![AnthonyHendayDrive](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/AnthonyHendayDrive.JPG)
Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) is a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
that
encircles Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
. It is a heavily travelled commuter and truck
bypass route with the southwest quadrant serving as a portion of the
CANAMEX Corridor
The CANAMEX corridor is a series of improvements to freeways and other transportation infrastructure linking Canada to Mexico through the United States. The corridor was established under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Currently the corr ...
that links Canada to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Henday is one of the busiest highways in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada†...
, carrying over 108,000
vehicles per day in 2019 at its busiest point near
West Edmonton Mall
West Edmonton Mall (WEM) is a shopping mall in Edmonton, Alberta, that is owned, managed, and operated by Triple Five Group. It is the second most visited mall in Canada, after the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, followed by Metrotown Mall in B ...
. Rush hour congestion is common on the four-lane section in southwest Edmonton, where traffic levels have risen due to rapid suburban development. Work began in fall 2019 to widen this section to six lanes by the end of 2022.
Calgary Trail
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
in south Edmonton is designated as the starting point of the ring, with exit numbers increasing clockwise as the freeway proceeds across the
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows eventual ...
to the
Cameron Heights neighbourhood, then north past
Whitemud Drive
Whitemud Drive is a major east–west freeway in southern Edmonton, Alberta, that stretches from 231 Street at the western city limit to Anthony Henday Drive just east of Edmonton in Strathcona County. The portion in southeast Edmont ...
,
Stony Plain Road
Stony Plain Road is an expressway and arterial road Edmonton, Alberta. Parkland Highway is an alternative route to the corresponding section of Highway 16 in Parkland County.
Overview
Stony Plain Road
Stony Plain Road is an Expressway ...
and
Yellowhead Trail
Yellowhead Trail is a expressway segment of the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) in northern Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It carries a significant amount of truck traffic to and from the industrial areas of north Edmonton and serves as a key co ...
to
St. Albert. It continues east past
97 Street to
Manning Drive
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 15, commonly referred to as Highway 15 or Manning Drive, is a highway in the Edmonton Capital Region, Edmonton Region of Alberta, connecting northeast Edmonton to the City of Fort Saskatchewan and c ...
, then south across the North Saskatchewan River a second time. Entering
Strathcona County
Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region within Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. It forms part of Census Division No. 11.
Strathcona County is both urban and rural in n ...
, it again crosses Yellowhead Trail and Whitemud Drive, passing the community of
Sherwood Park
Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16 (Yellowhead Trail), ...
. Continuing south to
Highway 14, the road re-enters southeast Edmonton and turns west to complete the ring.
Late in its planning the freeway was named after English explorer
Anthony Henday
Anthony Henday ( fl. 1750–1762) was one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of what would eventually become western Canada. He ventured farther westward than any white man had before him.
As an employee of the Hudson's Bay Compan ...
, who historians believe was one of the first Europeans to visit Edmonton. Its designation of 216 is derived from its bypass linkages to Edmonton's two major crossroads, Highways
2 and
16. Constructed over 26 years at a cost of $4.3 billion, Henday became the first freeway to surround a major Canadian city when the final segment opened on October 1, 2016. Planning of the ring began in the 1950s, followed by design work and initial land acquisition in the 1970s, and opening of the first
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
segment in 1990. Plans for Henday were developed in tandem with
Stoney Trail
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 201, officially named Stoney Trail and Tsuut'ina Trail, is an approximately freeway in Calgary, Alberta. It forms part of the CANAMEX Corridor which connects Calgary to Edmonton and Interstate 15 in ...
, a similar ring road freeway around
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
.
Route description
Overview
Alberta Transportation describes Anthony Henday Drive as a "barrier-free, illuminated, high speed, free-flow, fully access controlled facility" with a posted
speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expres ...
