On a road that already sees many drivers with their pedal to the metal, the Alberta government is testing to see if raising the speed limit is a good idea.

A small stretch of Alberta’s busiest highway near Edmonton is getting a speed limit increase as part of a test to see if more stretches of divided highway should allow it.

Drivers going along a 22-kilometre portion of Highway 2, starting south of Leduc, will see speed limit signs of 120 kilometres an hour — up from the existing 110 km/h on the rest of the QEII.

It would be the fastest posted speed limit in Alberta and tied for with the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia for fastest in the country.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said Wednesday the area being tested is one of the busiest highway sections in the province, and safety upgrades such as longer ramps for overpasses were recently completed in Leduc County and the County of Wetaskiwin, making it an ideal trial area.

Alberta Transportation said almost 70 per cent of respondents to a recent survey agreed the speed limit should be increased on rural divided highways to 120 km/h.

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Dreeshen said he expects the test to gather a significant amount of data for the province to analyze before it considers increasing the limit on other divided highways.

The 120 km/h section will run for 22 km south of the Leduc Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station in both directions. The province said the areas being monitored and evaluated include that stretch, plus the five km to the north and south of it.

The minister said the province will monitor collision numbers, but he says many drivers travel at the higher speed already, so he’s not expecting an uptick in crashes.

At the same time, earlier this spring the province increased the penalties for dangerous driving.

Fines for offences like careless driving, excessive speeding, stunting and racing were increased by 50 per cent, with most other traffic penalties rising by 30 per cent.

The province reminded drivers the 120 km/h limit is intended for ideal road conditions and drivers should still be going slower when roads are wet, icy, or when there is reduced visibility.

— with a file from The Canadian Press

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