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Part of Highway planning studies

Functional planning study: Highway 18 and Highway 44

This project will resurface and upgrade Highways 18 and 44 through the Town of Westlock.

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Highway planning studies

Overview

Highway 18 and Highway 44 are vital transportation routes serving the Town of Westlock and the surrounding region in central Alberta. These highways play a key role in supporting local communities, agriculture, and commercial traffic. In a planning study completed in 2010, 3 key priorities within the Town of Westlock were identified:

  • Improved access to businesses
  • Installation of traffic lights at some intersections
  • Enhanced pedestrian safety

The current project will resurface and upgrade both Highway 18 and Highway 44 as they pass through Westlock, addressing the needs of present-day motorists and preparing for increased traffic in the future. These improvements are designed to enhance road quality, support economic growth, and promote safer travel for all users and support the long-term growth and development of the Town, the County, and the surrounding community. The Highway 18 and Highway 44 improvements are not in the current 3-year construction program.

Project Details

Improvements include:

  • Increasing roadway capacity by providing 2 through travel lanes in each direction
  • Implementing access management strategies to minimize traffic conflict points
  • Enhancing pedestrian facilities to promote and support active transportation
  • Construction of new service roads to support access management
  • Improving existing frontage service roads to facilitate the turning of large trucks
  • Reconstruction of Highway 44 and Highway 18 intersection with concrete pavement
  • Upgrading existing signal lights and streetlights

Timeline

  • 2010

    Completed the planning Study for Highway 18 and Highway 44, including public consultation with the Town of Westlock.

  • 2024

    The 2010 study and its technical recommendations were reviewed to advance the design based on the 2010 study recommendations. Those recommendations were recently found to still be valid and indicate that the proposed network can accommodate traffic growth to the year 2042 and beyond.

  • 2025

    Public open house to gather public and stakeholder feedback on design plans. The project team will review the feedback which will be considered when updating the design.

Next Steps

Transportation and Economic Corridors will:

  • Hold one-on-one meetings with affected landowners, residents, school boards, and businesses impacted by the proposed improvements.
  • Engage in discussions with landowners regarding right-of-way acquisition for these improvements.
  • Coordinate with utility companies to identify, impacts and any necessary relocations or adjustments.
  • Engage in formal discussions and negotiations with Canadian National Railway (CN) to secure a crossing permit for the realigned 96 Avenue south leg at Highway 18.
  • Develop a plan for how traffic will be managed during the reconstruction of the Highway 18 and Highway 44 intersection and other heavy traffic areas.

Public Engagement

View the June, 2025 public information session presentation.

Resources

Contact

For additional information about this project, email: [email protected].

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