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
Length	574 km (357 mi)
Major junctions
South end	Hwy 3 near Lundbreck
	Hwy 22X in Priddis Hwy 8 near Redwood Meadows Hwy 1 (TCH) near Cochrane Hwy 1A in Cochrane Hwy 11 in Rocky Mountain House Hwy 12 near Rocky Mountain House Hwy 13 near Alder Flats Hwy 39 near Drayton Valley Hwy 16 (TCH) near Evansburg Hwy 43 in Mayerthorpe
North end	Hwy 18 near Mayerthorpe
Location
Specialized and rural municipalities	Pincher Creek No. 9 M.D., Ranchland No. 26 M.D., Foothills No. 31 M.D., Rocky View County, Mountain View County, Clearwater County, Wetaskiwin No. 10 County, Brazeau County, Parkland County, Yellowhead County, Lac Ste. Anne County
Towns	Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Cochrane, Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Mayerthorpe
Villages	Longview, Cremona, Caroline
Highway system
Provincial highways in Alberta ← Hwy 21 Hwy 22X →

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. 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

Southbound Highway 22, north of Sundre

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. 22 continues north through Longview, Black Diamond, 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.[2]

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).[3] 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.[3]

Albert'a Cowboy Trail was also ranked as one of Canada's top 13 road trips by Must Do Canada in 2020.[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 – Nanton
	​	82.2	51.1	Hwy 532 west – Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park
M.D. of Foothills No. 31	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
	Black Diamond	127.6	79.3	Hwy 7 east – Okotoks	Hwy 22 branches west
	↑ / ↓	128.4	79.8	Crosses the Sheep River
	Turner Valley	131.6	81.8	Hwy 546 west – Sheep River Provincial Park	Hwy 22 branches north
	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 (Glenmore Trail) – 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; construction to begin as soon as Fall 2019[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       Concurrency terminus       Unopened

References

1. "Cowboy Trail Map". The Cowboy Trail. The Cowboy Trail Tourism Association. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
2. "2015 Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
3. Google (December 5, 2017). "Highway 22 in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
4. "Top Canada Road Trips". Must Do Canada.
5. Department of Highways (1960). Alberta Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). The Province of Alberta.
6. Travel Alberta (1972). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
7. Travel Alberta (1974). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
8. Travel Alberta (1975). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
9. Travel Alberta (1976). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
10. Travel Alberta (1978–79). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
11. Travel Alberta (1980–81). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
12. Travel Alberta (1990). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
13. Travel Alberta (1995). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.
14. "Bridge Open to Traffic". Big West Country. June 10, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
15. "Transportation Infrastructure Management System - Existing Structures in the Provincial Highway Corridor" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. September 28, 2012. p. 108. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
16. 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.
17. "Cochrane Interchange". Alberta Transportation. Government of Alberta. April 6, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
18. Tucker, Erika (April 7, 2017). "Alberta government announces plans for Town of Cochrane interchange". Global News. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
19. 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 September 24, 2017.
20. Alberta Road Atlas (2005 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 55, 63, 69, 70, 75, 76, and 82.

External links

Template:Attached KML/Alberta Highway 22

KML is not from Wikidata

• The Cowboy Trail's official webpage