Alberta Highway 36

Highway 36, officially named Veterans Memorial Highway,^[2] is a north-south highway in eastern Alberta, Canada that extends from Highway 4 near Warner to Highway 55 in Lac La Biche.^[1] Highway 36, along with Highway 41 and the portion of Highway 881 north of Lac La Biche, is part of the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor,^[3] an economic development corridor that links the oil sands with Texas and Mexico, and works in association with the North American Ports-to-Plains Alliance.^[4]

Highway 36 begins at Highway 4 near Warner, 38 kilometres (24 mi) north of the Canada–United States border at Coutts. It intersects Highway 61 (Red Coat Trail), about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) northwest Wrentham, before reaching Taber where it has a 2.6-kilometre (2 mi) concurrency with the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3). Highway 36 continues north, crossing the Oldman River, passing through Vauxhall, and crossing the Bow River before intersecting the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) about 8 kilometres (5 mi) northwest of Brooks. It continues north past Duchess, crosses the Red Deer River, and continues to Highway 9 where it heads west and the two routes share an 2.6-kilometre (1.6 mi) concurrency. Highway 36 departs Highway 9 about 7 kilometres (4 mi) east of Hanna and continues north, intersecting Highway 12 about 4 kilometres (2 mi) southeast of Castor, Highway 53 about 16 kilometres (10 mi) east of Forestburg, crossing the Battle River about 6 kilometres (4 mi) south of Alliance, and intersecting Highway 13 on the east side of Killam. At Highway 26, Highway 36 heads east and the two routes share an 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) concurrency before Highway 36 continues north for 9 kilometres (6 mi) and intersects Highway 14 at Viking before intersecting the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) about 6 kilometres (4 mi) east of Lavoy or 16 kilometres (10 mi) east of Vegreville. Highway 36 continues to Two Hills, where it meets Highway 45, where Highway 36 heads east and the two routes share an 4-kilometre (2 mi) concurrency. Highway 36 travels north 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) before it reaches Highway 29 and the two routes share a 33-kilometre (20 mi) concurrency, crossing the North Saskatchewan River in the process. At St. Brides, Highway 29 heads east towards St. Paul, 15 kilometres (9 mi) to the east. Highway 36 continues north to Highway 28 at the southwestern edge of Ashmont, where it heads west and the two routes share an 31-kilometre (20 mi) concurrency before to turns north about 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of Vilna. Highway 36 meets Highway 55 (Northern Woods and Water Route) about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lac La Biche; and the two routes share a concurrency into Lac La Biche and Highway 36 ends.

The Alberta government has studied constructing interchanges at both Highway 1 and Highway 16; however neither project have been funded and no construction timelines have been established.^[5]

Lac La Biche County has unsuccessfully lobbied the Government of Alberta to renumber Highway 881 to Highway 36 from Lac La Biche north to Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray, with the first attempt being in 2013 and revisited in 2023.^[6][7] The two routes are both part of the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor and if proposal were to be successful, it would extend Highway 36 by 265 kilometres (165 mi) to a total length of 944 kilometres (587 mi).