Alberta Moves Quickly Toward Higher Highway Speeds After Survey Shows Strong Support

Just four days after Alberta’s speed limit survey closed, the provincial government is already preparing to move ahead with a controlled trial of 120 km/h limits on select rural divided highways. The pace of the announcement highlights both the political appetite and public momentum behind the proposal.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen announced Monday that preliminary survey results show strong support for raising limits from 110 km/h to 120 km/h on divided highways. In a statement released by the province, Dreeshen said 68% of the nearly 59,400 participants favour an increase. The minister also emphasized that more than 90 percent support tighter lane restrictions for commercial trucks.

“The survey gave Albertans the opportunity to share their views on modernizing speed limits on rural divided highways,” Dreeshen said. “Albertans are ready for modern, common-sense rules that better reflect how our roads are built and how people actually drive.”

Dreeshen also told the Calgary Herald that “having almost 70% for 120 km/h is great,” describing Alberta’s divided highways as “big beautiful roads” designed for higher limits and widely used by rural commuters who have long pushed for changes.

The province plans to launch a small trial next year after it completes a full review of the survey results. Officials say the goal is to collect real-world data before making any broader decisions.

A notable rise in public engagement but results not yet released

The speed of the government’s response is striking. While the province has confirmed broad support for higher limits, it has not yet released the full survey dataset. That report is expected early in the new year. Once released, it will be critical in understanding how views differ across regions. This will be especially important in corridors like the Bow Valley, where highway conditions and safety concerns differ from long, straight routes such as the QEII.

The survey listed multiple candidate corridors for higher limits, including Highway 1 from Banff to the Saskatchewan border. That means the section between Calgary and the East Gate of Banff National Park, a route used frequently by Bow Valley commuters, was explicitly identified as a potential location for future changes. The province has not confirmed whether it will be included in the upcoming trial.

Bow Valley residents say they want no change

Local reaction to the idea has been sharply different from the province-wide numbers. When the government first announced its review in November, Bow Valley Insider conducted a local poll that drew 871 responses. In that survey, 83% of residents said they oppose raising the Highway 1 limit from 110 to 120 km/h. Only 16% supported the change.

The written feedback highlighted concerns that are unique to this mountain corridor. These concerns include wildlife movement, winter travel conditions, and the risk of more severe collisions. Drivers pointed to the Exshaw, Lac des Arcs, and Canmore stretches as areas where wildlife crossings, steep terrain, and heavy commuter traffic already create challenges.

“The speed is fine, the problem is driver attention,” one respondent wrote. Another warned that “wildlife fencing cannot stop everything” and raised concerns about the consequences of higher-speed collisions involving elk, deer, or bighorn sheep.

Supporters of higher limits argued that many drivers already travel at 120 km/h and said aligning posted speeds with actual traffic flow might reduce aggressive passing. In the Bow Valley, those supporters were in the minority.

A corridor that differs from the QEII

Dreeshen told the Calgary Herald that support for higher limits may be even stronger among people who drive rural corridors daily, particularly the QEII between Calgary and Edmonton. The four-lane, flat highway differs significantly from the mountain section of Highway 1, where curves, wildlife habitat, winter conditions, and heavy visitor traffic all shape driving patterns.

The full release of the survey results will help determine how different regions responded. Without that data, it remains unclear whether the 68% figure reflects broad agreement or whether support is concentrated in areas where the road design more easily accommodates higher speeds.

What the trial means and what it does not mean

The government has not identified which highways will be part of the 2026 trial. The press release states only that it will be a “controlled 120 km/h mini-trial” paired with monitoring and safety evaluation. Dreeshen has said the goal is to “ease Albertans into being comfortable” with higher limits.

The province has also clarified that the change would not apply to urban freeways such as Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail or the ring roads in Calgary and Edmonton.

For now, the most significant development is the rapid movement from survey close to trial planning. All of this is happening before the full survey results are released. The announcement signals political confidence that the public will support a broader shift, even as detailed data is still forthcoming.

What comes next

Alberta says it will publish the full report on the survey early in 2026. That document will likely include regional breakdowns that clarify whether mountain-town sentiment aligns with provincial averages.

For the Bow Valley, the data will determine whether local concerns stand out sharply from rural commuter corridors. It will also help determine whether Highway 1 between Calgary and Banff remains a candidate for future changes.

Until then, the conversation remains split. At the provincial level, policymakers see a clear mandate. In the Bow Valley, residents remain clear that higher limits may work elsewhere but not here.