canada West Foundation: From Shovel Ready to Shovel Worthy: The Path to a National Trade Infrastructure Plan for the Next Generation of Economic Growth
• The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy: Canadian Northern Corridor Research Program
• 2022 National Supply Chain Task Force: Final Report of the National Supply Chain Task Force
• Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters: Manufacturing Canada’s Future – November 2023
• Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters: Manufacturing Alberta’s Future – April 2024
• Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters: Alberta Manufacturing Strategy: Policy Recommendations to Spur Manufacturing Investment, Innovation and Job Creation

• 511 Alberta
• Grants and funding for municipalities
• Transportation policies and technical guidelines
• Transportation/Utility Corridors
• Roads, bridges and ferries
• Major construction projects
• Transportation construction tendering and contracting
• Guidelines for pipelines
• Commercial driving
• Alberta major projects
• Regional economic development