Alberta Provincial Highway No. 986 is an east-west highway in northern Alberta

Northern Alberta

Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It spans approximately 158 km (98.2 mi) from Highway 35

Alberta Highway 35

Alberta Highway 35, which forms the majority of Alberta's portion of the Mackenzie Highway, is a north–south highway in northwest Alberta....

 (Mackenzie Highway

Mackenzie Highway

The Mackenzie Highway is a Canadian highway in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It begins as Alberta Highway 2 at Mile Zero in Grimshaw, Alberta...

) to Highway 88 (Bicentennial Highway).

Highway 986 comprises the western segment of the partially constructed "Northern Alberta East-West Highway Corridor".

Route description

Highway 986 begins at Highway 35, approximately 21 km (13 mi) north of the Town of Grimshaw

Grimshaw, Alberta

Grimshaw is a town in northern Alberta located west of the Town of Peace River at the junction of Highway 35, Highway 2, and bypass Highway 2A, and the Mackenzie Northern Railway...

 and 21 km (13 mi) south of the Hamlet of Dixonville

Dixonville, Alberta

Dixonville is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within the County of Northern Lights. It is located along the Mackenzie Highway , approximately north of Grimshaw. It has an elevation of ....

 within the County of Northern Lights. After intersecting Highway 743, the highway crosses the Peace River

Peace River (Canada)

The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...

 and enters Northern Sunrise County

Northern Sunrise County, Alberta

Northern Sunrise County is a municipal district in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 17.On July 10, 2002, the name changed from Municipal District of East Peace No. 131 to Northern Sunrise County...

. A short distance later, the highway intersects Highway 688. It then continues east through the hamlets of Cadotte Lake

Cadotte Lake, Alberta

Cadotte Lake is an unincorporated community in northern Alberta, Canada within Northern Sunrise County. It is located on the northern shore of the homonymous lake, along Highway 986, east of Peace River and west of the Bicentennial Highway ....

 and Little Buffalo before ending at Highway 88, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the Hamlet of Red Earth Creek

Red Earth Creek, Alberta

Red Earth Creek is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17. It is located east of Highway 88, between the Town of Slave Lake and the Hamlet of Fort Vermilion, and has an elevation of ....

.

History

Highway 986 was originally numbered Highway 686. The highway was renumbered in the mid-1990s.

Major intersections

The following is a list of major intersections along Highway 986 from west to east.
{| class="wikitable"
! Municipality !! km !! Description
|-
|rowspan=3| County of Northern Lights || 0 ||
|-
| 20 ||
|-
| 30 || Crosses the Peace River

Peace River (Canada)

The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...

|-
|rowspan=2| Northern Sunrise County

Northern Sunrise County, Alberta

Northern Sunrise County is a municipal district in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 17.On July 10, 2002, the name changed from Municipal District of East Peace No. 131 to Northern Sunrise County...

|| 37 ||
|-
| 158 || Ends at

External links

• 2011 Provincial Highways 500 - 986 Progress Chart by Alberta Transportation.