of for its entire length around Edmonton,
[ the first ring road of its type in Canada.][ The majority of ]Capital Region
A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
residents reside within the approximate diameter of the ring and there is extensive suburban development in close proximity to Henday.[ By physical size, Edmonton is larger than both ]Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, but has a relatively low population density. Some have argued that the freeway is a significant contributor to urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
in the region.[ The city also lacks a free-flowing north–south route, further increasing traffic levels on Anthony Henday Drive.][
The road travels primarily through ]suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an residential areas in the south and west of the city, and rural farm lands and wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
s in the north.[ The eastern section of the road separates the Sherwood Park portion of Refinery Row and other industrial and commercial developments in Edmonton to the west, from the balance of Sherwood Park to the east.][ At its widest point east of Edmonton between Whitemud Drive and Sherwood Park Freeway, Anthony Henday Drive is eight total lanes wide which includes three main travel lanes in each direction plus a fourth lane allowing traffic to merge onto and exit from the roadway. The highest number of through lanes is seven, between Aurum Road and 153 Avenue in northeast Edmonton.][ Most of the road is paved with ]asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
, except for an experimental concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
segment in southwest Edmonton, the first of its type in the province.[ Alberta Transportation intended for the section to have lower long-term maintenance costs, but only six years after construction it required significant repairs.][ Concrete was not considered for subsequent sections of the road, but overall it was deemed to be a successful experiment that would net long term savings.][
]
West and north Edmonton
Alberta Transportation considers the starting point of Anthony Henday Drive to be at Calgary Trail / Gateway Boulevard in south Edmonton, with mileage increasing clockwise around the ring.[ At this major interchange, two westbound lanes of the freeway are joined by two lanes from northbound Gateway Boulevard and a third from southbound Calgary Trail.][ All five lanes merge into two over a short distance, creating congestion in the afternoon rush hour.][ Two westbound lanes continue across ]Blackmud Creek
Blackmud Creek is a creek in Edmonton that flows into Whitemud Creek. The creek starts at Saunders Lake East of Nisku and runs northwest into the City, joining Whitemud Creek in the neighbourhood of Twin Brooks.
Blackmud Creek's name is an ac ...
past 111 Street to 119 Street. Curving slightly to the southwest through the suburbs of south Edmonton, Henday crosses Whitemud Creek
Whitemud Creek is a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River in central Alberta, Canada.
For part of its length, the creek flows through the City of Edmonton, separating neighbourhoods in the Riverbend and Terwillegar Heights areas from o ...
to an interchange at Rabbit Hill Road. Veering back to the northwest, the freeway passes beneath Terwillegar Drive before descending to cross the North Saskatchewan River on twin bridges.[
West of the river, the four lane freeway passes Maskêkosihk Trail and Cameron Heights Drive on its way to Lessard Road and Callingwood Road. Curving north, traffic volume increases as the freeway reaches a major interchange at Whitemud Drive and widens to six lanes.][ A northbound braided ramp helps reduce congestion between Whitemud Drive and 87 Avenue, with which an interchange immediately follows. Henday continues north to major interchanges at Stony Plain Road and Yellowhead Trail, providing access to Spruce Grove and Jasper respectively, before curving northeast toward the city of St. Albert.][ Between Whitemud Drive and Yellowhead Trail, Henday is officially concurrent with Highway 2, but this is not indicated on any road signs.][
In northwest Edmonton, Anthony Henday Drive first crosses Ray Gibbon Drive before continuing northeast to pass St. Albert to the southeast.][ After Ray Gibbon Drive, the freeway serves as the boundary between the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert. The six lane road continues over 137 Avenue and under 170 Street to Campbell Road where it reduces from three lanes each way to two.][ It continues curving east across 127 Street to Highway 28, the most northerly point on the ring road. Now forming the approximate boundary between Edmonton and ]Sturgeon County
Sturgeon County is a municipal district the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is north of Edmonton and west of the North Saskatchewan River. Sturgeon County is located in Division No. 11 and was named for the Sturgeon River.
...
,[ the freeway passes south of ]CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton (also called 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton) is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".
His ...
before reaching 66 Street and a major interchange at Manning Drive/Highway 15, the former terminus of the freeway until the final section was completed in 2016.[
]
East and south Edmonton
After Manning Drive, the freeway widens to six lanes and continues clockwise through northeast Edmonton past 153 Avenue to a second crossing of the North Saskatchewan River.[ Four lanes cross the river southbound and three northbound on bridges.][ A pedestrian crossing was again included; it is slung underneath the southbound bridge and ties into the existing pathway system.][ The seven lane freeway rises from the river valley into the Clover Bar area, crossing Aurum Road to a major interchange at Yellowhead Trail, crossing into Strathcona County.][
In Strathcona County, the fourth southbound lane is dropped and the six lane freeway immediately crosses over Petroleum Way en route to interchanges at Baseline Road and Sherwood Park Freeway, passing Refinery Row to the east.][ South of Sherwood Park Freeway, Anthony Henday Drive forms the boundary between Strathcona County and the city of Edmonton. The freeway continues to a second interchange at Whitemud Drive after which it is briefly concurrent with Highway 14 until that route branches southeast later.][ Four lanes of Anthony Henday Drive re-enter the city of Edmonton and turns west toward the starting point of the loop.][ Before straightening out to a westerly heading, the freeway interchanges with 17 Street, then 50 Street after which it returns to a six lane freeway, crosses 91 Street, and returns to its starting point at Calgary Trail/Gateway Boulevard.][
]
Interchange design
Alberta Transportation used several different interchange designs for the freeway, the most common being the partial cloverleaf
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.
