Alberta Destinations

Drive West website aids motorists' travel planning

Alberta travellers now have access to a new website that provides real-time information regarding road conditions.

The Drive West website provides information regarding highway closures, delays, incidents, construction zones and real-time information on road conditions. Motorists can use this information to plan their trips better and avoid delays caused by construction, weather, collisions, or other incidents. Potential reduced congestion at collision or construction sites will also allow emergency responders or construction crews to complete their work sooner.

The information covers the Queen Elizabeth II Highway between Edmonton and Calgary and Trans Canada Highway 1 from Calgary's city limits through Banff National Park to the British Columbia border. The Drive West site is also a portal to the Drive BC website that displays the same type of information for B.C.'s major highways. The site uses the same web-based technology as the Drive BC site and this is the first time the technology has been applied in Alberta.

Drive West is a partnership between the governments of Canada, Alberta, and British Columbia, the Alberta Motor Association, and IBI Group. The project represents a $447,000 total investment with varying cash and in-kind contributions from each partner. The Alberta government's total contribution is $60,000 in cash and in-kind donations.

This pilot project runs until March 31, 2006 and allows the partners to evaluate the technology's capabilities and its suitability for future applications. If successful, the technology or a similar system may be expanded to include more highways and possibly connect with information systems in other jurisdictions.

Albertans are being encouraged to visit the website at www.Drive-West.com and provide feedback via the online survey or by contacting one of the partners.