How a Fort McMurray-to-Grande Prairie highway could be a game-changer for northern Alberta [Video]

The Alberta government is planning the construction of a new major road in the province’s north: the extension of Highway 686. 

The project would link Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie.

Currently, the shortest route between the two communities is through Athabasca. It is 750 kilometres long and would take most drivers seven to eight hours to complete. The new route would cut the distance by about 100 kilometres. 

Improving Highway 686 was a part of Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen’s mandate letter in 2023 — and it’s no small project.

“Outside of the Calgary and Edmonton ring roads, Alberta has not built a new greenfield highway of a similar length as the Highway 686 extension for many decades,” Dreeshen said in a statement to CBC. 

Now, the province is embarking on a significant highway project that will cross hundreds of kilometres through remote areas and connect two major regions of the province’s energy industry.

Economic benefits

Fort McMurray has been advocating for the highway for years …