Alberta plans 2026 pilot to raise speed limits on select rural highways

The Alberta government says it will move ahead in 2026 with a pilot project that would increase speed limits to 120 kilometres per hour on certain rural divided highways across the province.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the decision follows public feedback gathered through an online survey earlier this fall, when the province asked Albertans whether speed limits should be raised on divided highways. According to the government, about 59,000 people responded, with 68 per cent expressing support for higher limits.

Currently, many rural divided highways in Alberta are capped at 110 km/h. Provincial officials argue some major corridors are already engineered for higher speeds, including heavily travelled routes linking Calgary and Edmonton. The province has not yet released a list of highways that would be included in the trial.

The move comes as other jurisdictions weigh similar changes. British Columbia raised speed limits to 120 km/h on several major highways in 2014, though some of those increases were later reversed after collision rates climbed in certain areas.

Not everyone supports Alberta’s plan. Earlier this month, town councillors in Okotoks, south of Calgary, said they intend to formally oppose the proposal, warning that higher speeds could increase the risk of serious crashes, particularly near growing communities.

The province says safety data from the pilot will be closely monitored before any permanent changes are considered.