16 Avenue N is a major urban arterial throughfare and expressway in Calgary, Alberta, that forms a 26.5 kilometer segment of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1), connecting Calgary to Banff, Canmore, Chestermere and Medicine Hat. It is a four-six lane arterial expressway at its extremities between Stoney Trail NE and Deerfoot Trail, and as well between Montgomery and Stoney Trail NW/Valley Ridge Boulevard. It becomes a signalized urban arterial road between the Bow River and Bowness Road, and between Crowchild Trail and Deerfoot Trail.
Because of the city's quadrant system, 16 Avenue is named 16 Avenue NW west of Centre Street and 16 Avenue NE east of it.
Route description[]
NW[]
The Trans-Canada Highway in Alberta begins at the British Columbia-Alberta border and travels east through Banff National Park and Canmore before entering the city limits of Calgary. Here, it becomes 16 Avenue NW and transitions to management by the City of Calgary as a freeway, maintaining this designation throughout the western sections.
16 Avenue N first intersects Valley Ridge Boulevard, followed by a major interchange with Stoney Trail. This interchange is a free-flowing combination, providing access to various parts of Calgary, including Lethbridge, Calgary International Airport (YYC), Medicine Hat, Edmonton, and Airdrie. The interchange was fully completed in 2023. Continuing past the interchange, 16 Avenue enters Canada Olympic Park and features a single point urban interchange with Bowfort Road/Canada Olympic Drive, where a large commercial district is located. This interchange was completed in late 2017.
16 Avenue follows the southern boundary of the former town of Bowness and descends into the Bow River valley, where it makes an interchange with southern Sarcee Trail, offering a bypass to Deerfoot Trail. The road then transitions into a four-lane urban arterial street as it crosses the Bow River and enters Montgomery, passing through a commercial area.
Exiting Montgomery, 16 Avenue converts into a short expressway, making an interchange with Bowness Road and Shaganappi Trail as it leaves the valley. It passes near the Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) and the Foothills Medical Centre, intersecting with Uxbridge Drive/29 Street, which provides access to the hospital and the University Heights neighborhood.
The highway crosses University Drive and Crowchild Trail in a cloverleaf interchange, allowing access to the University of Calgary, McMahon Stadium, and southbound Crowchild Trail. 16 Avenue then becomes a six-lane urban arterial road marked by a long strip of increasingly dense commercial development. It passes by Banff Trail, which is notable for Motel Village, a cluster of hotels built due to its proximity to the Trans-Canada Highway. Banff Trail also serves as the access road for northbound Crowchild Trail.
Continuing east, 16 Avenue passes North Hill Centre, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and 14 Street W before intersecting Centre Street, marking its exit from the northwest quadrant of Calgary.
NE[]
16 Avenue continues east after Centre Street, intersecting with Edmonton Trail, which provides access to the Downtown Core. It then descends into the Nose Creek valley and features a split-diamond interchange with Deerfoot Trail (Highway 2). After ascending the valley again, it intersects with 19 Street NE, where 16 Avenue NE briefly becomes a freeway. Here, it meets Barlow Trail in a cloverleaf interchange. This area was previously known as Crossroads, reflecting the former alignment of Deerfoot Trail, but has since been renamed Mayland Heights, although some businesses still retain the Crossroads name.
Continuing east, 16 Avenue makes partial cloverleaf interchanges with 36 Street and 52 Street NE, providing access to Sunridge Mall and the Village Square Leisure Centre. The highway then intersects with 68 Street NE before making a free-flowing combination interchange with Stoney Trail, allowing access to various parts of Calgary.
After this interchange, the 16 Avenue NE name is dropped as it becomes Trans-Canada Highway 1, coming under the jurisdiction of Alberta Transportation. It continues east into Rocky View County, heading towards Chestermere, Medicine Hat, and ultimately reaching the Saskatchewan border.
History[]
In the 1950s, significant changes were made to Highway 1 in Calgary as part of the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway. Originally, the highway ran along 17 Avenue SE and several streets through downtown Calgary. However, it was subsequently redirected to follow 16 Avenue N in an effort to facilitate smoother travel. Shortly after this rerouting, the City of Calgary began exploring alternative routes to alleviate increasing congestion levels in the area.
In 1970, the city proposed a freeway designed to run north of 16 Avenue N, situated between 23 Avenue N and 24 Avenue N. However, this ambitious plan was ultimately scrapped, and efforts continued to seek viable bypass options. Over the following years, various bypass routes were studied, coinciding with the planning for a comprehensive Calgary ring road. Among the proposed ideas was the notion of having the Trans-Canada Highway traverse Sarcee Trail, which included the potential for an extension through the Tsuu T'ina Nation territory. Other considerations included Highway 22X and Highway 901, which would eventually rejoin Highway 1 near Gleichen. This proposal, put forth by Alberta Transportation in 1989, faced rejection, primarily due to the recognition that Calgary was a key destination city. Business owners along 16 Avenue N also voiced their opposition to these plans, contributing to the eventual dismissal of the project.
A significant development occurred on November 2, 2009, with the opening of the northeast section of Stoney Trail. This new infrastructure provided a 41-kilometer (approximately 25-mile) bypass option for the Trans-Canada Highway, efficiently directing traffic around the northern parts of Calgary.
Historically, the inner city section of 16 Avenue N functioned as a four-lane, undivided street, serving local and through traffic alike. To address the rising demand for capacity, the City of Calgary undertook a major widening project from 2002 to 2010, transforming this stretch into a six-lane urban boulevard. This endeavor involved the removal of several buildings along the southern side of 16 Avenue N, particularly between 10 Street NW and 6 Street NE, to accommodate the expanded roadway.
Following the anticipated completion of the Bowfort Road interchange in the summer of 2017, 16 Avenue NW was upgraded to a freeway west of Sarcee Trail, marking a significant infrastructure enhancement at its western terminus. This transformation aimed to improve traffic flow and safety, further integrating it into the broader transportation network of Calgary.
Future[]
The City of Calgary considers 16 Avenue N to be part of the skeletal road network. However, the sections through Montgomery (between the Bow River and Bowness Road) and the stretch between Banff Trail and Deerfoot Trail are designated as Main Streets. These areas are planned to be mixed-use residential and commercial corridors. The city also has long-term plans to transform 16 Avenue N into a freeway in the surrounding areas. This includes plans to convert the Deerfoot Trail interchange into a three-level diamond interchange, as well as to create interchanges at 19 Street NE and 68 Street NE.