The Alberta government is going to test out a 120 km/hr speed limit on divided highways. Photo by Stephen Strand
Highway speed limits are going to be changed, starting next year.
Back in November, the Alberta government put out a survey to ask the public’s opinion on modernizing speed limits on divided highways in the province.
With that survey, it asked for opinions on raising the speed limit from 110 km/hr to 120 km/hr, and more.
The survey ran from November 7 to December 12, and received 59,4000 responses.
“Preliminary results show that 68 per cent of respondents who shared thoughts on the matter support increasing speed limits on these highways from 110 km/h to 120 km/h. It’s clear that Albertans are ready for modern, common-sense rules that better reflect how our roads are built and how people actually drive,” the Alberta government stated in a release about the survey.
According to the Provincial government, the divided highways in Alberta were engineered to handle 120 km/hr speed limits safely, and the advances in vehicle safety and road design make that speed limit practical.
As part of that survey, they also asked people’s opinions on restricting commercial trucks from driving in the far-left lane on highways with three or more lanes.
90 per cent of those who responded to the survey supported restricting commercial trucks certain lanes on major highways.
“This feedback aligns with what we’ve heard from industry, municipal leaders and everyday drivers who want safer, smoother and more predictable traffic flow,” the release said.
Next year, the government will launch a trail on a select rural divided highways that will see a speed increase to 120 km/hr, which will be paired with monitoring and safety evaluation.
This will help to collect real-world data and local feedback.
To learn more, click here.
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