Alberta Highway 22 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 7 in Diamond Valley Hwy 22X near Priddis Hwy 8 near Redwood Meadows Hwy 1 (TCH) near 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 County, Rocky View County, Mountain View County, Clearwater County, Wetaskiwin No. 10 County, Brazeau County, Parkland County, Yellowhead County, Lac Ste. Anne County
Towns:	Diamond Valley, Cochrane, Sundre, Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Mayerthorpe
Villages:	Longview, Cremona, Caroline
Highway system
Provincial highways in Alberta ← Hwy 21 Hwy 22X →

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.

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.

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

Overview

Highway 22 is the longest and most significant north–south highway in south and central Alberta, aside from Highway 2. It serves as the main artery for the western areas of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor and the Calgary Metropolitan Region. Having historically run though a lightly populated area – and being paralleled by the 4 lane, higher speed Highway 2 less than 100 kilometres east – Highway 22 did not initially see much traffic. It was built as a 2 lane road with only a handful of passing lanes on its long length, and only a single interchange at Highway 1. Since the mid-1990s, the region west of Calgary has experienced rapid growth, creating heavy traffic on sections of Highway 22, particularly between Diamond Valley and Sundre.

Southern Alberta

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, there are no significant communities in this area. 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. Farther north the highway continues through Longview, Diamond Valley (made up of the former twin towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley), and Millarville. The highway then jogs west at a T intersection with Highway 22X. Approximately 30 km (19 mi) later, the road turns north again at a T intersection with Highway 66 and passes through a corner of Bragg Creek where there is a signal light. Highway 22 then cuts though a corner of the Tsuu T'ina 145 Reservation passing by the community of Redwood Meadows. Immediately after exiting the reservation Highway 22 reaches an important Roundabout junction at Highway 8, enters Rocky View County and then crosses the Elbow River. From there it heads north past an interchange at the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) and reaches the Town of Cochrane which with a population over 30,000 is eligible for city status.

Cochrane

Highway 22 serves as Cochrane's main north–south artery and is one of only two connecting roads (the other being small neighbourhood road) across the Bow River (which bisects the town in half) in the entire area between Calgary and Stoney Nakoda First Nation reservation at the edge of the mountains. Upon entering Cochrane the two lane highway passes though a major signalized intersection at Fireside Gate/James Walker Trail before dipping down into the Bow River Valley (with an southbound uphill passing lane) before meeting another signal light at George Fox Trail. It then crosses the Bow River on a 2 lane bridge. Upon reaching the other side of the river it passes though three more signal lights at Griffin Road, Quigley Drive and Bow Valley Trail (Highway 1A) in short succession (the later is currently being replaced with an interchange). It then proceeds up a hill (with a northbound uphill passing lane) out of the river valley before meeting one final signal light at Sunset Drive. Shortly afterwards Highway 22 exits the city.

Central Alberta

Immediately after leaving Cochrane Highway 22 passes the Hamlet of Cochrane Lake and then an important intersection with Highway 567. From there it continues north to the Village of Cremona and then meets Highway 27 at another T intersection. After jogging west it reaches Sundre where it once again turns north to Caroline. After another short westward jog the highway crosses the Red Deer River and heads north to Rocky Mountain House where it runs a short concurrency with Highway 11. From there it continues north to Highway 39 where it jogs west for the fourth time crossing the North Saskatchewan River and reaching Drayton Valley. It continues north from Drayton Valley and reaches Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) at Entwistle approximately 85 km (53 mi) west of Edmonton. After a 8 km (5 mi) westbound concurrancy with Highway 16, it continues north to cross Highway 43 in Mayerthorpe and ends 7 km (4 mi) north of the town at Highway 18.

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. 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. 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, becoming Highway 922 in 1975. 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. Coinciding with Highway 922 being paved in c. 1976, Highway 22 was extended from Cochrane to Cremona, 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. 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. 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).

In 2014, a new $52 million bridge across the North Saskatchewan River near Drayton Valley was completed, replacing the original bridge which was constructed in 1957.

In 2019 the cloverleaf interchange where Highway 22 crosses Highway 1 was modified for safety reasons as part of a rehabilitation project resulting in two out of four loop ramps being removed a new signal light being added on Highway 22.

Starting in 2022 the section of Highway 22 between Highway 1 and Highway 8 began to be realigned and raised to avoid being flooded by the new Springbank dry reservoir in the event of a major flood. The project also included the construction of a bridge carrying Highway 22 over a new canal that will feed the reservoir.

Future

In April 2017, Alberta Transportation announced plans for a new interchange at Highway 1A in Cochrane. After years of delay construction finally began in May  2023, the interchange is expected to take 3 years to complete. When finished it will be the first interchange to provided a free flowing movement to Highway 22 though traffic.

Alberta Transportation's 2024 Provincial Construction Program shows new roundabouts on Highway 22 in Bragg Creek and at Highway 567 in the detailed design phase which implies that Alberta Transportation intends to construct them within the next two years. Plans to 4 lane Highway 22 within Cochrane including the construction a new bridge across the Bow River were also referenced as undergoing engineering assessment in the 2024 Construction Program which will likely result in this section being the first 4 lane portion of Highway 22.

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. The study was published in August 2011 and determined that passing lanes are justified at several locations, but at the time Alberta Transportation had no plans to proceed with the project. However these passing lanes were also mentioned as undergoing engineering assessment in the 2024 Provincial Construction Program implying that they will likely be built in the near future.

Alberta Transportation has plans to twin Highway 22 between Cochrane and Highway 8 with a longer term widening of up to 6 lanes. These plans also include upgrading the interchange at Highway 1; no timeline has been set for construction.

Major intersections

From south to north:

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 / PAR 152 west – Nanton
	​	82.2	51.1	Hwy 532 west – Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park
Foothills County	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
	Diamond Valley	127.6	79.3	Hwy 7 east – Okotoks	Hwy 22 branches west; formerly Black Diamond
		128.4	79.8	Crosses the Sheep River
		131.6	81.8	Hwy 546 west – Sheep River Provincial Park	Hwy 22 branches north; formerly Turner Valley
	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 – 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
	​	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	Township Road 392 to Hwy 752 south
		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	Invalid type: YH 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	Invalid type: YH 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