Highways in Southern Alberta: Safety, Business & Bypass

Southern Alberta’s Highway 2 slices through towns like Nanton, Claresholm, and Fort Macleod, bringing both risk and revenue. Mayor Jennifer Handley of Nanton reports about 5 000 vehicles a day, with drivers sometimes going the wrong way and frequent speed‑ing, while Claresholm’s chief officer Neil Smith notes that 200 trucks can pass in a 10‑minute span. Residents push for a traffic light near the Candy Store and Claresholm has hired a peace officer to curb speeding. Local businesses—Roy’s Place restaurant, the purple Candy Store—benefit from through‑traffic, yet noise from freight brakes is a concern. Fort Macleod’s 2026 construction of the first stage of Highway 3 twin‑lane realignment marks the start of plans that could eventually bypass the town, a move that could change the local economy and safety profile.