View source for Mackenzie Highway

{{Short description|Highway in the Northwest Territories and Alberta}}
{{About||the US highway known as the McKenzie Highway|Oregon Route 126|the highway in British Columbia|British Columbia Highway 39}}

{{Infobox road
|country=CAN
|type=Hwy
|route=1
|marker_image={{Infobox road/shieldmain/CAN|province=AB|type=AB|route=35}} {{Infobox road/shieldmain/CAN|province=NT|type=NT|route=1}}
|name=Mackenzie Highway
|alternate_name=[[Alberta Highway 35]]<br />Northwest Territories Highway 1
|maint=
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=330|frame-lat=59.879|frame-long=-120.371|stroke-width=3|zoom=4|type=line|id=Q3676010}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Mackenzie Highway highlighted in red.
|length_km=1160
|length_notes=
|length_round=
|length_ref=
|established=
|direction_a=South
|direction_b=North
|section1=Alberta
|length_km1=469
|terminus_a1={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|2A}} in [[Grimshaw, Alberta|Grimshaw]]
|junction1=
*{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|2}} near [[Grimshaw, Alberta|Grimshaw]]
*{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|986}} near [[Grimshaw, Alberta|Grimshaw]]
*{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|697}} near [[Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement|Paddle Prairie]]
*{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|58}} at [[High Level, Alberta|High Level]]
|section2=Northwest Territories
|length_km2=690
|junction2=
*{{jct|state=NT|NT|2}} at [[Enterprise, Northwest Territories|Enterprise]]
*{{jct|state=NT|NT|3}} near [[Fort Providence, Northwest Territories|Fort Providence]]
*{{jct|state=NT|NT|7}} near [[Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories|Fort Simpson]]
|terminus_b2=[[Wrigley, Northwest Territories|Wrigley]]
|system1={{Infobox road/browselinks/CAN|province=AB}}
|system2={{Infobox road/browselinks/CAN|province=NT}}
|browse={{AB browse|previous_type=Hwy|previous_route=33|route=[[File:Alberta Highway 35.svg|20px]]|next_type=Hwy|next_route=36}}
{{NT browse|previous_type=Hwy|previous_route=10|route=[[File:NWT-1.svg|20px]]|next_type=Hwy|next_route=2}}
}}

The '''Mackenzie Highway''' is a Canadian highway in northern [[Alberta]] and the [[Northwest Territories]].  It begins as [[Alberta Highway 2]] at ''Mile Zero'' in [[Grimshaw, Alberta]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.discoverthepeacecountry.com/htmlpages/grimshaw.html | title=Discover the Peace Country – Grimshaw | access-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> After the first {{convert|4.0|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}, it becomes [[Alberta Highway 35]] for the balance of its length through Alberta and then becomes '''Northwest Territories Highway 1'''.

== Route description ==
The Mackenzie Highway is designated as part of Canada's [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]], holding core route status from its terminus at Grimshaw to its intersection with the [[Yellowknife Highway]], and northern/remote route status for the remainder of the route to its northern terminus at [[Wrigley, Northwest Territories|Wrigley]].

Originally begun in 1938, prior to [[World War II]], the project was abandoned at the outbreak of war. It resumed in the late 1940s and completed to [[Hay River, Northwest Territories]], in 1948/1949, but some sections, particularly in the vicinity of [[Steen River, Alberta|Steen River]], remained difficult.

In 1960, it was extended from [[Enterprise, Northwest Territories|Enterprise]], approximately {{convert|39|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Hay River, to the northwest, then north past [[Fort Providence]] to [[Behchokǫ̀]] (at the time, known as Rae-Edzo) and southeast to the City of [[Yellowknife]], which became the capital of the Northwest Territories in 1967. Much of the extension is now known as [[Northwest Territories Highway 3]], or the Yellowknife Highway. The {{convert|39|km|mi|abbr=on}} stretch from Enterprise to Hay River is [[Northwest Territories Highway 2]].

Around 1970, the highway was extended west from what is now the southern terminus of Highway 3 to reach [[Fort Simpson]], and in 1971, when the section to Fort Simpson was opened to traffic, work began to prepare a road grade from there to [[Wrigley, Northwest Territories|Wrigley]], but the work was abandoned. The roadway, which starts at a junction {{convert|3.5|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} from the island that includes "downtown" Fort Simpson, was finally opened in 1994 and includes the N'dulee ferry and ice crossings.

