Highway 2A[2] is the designation of six alternate routes off Highway 2 in Alberta, Canada. In general, these are original sections of Highway 2, such as the southern portion of Macleod Trail in Calgary. They passed through communities before limited-access freeways were built to shorten driving distance, accommodate heavier volumes and to bypass city traffic. Portions of the alignment of Highway 2A follow the route of the former Calgary and Edmonton Trail.
Highway 2A currently begins in the Town of High River and follows 12 Avenue SE and Centre Street before passing by Aldersyde and intersecting Highway 7. The highway then travels westward to the Town of Okotoks, where it branches north and follows Southridge Drive and Northridge Drive through Okotoks before rejoining Highway 2 near De Winton. In 2003, it was extended north by sharing a common alignment with Highway 2 for 3km (2mi) until it splits to Deerfoot Trail (Highway 2) Macleod Trail (Highway 2A) and ends in the City of Calgary at Stoney Trail (Highway 201). Macleod Trail continues north into downtown Calgary but does not carry a highway designation.[3]
Near De Winton, Highway 2A splits to the southwest, connecting Calgary to Okotoks.
Highway 2A north of Crossfield in the foreground with divided Highway 2 in the distance.
Downtown Red Deer from the air with Highway 2A twin bridges crossing the Red Deer River.
Highway 2A runs adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway between Calgary and Edmonton, although it does not enter either city. Highway 2A generally runs parallel to the Canadian Pacific Railway Calgary-Edmonton line, which runs to the west of Highway 2 between Crossfield and Red Deer, and to the east of Highway 2 between Red Deer and Leduc. Highway 2A is divided into two subsections with a 13km (8mi) gap between Bowden and Innisfail.[4]
The first subsection of Highway 2A starts at the Highway 2 / Highway 72 interchange (Exit 295) and passes through the town of Crossfield, town of Carstairs, and by the town of Didsbury before entering the town of Olds along 46 Avenue and intersects Highway 27 (46 Street). The highway continues north to the town of Bowden before terminating at Highway 587, just west of Highway 2 (Exit 357).[1]
The second subsection begins in the town of Innisfail at Highway 590 (50 Street), just west of Highway 2 (Exit 368), along 42 Avenue. The highway continues north and passes through the town of Penhold before entering the city of Red Deer along Taylor Drive. The highway turns east along 19 Street and then north along Gaetz Avenue. Highway 2A splits into one-way couplets through downtown Red Deer, with northbound traffic following 49 Avenue and southbound traffic following portions of Gaetz Avenue and 51 Avenue. After crossing the Red Deer River, the one-way streets rejoin and intersect Highway 11 (67 Street) and Highway 11A, which forms Red Deer's northern city limit. The highway continues north through the town of Blackfalds and city of Lacombe. North of Lacombe, the highway rejoins Highway 2 and share the same alignment for 5km (3mi) before the highway branches northeast and passes through hamlet of Morningside, town of Ponoka, and hamlet of Maskwacis. The highway enters the city of Wetaskiwin along 56 Street and continues north through the town of Millet, by the hamlet of Kavanagh, and before it rejoins Highway 2 (Exit 516) in the city of Leduc.
Highway 2A, known as Highway 2A:54 by Alberta Transportation, begins at Highway 2 at the locality of Triangle, 15km (9mi) west of the Town of High Prairie, and connects with Highway 49 near the hamlet of Guy.[1] Prior to 1990, this section was signed as Highway 2 but was renumbered at the same time that Highway 34 was renumbered to Highway 43 (present day Highway 49) north of the Town of Valleyview.[5][6]
Highway 2A, known as Highway 2A:36 by Alberta Transportation, begins at Highway 2 at the locality of Roma Junction, 2km (1mi) west of the Peace River Airport and 13km (8mi) west of the town of Peace River, and terminates in the town of Grimshaw,[3] where it passes by Mile Zero monument of the Mackenzie Highway.
In the 1960s, Highway 2 entered north Calgary along Barlow Trail; however in 1971 Highway 2 was realigned to the newly constructed Blackfoot Trail freeway (later renamed Deerfoot Trail).[7] Highway 2A was established along most of the original alignment, starting at 16 Avenue NE (Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 1) in the south and continuing north along Barlow Trail for 10km (6.2mi), past the Calgary International Airport, to 112 Avenue NE (later renamed Country Hills Boulevard), where it travelled west for 1km (0.62mi) to its interchange with Deerfoot Trail.[8] Direct access from Barlow Trail to Blackfoot Trail was closed to make room for the 17 Avenue SE / Blackfoot Trail / Deerfoot Trail interchange.[9]
The Highway 2A designation was phased out in the mid-1980s[10] and the Barlow Trail between 48 Avenue NE (just north of McKnight Boulevard) and the main terminal access was closed to allow for additional runway construction.[11]
The existing section of Highway 2A used extend from High River along 10 Street SE, through the hamlet of Cayley, and intersect Highway 2 at the locality of Connemara, located 8km (5mi) north of the town of Nanton along the Foothills County / Willow Creek M.D. boundary. The segment was located only 1.6km (0.99mi) west of Highway 2 and was lightly traveled, as such it was dropped by the province in 1997.[12][13]
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Highway 543 in High River 
Highway 7 at Okotoks 
Highway 201 in Calgary 
Highway 2 / Highway 72 near Crossfield 
Highway 27 in Olds 
Highway 42 in Penhold 
Highway 11 in Red Deer
Highway 11A in Red Deer
Highway 12 in Lacombe 
Highway 53 in Ponoka 
Highway 13 in Wetaskiwin 