The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
, with between four and six ramps.[ This type of interchange is ideal for connections between freeways and ]arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below freeways/motorways on the road hierarchy in terms of traffic flow and speed. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector ro ...
s; they have a higher capacity than diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
s, but do not have the weaving and merging problems of full cloverleaf interchanges.[ Loop ramps are also used to better conform to existing terrain or structures, or to increase merge/weave distances between closely spaced interchanges.][ For example, they were used at 91 Street to achieve at least of separation to Gateway Boulevard, which would not have been possible with a conventional diamond.][
Anthony Henday Drive features several variations of the ]combination interchange
In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usi ...
, a common name for hybrid designs that allow for high speed left turns on elevated or depressed directional ramps.[ They retain loop ramps for the lesser used left turn movements which significantly reduced the cost and overall size of the interchange because fourth level flyovers are not required as they are in a ]stack interchange
A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...
.[ Henday features two three-level interchanges; the one at Calgary Trail / Gateway Boulevard was the first three-level interchange to be constructed in Alberta.][ Several of the bridges in this interchange use a "Trellis Beam" concept in which many perpendicular girders are used to carry the upper roadway at a high degree of skew.][ Anthony Henday Drive's junction with the Yellowhead Highway east of Edmonton was reconstructed with two new two semi-directional flyovers and one loop ramp for the eastbound to northbound movement. The existing semi-directional ramp for the westbound to southbound movement that runs parallel to the railway line that bisects the interchange, which opened prior to the completion of the northeast leg of Anthony Henday Drive, has been retained in the reconfigured interchange. ][
]
Traffic
The busiest section of Anthony Henday Drive is in west Edmonton between 87 Avenue and Stony Plain Road where it carried over 108,000 vehicles per day in 2019,[ second only to Whitemud Drive among Edmonton roadways.][ The section carried over 115,000 vehicles per day during the summer months of 2019.][ The 4-lane section of the southwest quadrant between Calgary Trail and Whitemud Drive is significantly over capacity and sees major delays during peak periods.][ A contributing factor is the close proximity of interchanges between the North Saskatchewan River and Yellowhead Trail, which creates a problem known as "]weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
" in which traffic is trying to simultaneously enter and exit within the same stretch of roadway.
Traffic levels on Henday have risen much more quickly than anticipated. Alberta Transportation concedes that in 2001 the southwest section was projected to reach 40,000 vehicles per day by 2020 but reached that mark in 2009.[ it carries over 80,000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of 111 Street,][ and Alberta committed to widening the section to six lanes by 2022 with work planned to have begun in fall 2019.][ Prior to the announcement, project manager Bill van der Meer had stated that Henday is operating efficiently, aside from peak hour congestion.][ Alberta Transportation generally considers widening four lane highways when volumes reach between 30,000 and 50,000 cars per day.][ With the exception of a section in north Edmonton between Highway 28 and Manning Drive, by 2015, all four-lane sections of Henday each carried more than 40,000 vehicles per day.][
]
Traffic volumes
Alberta Transportation publishes yearly traffic volume data for provincial highways.[ The table below compares the average daily vehicle count over the span of a year (]annual average daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a y ...
, AADT) at several locations along Anthony Henday Drive using data from 2000, 2010 and 2015.[
]
Lane count
History
Early plans
The road is named after Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
explorer Anthony Henday
Anthony Henday ( fl. 1750–1762) was one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of what would eventually become western Canada. He ventured farther westward than any white man had before him.
As an employee of the Hudson's Bay Compan ...
, who travelled up the North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows eventual ...
to the area now known as Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
in the 18th century on a mission for the Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
.[ Plans for a ring road around Edmonton began developing in the 1950s when the Edmonton Regional Planning Commission identified a need for the road to support future development in the Edmonton area, and the movement of goods and services around the province. Areas around the city that could potentially interfere with this growth were retained by the province and called Restricted Development Areas.][ In 1972, Edmonton City Council recommended that the city ask for the province to pay for the ring road.][ Shortly thereafter, in addition to the Restricted Development Areas that had already been retained, the Alberta government led by ]Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed ( ; July 26, 1928 – September 13, 2012) was a Canadian lawyer and Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, Progressive Conservative politician who served as the tenth premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985, presiding ...
continued land acquisitions to assemble a transportation utility corridor (TUC) for Edmonton and Calgary ring roads.[ Plans had evolved to provide ]right of way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
for future overhead high-voltage transmission lines
High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...
