Alberta Highway 18

Highway 18 begins northwest of the town of Mayerthorpe at the junction of Highway 43 at the hamlet of Green Court. It proceeds east for 8 km (5 mi), crossing the terminus of Highway 22 prior to reaching Highway 757. It turns north for a few kilometres and bends east again until it crosses Highway 764, then curves north again.[1]

The jog in the road skirts Thunder Lake Provincial Park to the north. Upon reaching Highway 763, Highway 18 turns east to the Town of Barrhead where it meets Highway 33. The two highways run concurrently to the north for approximately 5 km (3 mi) until a T–intersection north of town. Highway 18 then turns east from this intersection while Highway 33 turns west. Highway 769 branches to the north towards Neerlandia, 2 km (1 mi) east of this intersection.[1]

Highway 18 then crosses Highways 776 and 777 before it reaches Westlock at Highway 44, some 103 km (64 mi) from the starting point. It continues east, crossing Highway 2 at Clyde at an intersection known as "Clyde Corner". The highway goes through Thorhild as it crosses Highway 827 and proceeds west until it reaches Highways 63 and 656 where it ends.[1]

Highway 18 originally was a connection between Highway 2 at Clyde Corner and the towns of Westlock and Barrhead.[3] In the 1940s it was extended northwest from Barrhead to Fort Assiniboine,[4] and then in 1960 to Swan Hills.[5] In c. 1977, the 97 km (60 mi) section of Highway 18 between Barrhead and Swan Hills was renumbered to Highway 33, while Secondary Highway 655 between Barrhead and Thunder Lake Provincial Park, as well as Secondary Highway 656 between Clyde and Highway 46 (present-day Highway 63) west of Thorhild became part of Highway 18.[6][7] Around the same time, gravel roads between Thunder Lake and Green Court were designated as Secondary Highway 918,[7] and was upgraded and paved throughout the 1980s, becoming part of Highway 18 in c. 1987.[8]

From west to east:[9]

Rural/specialized municipality	Location	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Lac Ste. Anne County	Green Court	0.0	0.0	Hwy 43 – Whitecourt, Grande Prairie, Edmonton
	​	6.6	4.1	Hwy 22 south – Mayerthorpe
		22.7	14.1	Hwy 757 south – Sangudo
Barrhead County	​	43.7	27.2	Hwy 764 south – Cherhill	Hwy 18 turns north
	Campsie	47.7	29.6	Hwy 763 north / PAR 107 west – Fort Assiniboine, Thunder Lake Provincial Park	Hwy 18 branches east
	Barrhead	65.6	40.8	Hwy 33 south (49 Street) / 53 Avenue – Gunn, Edmonton	Hwy 18 branches north; west end of Hwy 33 concurrency
	​	68.9	42.8	Hwy 33 north – Swan Hills	Hwy 18 branches east; east end of Hwy 33 concurrency
		70.5	43.8	Hwy 769 north – Neerlandia, Vega
Westlock County	​	85.9	53.4	Hwy 776 north
		89.9	55.9	Crosses the Pembina River
		91.4	56.8	Hwy 777 south – Highridge
	Westlock	106.3	66.1	Hwy 44 (104 Avenue) – Slave Lake, High Prairie, Edmonton
	​	117.7	73.1	Hwy 2 south – Edmonton	West end of Hwy 2 concurrency
	Clyde	119.4	74.2	Hwy 2 north – Athabasca	Hwy 18 branches east; east end of Hwy 2 concurrency
Thorhild County	Thorhild	154.3	95.9	Hwy 827 (2nd Street)
	​	160.8	99.9	Hwy 63 – Lac La Biche, Fort McMurray, Edmonton Hwy 656 east to Hwy 831	Continues east as Hwy 656
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus