Alberta provincial highway 2
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| AB Highway 2 (Queen Elizabeth II Highway) |
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| Length: | 1270 km |
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| Direction: | South-North |
| From: | U.S.A border |
| To: | Grande Prairie |
| Major cities: | Fort Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Athabasca, Slave Lake, Peace River, Grande Prairie |
| System: | Alberta provincial highway, CANAMEX Corridor |
Highway 2 is the most important provincial highway in the Canadian province of Alberta. The stretch between Calgary and Edmonton is one of the most heavily used highways in Canada, and is designated the Queen Elizabeth II Highway or the ‘QE2 Highway’.
The speed limit along most parts of the highway is 110 km/h (70 mph). During the winter time, accidents are not uncommon as the weather changes rapidly, and drivers underestimate the conditions. The worst area for accidents is the corridor north of Airdrie and south of Red Deer. Road closures are not uncommon. A sudden ice storm can create numerous accidents and pile-ups.
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[edit] Route
As its main north-south corridor, Highway 2 enters Alberta south of Cardston, at the Carway border crossing with Montana (where it continues as U.S. Highway 89). It travels northward through Fort Macleod—to the west of Lethbridge—and on to Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton. North of Edmonton the highway continues to Athabasca, after which the highway continues northwesterly along the south shore of Lesser Slave Lake into High Prairie, north to Peace River, west to Fairview and finally south to Grande Prairie.
As the main north-south access in Alberta, highway 2 is the preferred path of the CANAMEX Corridor.[1]
 Deerfoot Trail at the interchange with Peigan Trail in Calgary |
 At Crossfield single 2A foreground with the divided Hwy 2 in the distance. |
 Hwy 2 near Ponoka |
North of Fort Macleod all the way to Edmonton, Highway 2 maintains no less than four lanes of traffic and is a freeway in many sections. It functions as a northern extension of Interstate 15 (combined with Highway 4 and a short section of Highway 3).
North of Okotoks, the three northbound lanes of the highway split into Macleod Trail (Highway 2A) and Deerfoot Trail, which keeps the designation as Highway 2 through Calgary. It passes immediately west of the Calgary International Airport before it leaves the city in the north. Just north of Calgary, the city of Airdrie is bisected while a number of other much smaller communities such as Crossfield are bypassed. The newer Highway 2 is built east of the communities and the ‘old’ highway has become 2A.
Red Deer is also primarily bypassed. The gasoline alley on the south end, with fuel stations and food establishments, provide necessities for travellers. Continuing north, the highway again bypasses the smaller communities, this time on the west. Leduc, south of Edmonton, is bisected like Airdrie; however, this has been a result of westward growth of the community. The highway also passes immediately east of Edmonton International Airport, about 35 kilometres south of Edmonton.
When the highway enters Edmonton, it becomes Calgary Trail (southbound) and Gateway Boulevard (northbound), then Whitemud Drive to the southwest part of the city. It then shares roadbeds with Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) and Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16) before heading north again along St. Albert Trail as it exits Edmonton towards St. Albert. Highway 2 continues north to Athabasca and Peace River, before turning west then south through Grimshaw (the junction of the Mackenzie Highway) and Fairview, then over the Dunvegan Bridge, where it crosses the Peace River and ultimately terminating at an interchange at Highway 43 a few kilometres north of Grande Prairie. Prior to the change of the highway numbers, this Highway followed 43's alignment into British Columbia, where it becomes British Columbia provincial highway 2 to Dawson Creek.
[edit] Queen Elizabeth II Highway
On May 23, 2005, the section between Calgary and Edmonton was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Highway in honour of Her Majesty's visit to Alberta as part of the province's centennial celebrations; the first road sign was personally unveiled by the Queen. It is the first highway in Canada to be named for the current Queen (Ontario’s Queen Elizabeth Way is named for Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother).