, underground gas and oil pipelines
Pipeline transport is the long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas through a system of pipes—a pipeline—typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countr ...
, and water/storm sewer lines.[ By 1985, a study had been completed to plot an exact alignment of Anthony Henday Drive through the TUC and by the end of the decade most of the required land had been purchased from land owners.][ Unused land within the corridor may be leased out by the government as a source of revenue,][ but some landowners were unhappy that the province did not have a firm timeline for Henday's construction.]
South construction
The southwest quadrant of Anthony Henday Drive bypasses Edmonton to the southwest, connecting Highways 2 and 16.[ It was deemed to be the highest priority for construction because of its designation as part of the ]CANAMEX Corridor
The CANAMEX corridor is a series of improvements to freeways and other transportation infrastructure linking Canada to Mexico through the United States. The corridor was established under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Currently the corr ...
, a trade route through Alberta that links Alaska to Mexico.[ The first section of the bypass to be completed was from Whitemud Drive north to Stony Plain Road, constructed by the City of Edmonton beginning in 1990 and completed in 1992 prior to the province taking over responsibility of Henday.][ An additional extending the road north to Yellowhead Trail was completed by 1998.
Construction then shifted south, with completion from Whitemud Drive south to 45 Avenue just north of what is currently the Lessard Road interchange. The next section extended the road on twin bridge structures across the North Saskatchewan River to Terwillegar Drive, opening on November 8, 2005.][ In December 2003, during construction of the southbound bridge, a ]girder
A girder () is a support beam used in construction. It is the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams. Girders often have an I-beam cross section composed of two load-bearing ''flanges'' separated by a stabilizing ' ...
collapsed and had to be replaced, delaying construction.[ An extension further east to Calgary Trail was completed by October 2006, creating a full southwest bypass of Edmonton.][ It includes a semi-circular arch structure that spans Whitemud Creek, and three ]arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...
s over Blackmud Creek.[ A $168 million interchange that included seven bridges was constructed at Stony Plain Road,][ and the entire quadrant became free-flowing in late 2011 after the completion of smaller interchanges at Lessard Road, Callingwood Road, and Cameron Heights Drive.][ A flyover was originally planned on the western leg at 69 Avenue before it was ultimately scrapped by Alberta Transportation.][ The total cost of the entire southwest quadrant from Yellowhead Trail to Gateway Boulevard was $577 million.][
In 2003, Alberta began design work for the southeastern section from Gateway Boulevard to Highway 14. Unlike the southwest portion, the province announced its intention to construct the road via a public-private partnership (P3), also known as a design-build-operate project.][ This method of construction presented millions of dollars in savings to Alberta taxpayers, and allowed the project to be completed on an accelerated timeline because the consolidation of various sub-contracts is managed by one entity allowing for increased efficiencies. On January 25, 2005, Alberta signed a $493 million contract with a consortium called Access Roads to build the road and maintain it for 30 years.][ Construction began in April and was completed in October 2007. The new segment included 24 bridge structures and 5 interchanges, and connected Highway 14 to Yellowhead Trail in the west effectively creating a full southern bypass of Edmonton. It also provided an important link for the quickly growing southern communities of Ellerslie and Summerside to the rest of Edmonton's road network.][
]
North construction and completion
Construction of an interim segment from Yellowhead Trail in the west to 137 Avenue was the first to be completed, as part of St. Albert's Ray Gibbon Drive project. Full work on the entire of the northwest leg from Yellowhead Trail to Manning Drive (Highway 15) was initiated in early 2008 after Alberta's signing of a $1.42 billion P3 agreement with Northwestconnect General Partnership to build and maintain the road for 30 years.[ Construction began in September 2008, described by then Premier ]Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael Stelmach (; born May 11, 1951) is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th premier of Alberta, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and fluently speaks ...
