Alberta Provincial Highway No. 39, commonly referred to as Highway 39, is an east–west highway in central Alberta, Canada.[2] It extends from Highway 22, approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Drayton Valley, to Leduc where it ends at Highway 2. Highway 39 is about 91 kilometres (57 mi) long.[1][3]

Highway 39 marker
Highway 39
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors
Length91.1 km[1] (56.6 mi)
Major junctions
West end Highway 22 near Drayton Valley
Major intersections Highway 20 in Alsike
Highway 60 near Calmar
East end Highway 2 in Leduc
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
Specialized and rural municipalitiesBrazeau County, Leduc County
Major citiesLeduc
TownsCalmar
VillagesWarburg, Thorsby
Highway system
Highway 38 Highway 40

Highway 39 also connects with the communities of Breton, Warburg, Thorsby, and Calmar; while most of the small communities are now bypassed, Highway 39 still travels along Main Street in Calmar.[4]

History

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Highway 39 was originally constructed as a link between Leduc and Breton, where it ended at Highway 12 (now Highway 20). In 1955, a ferry across the North Saskatchewan River started operations southeast of Drayton Valley,[5] resulting in Highway 57 following present-day Highway 616 to Breton.[6] It proved to be short-lived as in 1957, the Highway 57 was realigned across a new bridge,[7] terminating with Highway 39 in Alsike.[8] In the 1960s, a 9 km (6 mi) section of Highway 39 between Breton and Alsike was renumbered to Highway 12, resulting in Highways 12, 39, and 57 once again terminating at a common point, this time in Alsike. In 1980, the Highway 22 designation was extended north, which included a 56 km (35 mi) section of Highway 57 being renumbered; the remaining 27 km (17 mi) section of Highway 57 became part of Highway 39.[9]

Major intersections

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From west to east:

Rural/specialized municipalityLocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Brazeau County0.00.0  Highway 22 – Drayton Valley, Rocky Mountain HouseWestern terminus; through traffic follows Hwy 22 north
4.93.0  Highway 759 north – Berrymoor, Tomahawk
Alsike26.916.7  Highway 20 south – Breton, Winfield
Leduc County35.121.8  Highway 770 north – St. Francis, GeneseeWest end of Hwy 770 concurrency
Warburg36.722.8  Highway 770 south (50 Street)East end of Hwy 770 concurrency
Sunnybrook44.927.9Range Road 22
Thorsby56.134.9  Highway 778 south – Pigeon Lake
59.336.8  Highway 622 west – Telfordville, St. Francis
66.941.6Range Road 275 – Buford
Calmar75.046.6  Highway 795 south (50 Street) – Pipestone
79.949.6  Highway 60 north – DevonRoundabout
City of Leduc91.156.6   Highway 2 – Edmonton, Red Deer, CalgaryInterchange (Hwy 2 exit 517); eastern terminus; access to Edmonton International Airport
91.957.150 StreetTo Highway 2A south / Highway 623 east; 50 Avenue continues east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •       Concurrency terminus

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Highway 39 in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Provincial Highways Designation Order, Alberta Transportation, p. 7
  3. ^ "2015 Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  4. ^ "Community Profile". The Town of Calmar. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  5. ^ Martin, Isobel (1977). Forests to Grainfields. Berrymoor, Alberta: Berrymoor/Carnwood Historical Society. p. 133. ISBN 0-919213-36-7. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  6. ^ The H.M. Gousha Company (1956). Shell Map of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (Map). The Shell Oil Company. §§ C-11, D-11.
  7. ^ "Transportation Infrastructure Management System - Existing Structures in the Provincial Highway Corridor" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. September 28, 2012. p. 108. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  8. ^ Department of Highways (1960). Alberta Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). The Province of Alberta. §§ D-6, D-7.
  9. ^ Travel Alberta (1980). Alberta Official Road Map (Map). The Province of Alberta.