On a road that already sees many drivers with their pedal to the metal, the Alberta government is testing to see if raising the speed limit is a good idea.
A small stretch of Alberta’s busiest highway near Edmonton is getting a speed limit increase as part of a test to see if more stretches of divided highway should allow it.
Drivers going along a 22-kilometre portion of Highway 2, starting south of Leduc, will see speed limit signs of 120 kilometres an hour — up from the existing 110 km/h on the rest of the QEII.
It would be the fastest posted speed limit in Alberta and tied for with the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia for fastest in the country.
Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said Wednesday the area being tested is one of the busiest highway sections in the province, and safety upgrades such as longer ramps for overpasses were recently completed in Leduc County and the County of Wetaskiwin, making it an ideal trial area.
Alberta Transportation said almost 70 per cent of respondents to a recent survey agreed the speed limit should be increased on rural divided highways to 120 km/h.
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Dreeshen said he expects the test to gather a significant amount of data for the province to analyze before it considers increasing the limit on other divided highways.
The 120 km/h section will run for 22 km south of the Leduc Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station in both directions. The province said the areas being monitored and evaluated include that stretch, plus the five km to the north and south of it.
The minister said the province will monitor collision numbers, but he says many drivers travel at the higher speed already, so he’s not expecting an uptick in crashes.
At the same time, earlier this spring the province increased the penalties for dangerous driving.
Fines for offences like careless driving, excessive speeding, stunting and racing were increased by 50 per cent, with most other traffic penalties rising by 30 per cent.
The province reminded drivers the 120 km/h limit is intended for ideal road conditions and drivers should still be going slower when roads are wet, icy, or when there is reduced visibility.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
The faster we go less the potholes are felt, less the road repairs will be done?
Europeans laugh at us for things like this.
The NDP supporters don’t like this? Move to Manitoba or BC.
For Pete’s sake, Montana has 80mph (129kph) on its Interstate Highways and people usually drive 90mph or 100mph. No massive increase in accidents so why is Alberta so cautious doing a tiny test strip?
So picture this; freight truck at 100 km per hour I the right lane. Studly hungwell at 140 km per hour in the fast lane. Someone passing the freight truck at 120 (it’s not illegal to drive the speed limit) and studly can’t slow fast enough. Most freight trucks will stay between 100 and 110. Lots of unsafe passing will probably occur. We need 6 lanes before this can take place safely.
Love the idea.
The UCP is out to cause and kill responsible drivers who disagree with the raising of Speed Limits! 120 klm will be 160 for most Rude and Pushy Drivers! No one should have to white knuckle to their destination!
Try This….
We need less smartass Drivers who Speed and think they own the road! More Cops are needed to take them off the road!
Phyllis,
I Agree
Agee!
How about bringing our provincial highways to modern standards before increasing speed limits?! Parts of highway 2 have old bridges and approaches, sharp curves, narrow shoulders, potholes, wide cracks, frost heaves. Fix these third-world roads before bringing up the speed!!
Higher speed limits work everywhere, eg. in Europe. Of course, the roads must be properly maintained for higher speed. The mist important thing though is driver education and training, something which most drivers here seem to lack, unfortunately.
It’s 120 kmph. They’ll be going 140 kmph. Just pushing boundaries. 🤷🏼♀️😖‼️
About time. That road should be regulated like the Autobahn and Autostrata. We need less speed enforcement and more crime prevention. We need 0 sheriffs and no provincial police force. They are a danger to traffic. Nobody has ever explained to them it is illegal to block traffic lanes just to hand out a minor infraction. – According to a Provincial Court Justice.
whatch the accidents increase