as "an important step in meeting our provincial goal of completing the ring roads to a freeway status by 2015."[ The project included the construction of two large interchanges, one each at Yellowhead Trail and Manning Drive. Seven other smaller interchanges were also constructed, as well as five flyovers and two rail crossings. Three lanes each way were built from Yellowhead Trail to Campbell Road, and two lanes each way from Campbell Road to Manning Drive.][ All work was completed on time, and the leg opened to traffic on November 1, 2011.][
]
In May 2012, Alberta signed a $1.81 billion P3 contract with Capital City Link General Partnership to build and maintain the final northeast segment of Anthony Henday Drive for 30 years after construction, from Manning Drive to Yellowhead Trail east of Edmonton in Strathcona County.[ A sod turning ceremony was held on July 16 and construction was underway,][ at the time the largest transportation project in the history of the province.][ Significant reconstruction was done to the existing section of the road east of Edmonton from Yellowhead Trail south to Highway 14 that had been in place since at least the early 1960s.][ It was formerly known as Highway 14X, the "X" denoting that the route was an extension of Highway 14. Prior to the completion of Whitemud Drive at the end of the 1990s, Highway 14 followed a more northerly alignment through Edmonton on Sherwood Park Freeway.][
As part of the reconstruction, several bridges constructed between 1965 and 1974 were demolished.][ They spanned Anthony Henday Drive at Yellowhead Trail, Baseline Road and Sherwood Park Freeway and were removed to make way for updated structures that would allow the freeway underneath to be widened to six lanes and further expanded to eight lanes or more in the future.][ A bridge built in 1969 carrying Broadmoor Boulevard over Yellowhead Trail][ was also demolished because it was not at the required elevation for the new interchange configuration.][ Yellowhead Trail from the North Saskatchewan River to Clover Bar Road was significantly improved and widened, as was Sherwood Park Freeway from 17 Street to Ordze Road/Crescent in Sherwood Park.][
]
Overall, the project included the construction of nine interchanges, two road flyovers, eight rail flyovers, and twin bridges over the North Saskatchewan River for a total of 47 bridge structures,[ and the demolition of 13 existing bridges.][ An extensive environmental assessment was also completed which identified the need for a wildlife crossing at the river, which was constructed. Noise analysis based on projected traffic volumes was also completed.][ The complex interchange at Yellowhead Trail includes several braided ramps, connections to adjacent roads, and is bisected by a railway line.][ On October 1, 2016, the northeast leg of the freeway was officially opened to traffic.][
Major construction on Sherwood Park Freeway and Yellowhead Trail was also largely complete including all new lanes and ramps. Only minor aesthetic work remained such as landscaping, completion of ]mechanically stabilized earth
Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE or reinforced soil) is soil constructed with artificial reinforcing. It can be used for retaining walls, bridge abutments, seawalls, and dikes. Although the basic principles of MSE have been used throughout his ...
walls, and painting of wing wall
A wing wall (also "wingwall" or "wing-wall") is a smaller wall attached or next to a larger wall or structure.
Bridges
In a bridge, the wing walls are adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls. They are generally constructed of the same ...
s, piers Piers may refer to:
* Pier, a raised structure over a body of water
* Pier (architecture), an architectural support
* Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name)
* Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
, and abutment
An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...
s.[
]
Future
The entire freeway road was built with expansion in mind; almost all bridges were built wide enough for expansion to the ultimate stage which includes as many as six main travel lanes in one direction, depending on location.[ In June 2018, Alberta committed $100 million to the widening of the southwest leg of the road.][ The plans included widening both directions from two to three travel lanes in the congested southwest section between 111 Street and Whitemud Drive, and the more extensive work required to widen the bridges over the North Saskatchewan River and Wedgewood Ravine which are currently two lanes of travel per bridge each way.][ In September 2019, ]Minister of Transportation
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...
Ric McIver
Richard William McIver (born August 28, 1958) is a Canadian politician who has represented Calgary-Hays in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta since 2012. A member of the United Conservative Party (UCP), McIver is the current minister of munic ...
announced that a contract for the work had been awarded, with work set to begin in fall 2019.[ Capacity of the section will be increased to 120,000 vehicles per day.][ In 2015, city councillor Michael Oshry had stated that he was unhappy with the way the road was initially constructed, and Alberta should have done a better job of anticipating the rapid growth in southwest Edmonton.][ Project manager Bill van der Meer disagreed, saying, "If we built a six-lane divided road that was virtually empty for 10 years, that wouldn't be money well spent."][
]
As part of initial construction, grading has been completed for several future interchanges/flyovers and higher capacity directional ramps at existing interchanges, to reduce construction time and costs for those structures when traffic volumes require them.[ For example, the directional ramps constructed at the northwest Henday/Yellowhead Trail interchange were built one lane wide initially, but all bridge decks are wide enough to accommodate a second lane.][ Edmonton proposes to upgrade Terwillegar Drive to a freeway at an estimated cost of $1 billion, after which two directional ramps are proposed; they would carry traffic from northbound Terwillegar Drive to westbound Anthony Henday Drive, and from southbound to eastbound.][ On November 1, 2016, Alberta announced the intended closure of the ]right-in/right-out
Right-in/right-out (RIRO) and left-in/left-out (LILO) refer to a type of three-way road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. "Right-in" and "left-in" r ...
