Alberta Highway 947
Encyclopedia
Alberta Provincial Highway No. 947 is a designated north-south highway in northern Alberta
, Canada
that is partially constructed. Once fully constructed, the entire highway will span approximately 89 km (55.3 mi) from Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway
) to Highway 43. The constructed portion of the highway consists of the final 20 km (12.4 mi) of the route from the Athabasca River
to Highway 43.
to the south and the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16
to the north. It is preceded by a bridge and a series of private resource roads that provides access to oil and gas facilities on the south side of the Athabasca River.
Proceeding north, the highway terminates at Highway 43, approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) southeast of the Town of Fox Creek
.
Once fully constructed, Highway 947 will begin at Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) within Yellowhead County
, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) west of the Town of Edson
, and will be preceded by Highway 47.
via Whitecourt
using the general alignment that is now designated Highway 32. From Swan Hills, it continued north to Highway 2 using the general alignment that is now designated Highway 33.
By the mid-1970s however, the portion of this original alignment of Highway 947 from Edson to present day Highway 32 was renumbered to Highway 748, while the balance of this original alignment to Highway 2 was renumbered to Highway 932.
The balance of this highway was planned by the Province of Alberta and identified as a future resource highway in the 1980s, but economic constraints prevented its construction.
{| class="wikitable"
! Municipality !! km !! Description
|-
| Yellowhead County
||bgcolor=FFDEAD| 0 ||bgcolor=FFDEAD| Will begin at
Will be preceded by
|-
| Woodlands County
|| 69 || Will cross the Athabasca River
Current segment of Highway 947 begins at the north bank of the Athabasca River
|-
| M.D. of Greenview No. 16
|| 89 || Ends at
Northern Alberta
Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that is partially constructed. Once fully constructed, the entire highway will span approximately 89 km (55.3 mi) from Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
) to Highway 43. The constructed portion of the highway consists of the final 20 km (12.4 mi) of the route from the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
to Highway 43.
Route description
The constructed portion of Highway 947 begins at the north bank of the Athabasca River, which serves at the boundary between Woodlands CountyWoodlands County, Alberta
Woodlands County is a municipal district in north-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 13. The municipal seat is in the Town of Whitecourt, while a regional administrative office is also located in the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine....
to the south and the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16
Greenview No. 16, Alberta
The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district in northwest Alberta, Canada.It covers the full extent of Census Division 18. The municipal seat is in Valleyview.- Demographics :...
to the north. It is preceded by a bridge and a series of private resource roads that provides access to oil and gas facilities on the south side of the Athabasca River.
Proceeding north, the highway terminates at Highway 43, approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) southeast of the Town of Fox Creek
Fox Creek, Alberta
Fox Creek is a town in northwest Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 43, approximately northwest of Edmonton and southeast of Grande Prairie, and has an elevation of ....
.
Once fully constructed, Highway 947 will begin at Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) within Yellowhead County
Yellowhead County, Alberta
Yellowhead County is a municipal district in west central Alberta, Canada.It is the only county in Alberta Division 14, and shares the boundaries with this census division.-History:*1994: Established as a Municipal District of Yellowhead No...
, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) west of the Town of Edson
Edson, Alberta
Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway and east of the intersection with Highway 47.- History :left|thumb|200px|Welcome Sign...
, and will be preceded by Highway 47.
Original alignment
Highway 947 was first designated in the early 1970s, but in a different alignment. At that time, the highway began at Highway 16 within Edson. It traveled northeast using the general alignment that is now designated Highway 748, and then north to Swan HillsSwan Hills, Alberta
Swan Hills is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located north of Whitecourt at the junction of Highway 32 and Grizzly Trail. Swan Hills is located in Municipal District of Big Lakes within census Division No...
via Whitecourt
Whitecourt, Alberta
Whitecourt is a town in Alberta, Canada within Woodlands County. It is located northwest of Edmonton and southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32 and has an elevation of ....
using the general alignment that is now designated Highway 32. From Swan Hills, it continued north to Highway 2 using the general alignment that is now designated Highway 33.
By the mid-1970s however, the portion of this original alignment of Highway 947 from Edson to present day Highway 32 was renumbered to Highway 748, while the balance of this original alignment to Highway 2 was renumbered to Highway 932.
Current alignment
In the mid-1970s, after the original Highway 947 was renumbered to Highway 748 and Highway 932, the Highway 947 designation was applied to the current alignment of the highway from the Athabasca River to Highway 43. Previously at a gravel standard, this segment of the highway was paved in 2009.The balance of this highway was planned by the Province of Alberta and identified as a future resource highway in the 1980s, but economic constraints prevented its construction.
Future
Headed by Yellowhead County, the most recent lobby effort to construct the balance of Highway 947 began in late 2010. In early 2011, the lobby effort expanded to the Grande Alberta Economic Region, an alliance of 12 municipalities, to which the towns of Edson and Fox Creek have obliged. As part of its lobbying efforts, Yellowhead County has committed to constructing the first 6.5 km (4 mi) of Highway 947 (Range Road 183) north Highway 16 to a paved standard with a scheduled completion of 2013.Major intersections
The following is a list of existing and future major intersections along Highway 947 from south to north.{| class="wikitable"
! Municipality !! km !! Description
|-
| Yellowhead County
Yellowhead County, Alberta
Yellowhead County is a municipal district in west central Alberta, Canada.It is the only county in Alberta Division 14, and shares the boundaries with this census division.-History:*1994: Established as a Municipal District of Yellowhead No...
||bgcolor=FFDEAD| 0 ||bgcolor=FFDEAD| Will begin at
Will be preceded by
|-
| Woodlands County
Woodlands County, Alberta
Woodlands County is a municipal district in north-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 13. The municipal seat is in the Town of Whitecourt, while a regional administrative office is also located in the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine....
|| 69 || Will cross the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
Current segment of Highway 947 begins at the north bank of the Athabasca River
|-
| M.D. of Greenview No. 16
Greenview No. 16, Alberta
The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district in northwest Alberta, Canada.It covers the full extent of Census Division 18. The municipal seat is in Valleyview.- Demographics :...
|| 89 || Ends at
External links
- 2011 Provincial Highways 500 - 986 Progress Chart by Alberta Transportation.