On November 8, 2013, the portion of the highway from the Alberta/Northwest Territories border to Enterprise was designated the Highway of Heroes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/newsroom/news/portion-highway-1-be-designated-highway-heroes | title=Portion of Highway 1 to be designated the Highway of Heroes | publisher=GNWT | year=2013 | access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref>

There are social and economic studies being done on the extension of the highway north from Wrigley to join the [[Dempster Highway]]; the territorial government has completed 34 bridges across all but six of the widest river crossings that serve the ice road and await the all-weather route.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.inf.gov.nt.ca/sites/inf/files/resources/mvh_summary.pdf | title=Executive Summary of the Benefit Cost and Economic Impact Analysis Mackenzie Valley Highway Extension | publisher=NWT DoT | year=1999 | access-date=2011-01-06}}</ref> In June 2018, an announcement of $140 million funding would result in a bridge over [[Great Bear River]] and extend the Mackenzie Highway's all-weather road north by 15&nbsp;km to Mount Gaudet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/federal-announcement-mackenzie-valley-highway-project-nwt-1.4724467 |title=Mackenzie Valley Highway project to get $102M boost from federal gov't |publisher=CBC News |date=2018-06-27}}</ref>

Just east of Fort Simpson's airport, the highway crosses the [[Liard River]] by [[ferry]] (summer) and [[Ice road|ice bridge]] (winter). {{convert|45|km|mi|abbr=on}} further east of the crossing, the location known as Checkpoint is the site of a former gas station at the junction with the [[Liard Highway]] (Northwest Territories Highway 7, British Columbia Highway 77) from [[Fort Nelson, British Columbia]].