[edit] Interchanges
The province of Alberta began numbering the interchange exits on Hwy. 2/QE2 in 2004. From south to north, these interchanges[2] are:
| Municipality | Exit Number | Intersecting Roads |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Macleod | 89 | Highway 3 West |
| High River - Foothills No. 31 Boundary | 194 | Highway 23 |
| Foothills No. 31 | 209* | Highway 7 / Highway 547 (at-grade intersection, future interchange[3] |
| Foothills No. 31 | 222 | Highway 2A South / Highway 552 |
| Foothills No. 31 | 225 | Macleod Trail (Highway 2A North) |
| Foothills No. 31 | 227 | Dunbow Road |
| Calgary | 232 | Cranston Avenue/Seton Boulevard (formerly 196 Ave. SE) |
| Calgary | 234 | Marquis of Lorne Trail (Highway 22X) |
| Calgary | 236 | McKenzie Lake Boulevard / McKenzie Towne Boulevard |
| Calgary | 238 | 130 Avenue SE |
| Calgary | 240 | Barlow Trail |
| Calgary | 241 | Douglasdale Boulevard / 24 Street SE |
| Calgary | 243 | Anderson Road / Bow Bottom Trail |
| Calgary | 245 | Southland Drive |
| Calgary | 246 | Heritage Meadows Road (Deerfoot Meadows) |
| Calgary | 247 | Heritage Drive / Glenmore Trail (northbound only) |
| Calgary | 248 | Glenmore Trail (southbound only) |
| Calgary | 251 | Peigan Trail / Barlow Trail |
| Calgary | 254 | 17 Avenue SE / Blackfoot Trail |
| Calgary | 256 | Memorial Drive |
| Calgary | 258 | 16 Avenue NE (Highway 1) |
| Calgary | 260 | 32 Avenue NE |
| Calgary | 261 | McKnight Boulevard |
| Calgary | 263 | 64 Avenue NE |
| Calgary | 265 | Beddington Trail (northbound only) |
| Calgary | 266 | Airport Trail / future 96 Avenue NE |
| Calgary | 268 | Country Hills Boulevard |
| Rocky View No. 44 | 275 | Highway 566 |
| Rocky View No. 44 - Airdrie Boundary | 282 | Big Springs Road / Yankee Valley Road |
| Airdrie | 284 | East Lake Crescent (East Airdrie industrial access) |
| Airdrie - Rocky View No. 44 Boundary | 285 | Airdrie Road / Irricana Road (Highway 567) |
| Rocky View No. 44 | 295 | Highway 72 / Highway 2A North |
| Rocky View No. 44 | 305 | Highway 2A / Township Road 292 |
| Mountain View County | 315 | Highway 581 |
| Mountain View County | 326 | Highway 582 |
| Mountain View County | 340 | Highway 27 |
| Mountain View County | 353 | Highway 2A (southbound only) |
| Bowden - Red Deer County Boundary | 357 | Highway 587 |
| Red Deer County - Innisfail Boundary | 365 | Cottonwood Road / Township Road 352 |
| Red Deer County - Innisfail Boundary | 368 | Highway 54 / Highway 590 |
| Red Deer County | 384 | Highway 42 / Highway 592 |
| Red Deer County | 391 | McKenzie Road / "Gasoline Alley" |
| Red Deer - Red Deer County Boundary | 394 | Gaetz Avenue (Highway 2A) |
| Red Deer - Red Deer County Boundary | 397 | 32nd Street |
| Red Deer - Red Deer County Boundary | 401 | Highway 11 / 67th Street |
| Red Deer - Red Deer County Boundary | 405 | Highway 11A |
| Lacombe County | 412 | Highway 597 / Aspelund Road |
| Lacombe County - Lacombe Boundary | 422 | Highway 12 |
| Lacombe County | 431 | Highway 2A South / C & E Trail |
| Lacombe County | 437 | Highway 2A North |
| Lacombe County - Ponoka County Boundary | 440 | Highway 604 |
| Ponoka County | 446 | Matjeka Road |
| Ponoka County | 447 | Township Road 425 (southbound only) |
| Ponoka County | 450 | Highway 53 |
| Ponoka County | 462 | Menaik Road |
| Ponoka County - Wetaskiwin County No. 10 Boundary | 469 | Highway 611 |
| Wetaskiwin County No. 10 | 482 | Highway 13 |
| Wetaskiwin County No. 10 | 488 | Township Road 470 |
| Wetaskiwin County No. 10 | 497 | Highway 616 |
| Leduc County | 508 | Township Road 490 |
| Leduc | 516 | Highway 2A South |
| Leduc | 517 | Highway 39 / 50th Avenue |
| Leduc | 519 | 50th Street (southbound only) |
| Leduc | 521 | Sparrow Crescent (northbound only) |
| Leduc - Leduc County Boundary | 522 | Airport Road |
| Leduc County | 525 | Highway 19 / Highway 625 |
- Exit numbers have been slowly going up on this route, they may all not be immediately signed. There are large gaps as some sections are not freeways or expressways.
[edit] References
- ^ Government of Alberta - CANAMEX Trade corridor
- ^ Mile By Mile: Alberta Provincial Highway 2 Travel Guide
- ^ Government of Alberta Transportation Highway 7 - Highway 547 interchange plan (pdf)
