Alberta Highway 947

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 947, commonly referred to as Highway 947, is a designated north-south highway in northern Alberta, Canada that is partially constructed. Upon completion, the entire highway will span approximately 89 km (55 mi) from Highway 16 to Highway 43.[1][2] The constructed portion of the highway consists of the final 20 km (12 mi) of the route from the Athabasca River to Highway 43.[1][3]

Highway 947 marker

Highway 947

Route information
Maintained by Alberta Ministry of Transportation
Length20 km[1][2] (12 mi)
Future - 89 km (55 mi)
Major junctions
South endAthabasca River
North end Hwy 43 southeast of Fox Creek
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
Specialized and rural municipalitiesYellowhead County, Woodlands County, Greenview M.D. No. 16
Highway system
    ← Hwy 921→ Hwy 986
    Highway 947 northbound approaching the Athabasca River bridge – the segment south of the river has yet to be improved to highway standards

    Route description

    The constructed portion of Highway 947 begins at the north bank of the Athabasca River, which serves at the boundary between Woodlands County to the south and the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 to the north.[1][3] 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.[2]

    Proceeding north, the highway terminates at Highway 43, approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) southeast of the Town of Fox Creek.[1][3]

    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.[1][3]

    History

    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 Hills 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.[4]

    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.[5]

    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.[6] Previously at a gravel standard,[7] this segment of the highway was paved in 2009.[8][9]

    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.[10]

    Future

    Headed by Yellowhead County, the most recent lobby effort to construct the balance of Highway 947 began in late 2010.[11] In early 2011, the lobby effort expanded to the Grande Alberta Economic Region,[2] an alliance of 12 municipalities,[12] to which the towns of Edson and Fox Creek have obliged.[13][14] 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)[15] north Highway 16 to a paved standard with a scheduled completion of 2013.[2] Alberta Transportation approached the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency in 2014 to determine if a federal environmental assessment would be required to construct and operate the highway extension.[16]

    Major intersections

    The following is a list of existing and future major intersections along Highway 947 from south to north.[1][2][3]

    LocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
    Yellowhead County−69−43 Hwy 16 (TCH) – Jasper, Edson, Edmonton
    Hwy 47 south – Robb    		Proposed southern extension
    Woodlands County
    		 No major junctions
    M.D. of Greenview No. 1600.0Crosses the Athabasca River
    2012 Hwy 43 – Grande Prairie, Whitecourt, EdmontonNear Fox Creek
    1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
    •       Unopened

    References
    1. "2011 Provincial Highways 500 - 986 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
    2. "Grande Alberta Economic Region Quick Notes" (PDF). Grande Alberta Economic Region. 2011-03-07. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
    3. Alberta Official Road Map (Map) (2011 ed.). Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. § H-3.
    4. Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map) (1973 ed.). Department of Highways and Transport. § G-4, H-4, I-3 & I-4.
    5. Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map) (1975 ed.). Department of Highways and Transport. § G-4, H-4, I-3 & I-4.
    6. Province of Alberta Canada Official Road Map (Map) (1975 ed.). Department of Highways and Transport. § H-3.
    7. Primary Highways 500 - 986 Progress Chart (Map) (March 2009 ed.). Alberta Transportation.
    8. Provincial Highways 500 - 986 Progress Chart (Map) (March 2010 ed.). Alberta Transportation.
    9. "2009-12 Tentative Major Construction Projects (2009/10 – 2011/12)" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
    10. Ed Moore (2011-04-25). "Lobbying continues for Highway 947". Edson Leader. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
    11. Ed Moore (2010-12-15). "West Fraser withdraws road request". Edson Leader. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
    12. "Grande Alberta Economic Region". Grande Alberta Economic Region. Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
    13. "Town of Edson Council Notes, March 15, 2011" (PDF). Town of Edson. 2011-07-21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
    14. "Town of Fox Creek Council Minutes, Regular Meeting of March 14, 2011" (PDF). Town of Fox Creek. 2011-03-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
    15. "Branch Corner Area Structure Plan" (PDF). Yellowhead County. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
    16. "Public Notice: Highway 947 Extension Project – Public Comments Invited". Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. April 17, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
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