{{clear|right}}

== Major intersections ==
{{Jcttop
|state_col=Province / Territory
|county_col=[[List of communities in Alberta|Municipality]] / [[List of regions of the Northwest Territories|Region]]
|unit=km
|length_ref=<ref>{{cite web|title=Google Maps|url=http://www.google.com/maps|website=Google Maps|access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref>
}}
{{Jctint
|state=AB
|sspan=16
|county_special=[[Municipal District of Peace No. 135|M.D. of Peace No. 135]]
|cspan=3
|location=Grimshaw
|km=0
|road={{jct|state=AB|Hwy|2A|name1=55 Avenue|dir1=east|city1=Peace River}}<hr />{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|2|dir1=south|city1=Fairview|city2=Grande Prairie}}
|notes=''Mile Zero'' Mackenzie Highway.
}}
{{Jctint
|location=none
|lspan=2
|type=trans
|km=4
|mspan=2
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|2|dir1=east|city1=Peace River|city2=Edmonton}}
|notes=Hwy 2 branches east;<br />Mackenzie Hwy follows Hwy 35;<br />south end of [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]] Core Route.
}}
{{Jctplace
|type=trans
|km=none
|place={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|35|dir1=south terminus}}
}}
{{ABint
|county=Northern Lights
|cspan=9
|location=none
|lspan=2
|km=13
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|737|dir1=west|name1=Warrensville Road}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|km=20
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|986|dir1=east|city1=Little Buffalo|city2=Red Earth Creek}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=Dixonville
|km=39
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|689|dir1=west}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=62
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|690|dir1=east|city1=Deadwood}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=Manning
|km=82
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|691|dir1=east}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|lspan=4
|km=120
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|692|dir1=east|location1=[[Notikewin Provincial Park]]}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|type=concur
|km=179
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|695|dir1=east|city1=Carcajou}}
|notes=South end of Hwy 695 concurrency.
}}
{{ABint
|type=concur
|km=186
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|695|dir1=west|city1=Keg River}}
|notes=North end of Hwy 695 concurrency.
}}
{{ABint
|km=219
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|697|dir1=east|location1=Tompkins Landing Ferry|city2=La Crete|city3=Fort Vermilion|extra=ferry}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|county=Mackenzie
|cspan=4
|location=High Level
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|km=278
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|58|dir1=west|city1=Rainbow Lake|city2=Assumption}}
|notes=South end of Hwy 58 concurrency
}}
{{ABint
|type=concur
|km=279
|road={{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|58|dir1=east|city1=Fort Vermilion|city2=La Crete|city3=John D'or Prairie}}
|notes=North end of Hwy 58 concurrency
}}
{{Jctbridge
|location=none
|lspan=2
|km=363
|bridge=Crosses [[Hay River (Canada)|Hay River]]
}}
{{ABint
|km=364
|road=Zama Road – [[Zama City, Alberta|Zama City]]
|notes=
}}
{{Jctplace
|river=[[60th parallel north#Canada|60th parallel]]
|river_wide=yes
|type=trans
|km=469
|km2=0
|line=yes
|place='''[[Alberta]] – [[Northwest Territories]] border'''<br />{{Jct|state=AB|Hwy|35|dir1=north terminus}} • {{Jct|state=NT|Hwy|1|nolink1=yes|dir1=south terminus}}
}}
{{Jctint
|state=NT
|sspan=13
|county_special=[[South Slave Region|South Slave]]
|cspan=4
|location=Enterprise
|km=83
|road={{jct|state=NT|Hwy|2|name1=[[Hay River Highway]]|dir1=north|city1=Hay River|city2=Fort Smith}}
|notes=Hwy 1 turns west.
}}
{{Jctint
|location=none
|lspan=3
|km=167
|road=Kakisa Access Road – [[Kakisa]]
|notes=
}}
{{Jctplace
|km=168
|place=Crosses [[Kakisa River]]
}}
{{Jctint
|type=trans
|km=186
|road={{jct|state=NT|Hwy|3|name1=[[Yellowknife Highway]]|dir1=north|city1=Fort Providence|city2=Yellowknife}}
|notes=North end of [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]] Core Route;<br />south end of Northern & Remote Route.
}}
{{Jctplace
|county_special=[[Dehcho Region|Dehcho]]
|cspan=9
|location=none
|lspan=2
|km=324
|place=Crosses [[Trout River (Northwest Territories)|Trout River]]
}}
{{Jctint
|km=376
|road=Jean Marie River Access Road – [[Jean Marie River]]
|notes=
}}
{{Jctint
|location_special=Checkpoint
|km=412
|road={{jct|state=NT|Hwy|7|name1=[[Liard Highway]]|dir1=south|city1=Fort Liard|location2=[[Fort Nelson, British Columbia|Fort Nelson]]}}
|notes=Hwy 1 turns north.
}}
{{Jctplace
|location=none
|km=457
|place=Crosses [[Liard River]]<br />{{jct|state=NT|extra=ferry}} ''MV Lafferty Ferry'' (mid/late May to late October) • [[Ice bridge]] (late November to mid April)<ref name="NT_DOT">{{cite web|title=Highway 1|url=http://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways/Highway_System/NWTHwy1|website=Department of Transportation|publisher=Government of Northwest Territories|access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref>
}}
{{Jctint
|state=NT
|location=Fort Simpson
|km=472
|road=Fort Simpson Access Road
|notes=Hwy 1 branches northwest.
}}
{{Jctplace
|location=none
|km=489
|place=Crosses [[Martin River (Northwest Territories)|Martin River]]
}}
{{Jctplace
|location_special=N’Dulee Crossing
|km=548
|place=Crosses [[Mackenzie River]]<br />{{jct|state=NT|extra=ferry}} ''MV Johnny Berens Ferry'' (late May to late October) • [[Ice bridge]] (mid December to mid April)<ref name="NT_DOT"/>
}}
{{Jctplace
|location=none
|km=627
|place=Crosses [[Willowlake River]]
}}
{{Jctint
|state=NT
|location=Wrigley
|km=690
|road=''[[winter road]]'' – [[Norman Wells]], [[Fort Good Hope]], [[Colville Lake, Northwest Territories|Colville Lake]]
|notes={{Jct|state=NT|Hwy|1|nolink1=yes|name1=Mackenzie Highway|dir1=north terminus}}
}}
{{Jctbtm
|col=7
|keys=concur,trans
}}

== Photo gallery ==
<gallery>
Trout River rapids close to Sambaa Deh Falls Mackenzie Highway, NWT.jpg|Rapids on [[Trout River (Northwest Territories)|Trout River]], from Mackenzie Highway<br /><small>{{coord|61|8|42|N|119|50|46|W|type:landmark_region:CA-NT}}</small>
Samba deh falls.jpg|The Mackenzie Highway<br /><small>{{coord|61|8|35|N|119|10|28|W|type:landmark_region:CA-NT}}</small>
Mackenzie Highway from the McNallie Creek parking lot.jpg|In McNallie Creek Territorial Park<br /><small>{{coord|60|46|37.9|N|116|34|25|W|type:landmark_region:CA-NT}}</small>
NWT Highway of Heroes Sign.jpg|[[Northwest Territories]] Highway of Heroes sign
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways/Highway_System/NWTHwy1 Highway 1 - Northwest Territories Department of Transportation]
*[http://www.nwttimeline.ca/1925/1948_MackenzieHighway.htm 1948 Mackenzie Highway, Grimshaw to Hay River]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101226165706/http://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/MVH_Overview.aspx Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk]

{{Alberta Provincial Highways|Hwy=yes}}
{{NT Roads}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alberta provincial highways, 1–216 series]]
[[Category:Northwest Territories territorial highways]]