Highway 26
Route information
Maintained by Alberta Ministry of Transportation
Length	82.0 km[1] (51.0 mi)
Major junctions
West end	Hwy 13 in Camrose
Major intersections	Hwy 36 near Viking
East end	Hwy 14 near Kinsella
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Specialized and rural municipalities	Camrose County, Beaver County
Major cities	Camrose
Highway system
Provincial highways in Alberta
← Hwy 25 → Hwy 27

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 26, commonly referred to as Highway 26, is an east–west highway in central Alberta, Canada that connects Highway 13 in Camrose to Highway 14 near Kinsella. The route follows 12th Correction Line for its entire length, and does not pass through any communities east of Camrose.

The Highway 26 designation first belonged to a stretch of road near Drumheller. The present-day alignment near Camrose was not commissioned until the 1970s, and in 2009 was extended from Highway 36 to reach the current eastern terminus at Highway 14.

Route description

Highway 26 begins in the eastern outskirts of Camrose where it splits due east from Highway 13, which bends southeast toward Ohaton.^[2] Highway 26 proceeds east along the 12th Correction Line,^[2][3] first meeting Highway 834 at a T-intersection; Highway 834 becomes Highway 56 when it meets Highway 13. Highways 26 and 834 are concurrent for 5 km (3.1 mi) before Highway 834 branches off north to Round Hill. Highway 26 continues east, intersecting Highways 854, 855 and 857. Highway 26 meets Highway 36 approximately 12 km (7 mi) southwest of Viking and the two highways run concurrently for 3 km (2 mi) before Highway 36 turns north into Viking. After leaving Highway 36, the highway continues east to its end at Highway 14, approximately 4 km (2 mi) west of Kinsella.^[2][4]

History

The original alignment of Highway 26 was in Kneehill County west of Drumheller. It began at Highway 9 and ran north for 20 km (12 mi), travelling north along present-day Highway 836 to Carbon, then turned west along present-day Highway 575 to its intersection with Highway 21.^[5][6] In 1962, Highway 21A was renumbered and absorbed as part of Highway 26,^[7][8] resulting in it continuing west along present-day Highway 575 to Acme, then south along present-day Highway 806 to Highway 9 in Beiseker, a total distance of 52 km (32 mi).^[6] In 1970, Highway 26 was decommissioned and in subsequent years was renumbered to its current designations.^[9][10]

The section of present-day Highway 26 between Camrose and Highway 36 was commissioned in the late 1970s^[11] and was incrementally paved throughout the 1980s.^[12][13] In 2009, Highway 615 between Highway 36 and Highway 14 was renumbered to become part of Highway 26.^[14]

Major intersections

From west to east:^[15]

Location	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Camrose	0.0	0.0	Hwy 13 (48 Avenue) – Wetaskiwin, Killam, Provost
Camrose County	5.8	3.6	Hwy 834 south to Hwy 56 south – Stettler	West end of Hwy 834 concurrency
	11.0	6.8	Hwy 834 north – Round Hill, Tofield	East end of Hwy 834 concurrency
	23.9	14.9	Hwy 854 – Ryley, Bawlf
Beaver County	36.9	22.9	Hwy 855 – Holden, Daysland
	50.2	31.2	Hwy 857 north – Bruce
	64.1	39.8	Hwy 36 south – Killam	West end of Hwy 36 concurrency
	68.0	42.3	Hwy 36 north – Viking, Two Hills	East end of Hwy 36 concurrency
	82.0	51.0	Hwy 14 – Edmonton, Wainwright	West of Kinsella
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus