Alberta Provincial Highway No.34, also known as Highway34, was a highway in northwest Alberta, Canada, that existed in various configurations from the mid-1930s to the late 1990s. It was originally established in the 1930s as a 172-kilometre (107mi) east–west alternative highway to Highway2 (then Highway1) from north of Grande Prairie to Triangle, west of High Prairie, through the southern Peace Country via Valleyview.[1] After a number of realignments affecting the east segment of the highway in the late 1950s through mid-1960s[2][3][4] and a shortening in the early 1990s due to highway renumbering,[5][6] Highway 34 spent its final years as a 105-kilometre (65mi) highway between Highway 2 north of Grande Prairie to Valleyview before being renumbered as Highway 43 on March 1, 1998.[7][8]
Highway 34 was originally established as a 172-kilometre (107mi) unnumbered graded road in the late 1930s.[1] It started at Highway 2 (then numbered Highway 1) 6.4km (4.0mi) north of Grande Prairie and 4.8km (3.0mi) south of Clairmont.[1] It crossed the Smoky River via ferry 34km (21mi) east of its starting point and continued another 77km (48mi) eastward to reach Valleyview.[1] At Valleyview, the road turned north and then northeast for 61km (38mi) crossing the Little Smoky River before reconnecting with Highway 2 approximately 19km (12mi) west of High Prairie and 34km (21mi) south of McLennan.[1] The road was designated Highway 34 in 1939.[9]
By 1959, the western 111-kilometre (69mi) stretch of Highway 34 provided access to numerous localities between Grande Prairie and Valleyview including Bezanson, Goodwin, Debolt, Crooked Creek, Clarkson Valley, Sturgeon Heights and Calais.[2] The western 27km (17mi) to Bezanson and the eastern 45km (28mi) from Crooked Creek to Valleyview was paved while the remaining 35km (22mi) between Bezanson and Crooked Creek was graveled.[2]
Much of the stretch of Highway34 northeast of Valleyview was realigned in 1959. At a point 10km (6.2mi) north of Valleyview, Highway 34 was rerouted north for 66km (41mi) to the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway49 just west of Donnelly, while the former highway alignment from north of Valleyview to Triangle was renumbered Highway 34A.[2] The new Highway 34 alignment crossed the Little Smoky River 45km (28mi) north of Valleyview and passed by Guy13km (8.1mi) later.[2] The entire 76-kilometre (47mi) stretch from Valleyview to Donnelly was graveled at that time, as was the 53km (33mi) segment of Highway 34A.[2] In total, Highway34 spanned 187km (116mi) in 1959.[2]
Within a year, the northernmost 31-kilometre (19mi) segment of the new Highway 34 realignment was renumbered Highway 2 in 1960 from just north of the Little Smoky River to Highway 49 near Donnelly.[3] This was due to a realignment of Highway2 from Triangle west to meet Highway 34 just north of the Little Smoky River.[3] The Highway2 realignment was also responsible for the shortening of Highway 34A by 5km (3.1mi) as the final stretch prior to Triangle became part of Highway 2.[3]
As a result of Highway2 realignment in 1960, the total length of Highway 34 was reduced to 156km (97mi),[3] while the length of Highway 34A was reduced to 47km (29mi).[4] By this time, the entire stretch from Grande Prairie to Valleyview was paved, while the stretch from Valleyview to north of the Little Smoky River remained gravel.[3]
Department of Highways (1959). Alberta Highways: Official Road Map of the Province of Alberta (Map). Government of Alberta: Department of Economic Affairs. §§B8, B9, C9.
Department of Highways (1960). Alberta Highways: Official Road Map of the Province of Alberta (Map). Government of Alberta: Department of Provincial Secretary. §§B8, B9, C9.
Government of Alberta: Department of Public Works (1939). Official Road Map Alberta (Map). Government of Alberta: Department of Public Works. §§G7, H7, I7.
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