By David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette
The speed limit on one of Canada’s busiest highways is going up.
The Alberta government announced on Wednesday that a stretch of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway just south of Leduc will see the speed limit increased from 110 km/h to 120 km/h.
Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the increased speed limit will apply to both directions of the highway, which will cover about 22 kilometres between an area south of the Leduc Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station through Wetaskiwin County.
The move is part of a pilot project, during which the province says it will monitor speeds and conduct safety assessments.
While this is the first section of highway in Alberta to have a 120 km/h speed limit, it’s not the first in Canada.
In 2014, the British Columbia government increased the speed limit to 120 km/h on over 1,300 kilometres of highway, including the Coquihalla, which links the Lower Mainland to Kamloops.