access at 127 Street in southwest Edmonton, citing safety concerns.[ However, in the following days, the city requested that the access remain open indefinitely until alternatives were explored, and the province agreed.][ It was ultimately closed in May 2019, and a new right-in/right-out connection several hundred metres to the west opened at 135 Street in October 2019.][ In the southeast, a directional ramp from eastbound Whitemud Drive to northbound Anthony Henday Drive is proposed, when traffic volumes warrant its construction.][
To meet long-term requirements, Alberta Transportation also proposes to construct a high capacity directional ramp carrying traffic from eastbound Anthony Henday Drive to northbound Ray Gibbon Drive after the latter is twinned and upgraded to a freeway.][ Ray Gibbon Drive is proposed as a major corridor that will carry the Highway 2 designation in the future.][ One kilometre further down the road at 137 Avenue, grading was initially completed for a partial cloverleaf interchange but in 2008 Alberta elected not to spend $7 million to complete paving of the ramps because development did not yet require it. St. Albert mayor Nolan Crouse was unhappy with the decision, stating that his city would not pay for it either. "It's going to sit there until there's another plan, and right now we don't have a plan... we have taken the position that we think it's the province's responsibility, and they say they won't," Crouse said.][ , there is no timeline for completion of the interchange. Grading was also completed for a partial cloverleaf interchange at 50 Street in the northeast,][ but no timeline has been set for construction.
Alberta proposes to construct a second ring road around Edmonton to support future growth, approximately beyond Anthony Henday Drive.][ The road would not be constructed for roughly 40 years, and could cost upwards of $11 billion. ]Parkland County
Parkland County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada. Located west of Edmonton in Census Division No. 11, its municipal office, Parkland County Centre, is located north of the Town of Stony Plain on Highway 779.
History
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mayor Rod Shaigec voiced his support for the plan in 2014, stating, "if we don't implement and have another ring road, it's going to be further traffic congestion and have environmental impacts as well."[ Edmonton mayor ]Don Iveson
Donald L. Iveson (born May 30, 1979) is a Canadian politician who served as mayor of Edmonton from 2013 to 2021. He was first elected as mayor in the 2013 municipal election with 62% of the vote, and was re-elected in 2017 with 73.6% of the vot ...
called the plan a bad idea, instead favouring expansion to Light Rail Transit and upgrades to existing roadways in the Edmonton area such as Yellowhead Trail. Both projects could be completed for the cost of the proposed outer ring road, he argued,[ and in 2016 the city announced that Yellowhead Trail would be upgraded to a freeway after the federal and provincial governments agreed to fund half of the $1 billion project.][ In May 2017, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht expressed his support for an increase in the speed limit on Anthony Henday Drive from 100 km/h to .][
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Exit list
Exit numbering begins at Calgary Trail and increases clockwise.
See also
*Stoney Trail
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 201, officially named Stoney Trail and Tsuut'ina Trail, is an approximately freeway in Calgary, Alberta. It forms part of the CANAMEX Corridor which connects Calgary to Edmonton and Interstate 15 in ...
*Circle Drive
Circle Drive is a major road constructed as a ring road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Its route constitutes both part of the Yellowhead Highway and Highway 11, signed as both along the entire length. It was first conceived in 1913 by the ...
*Perimeter Highway
Provincial Trunk Highways (PTH) 100 and 101, collectively known as the Perimeter Highway, form a beltway around the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Perimeter Highway is approximately in length and serves as a ring road around Winnipeg ...
*List of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River
This is a list of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta from the river's confluence with the South Saskatchewan River upstream to its source.
Tables
Saskatchewan
Alberta
No ...
Notes
References
External links
Alberta Transportation - Edmonton Ring Road
Capital City Link Group - Northeast Anthony Henday Drive
{{Authority control
Freeways in Alberta
Ring roads in Canada
Roads in Edmonton
Roads in St. Albert, Alberta
Roads in Strathcona County