Life on a highway: What it’s like for southern Alberta communities divided by a major thoroughfare

Drive south from Calgary on Highway 2 and watch as the speed cuts from 110 kilometres an hour down to 70, then 50, then 30 for a temporary school zone.

It’s a unique stretch of a few kilometres entering and driving through Nanton, Alta., where the highway divides the town.

That works fine for residents, so long as drivers obey the speed limits.

But that’s not always the case. Speeders are a big concern. So are drivers going the wrong way, since the highway splits off in two directions north and south.

The town’s mayor, Jennifer Handley, estimates at least one driver going the wrong way daily, with confused drivers coming from British Columbia getting some of the blame for that.

Then there’s the sound of heavy trucks rattling through, carrying goods from south of the border up to Alaska and everywhere in between. When they use their engine retarder brakes to slow through town, it can be a noisy affair. 

In Claresholm, Alta., also bisected by Highway 2, a citizen recently wrote to council concerned about the sound of those brakes and traffic whizzing through town, which he said disrupts his sleep and negatively impacts his quality of life. 

Fort Macleod, Alta., meanwhile, finds itself at the intersection of two highways. But this year will see the beginning of a process that could one day see Highway 3 bypass the town — more on that later.

CBC News has been travelling to many small towns across Alberta, hosting conversations about local successes and challenges. Highways have come up often — a boon to businesses and tourism, but also a safety concern.

Nanton has a lone peace officer tasked with handling traffic violations. Handley describes him as “ruthless.”

“We are now getting to be known as — you don't speed through Nanton, cause you're going to get caught,” Handley said. 

Claresholm recently hired a peace officer of its own to crack down on speeders.

Unlike Nanton, Claresholm has a traffic light — in fact, the lone traffic light on Highway 2 right up to Edmonton.

Nanton is in talks with Alberta Transportation about putting a traffic light up near the candy shop, having previously conducted a feasibility study some years ago. Right now, there's a pedestrian crossing light.