Misplaced Pages

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145-508: Deerfoot Trail is a 46.4-kilometre (28.8 mi) freeway segment of Highway 2 in Calgary, Alberta , Canada. It stretches the entire length of the city from south to north and links suburbs to downtown via Memorial Drive and 17 Avenue SE . The freeway begins south of Calgary where it splits from Macleod Trail , crosses the Bow River into city limits, and reaches

290-486: A Siksika Nation elder. Veering back to the north, it follows the river's east bank across Peigan Trail to a partial cloverleaf interchange at 17 Avenue SE , passing the neighbourhoods of Dover and Southview . Deerfoot meets Memorial Drive , a major freeway spur into downtown, near Pearce Estate Wetland , Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo and the Max Bell Centre , and continues into north Calgary while

435-405: A braided ramp in south Calgary between Southland Drive and Anderson Road, a jughandle intersection at 32 Avenue NE and 12 Street NE, left turn restrictions on McKnight Boulveard east of Deerfoot, and a pair of new northbound on-ramps between McKnight Boulevard and Airport Trail. All possibilities for improvement were considered, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes . Despite

580-424: A local-express system between Peigan and Glenmore Trails. Glenmore Trail would be widened to as many as 10 lanes between Blackfoot and Deerfoot Trails, along with modifications of the interchange at Blackfoot Trail, and the addition of braided ramps to facilitate the new flyovers. Alberta Transportation and the city of Calgary began a study in 2016 to develop short-term and long-term plans for Deerfoot Trail. Almost

725-651: A 1967 transportation study planned for a major north–south freeway running along the west side of the Calgary Airport across the Bow River into Inglewood , remaining west of the Bow River through present-day Fish Creek Provincial Park. Initially called the Blackfoot Trail Freeway, the first segment stretched from the northern city boundary (then near Deerfoot's present-day split with Beddington Trail) to 16 Avenue NE, opening in 1971. It

870-442: A barrier. Cable barriers provide a cost-effective solution to the shielding issue. The system is more forgiving than traditional concrete (Jersey) barriers or steel barriers used today and remains effective when installed on sloping terrain. The flexibility of the system absorbs impact energy and dissipates it laterally, which reduces the forces transmitted to the vehicle occupants. Although cable barriers have been used since

1015-435: A bypass is proposed that would carry Highway 2 to the east of town on a new free-flowing alignment. A similar bypass to the east of Nanton is also proposed. A bypass of Fort Macleod has also been planned, tentatively designated as Highway 2X. It would be constructed in conjunction with a Highway 3 bypass of the town, making both routes free-flowing through the area. Plans have also been drafted for significant reconstruction of

1160-494: A bypass. Deerfoot Trail then merges with the major routes of Anderson Road and Bow Bottom Trail. Crossing Glenmore Trail ( Highway 8 ), Memorial Drive (access to downtown Calgary) and 16 Avenue NE ( Highway 1 ), Deerfoot Trail continues into north Calgary past the Calgary International Airport en route to a second interchange with Stoney Trail at the Calgary city limit. The Deerfoot Trail designation

1305-539: A bypass. Continuing north as an eight lane freeway, Deerfoot passes between the communities of McKenzie Lake and McKenzie Towne , crossing 130 Avenue SE to the south terminus of Barlow Trail . It then reduces to six lanes, curving to the west through the neighbourhoods of Douglasdale and Douglasglen across the Bow River on the Ivor Strong Bridge, named after John Ivor Strong who served as Chief Commissioner for Calgary until 1971. Immediately after

1450-511: A combination of Jersey and constant-slope barriers through most of south Calgary before returning to grass of varying widths from 17 Avenue SE to the north terminus. In north Calgary the grass median is supplemented by 10.75 km (6.7 mi) of high-tension cable barriers (HTCB) that were added in 2007, virtually eliminating the risk of serious median collisions. It was the first major HTCB installation in Canada. The freeway has

1595-430: A contiguous route through the city, after which they intended to return the road to the city. In 2003, a $ 100 million extension was completed extending Deerfoot Trail from its junction with Highway 22X to its present terminus near De Winton. During planning, the segment had been temporarily designated as Highway 2X. Prior to the 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) project, Deerfoot was effectively disconnected from

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1740-504: A high-tension system has a higher initial cost with lower long-term maintenance costs and concerns. During the expansion of cable barrier use throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the low-tension system was specified almost exclusively. This system is also called the “generic” system, referring to the fact that it is not exclusively manufactured by any single producer. Low tension simply means the cables themselves are tensed only enough to eliminate sag between posts. Large springs at both ends of

1885-485: A joint study in 2021 that offered long and short-term recommendations. In 2023, Aecon began a $ 615 million project which will add lanes in both directions, twin the Ivor Strong Bridge, and reconfigure various interchanges. All work is planned to be complete by 2027. As a segment of Highway 2, Deerfoot Trail is a core route of the National Highway System and a key international corridor. It

2030-498: A large area of commercial development for several kilometres before reaching a major interchange at Glenmore Trail. The interchange is generally identified as the second of two major congestion points on Deerfoot in south Calgary, the so called "Glenmore squeeze", where traffic is reduced to two lanes each way over Glenmore. Deerfoot turns sharply to the east and again crosses the Bow River on the Calf Robe Bridge, named after

2175-461: A long journey north to Fort Vermilion . In Slave Lake, Highway 2 bisects the town at a limit of 60 km/h, before returning to 100 km/h west of Caribou Trail, following the scenic southern shore of Lesser Slave Lake to Highway 33 near Kinuso , which leads south to Swan Hills . At Driftpile the highway crosses a river of the same name en route to High Prairie at the west end of Lesser Slave Lake. 14 km (8.7 mi) west of High Prairie,

2320-529: A loop ramp for traffic turning northbound onto Deerfoot Trail from eastbound Memorial. A new ramp was also constructed for traffic turning west onto Memorial from northbound Deerfoot, passing underneath eastbound Memorial before joining westbound Memorial from the left. The province took over responsibility from the City of Calgary in 2000 to upgrade the route to a freeway and render the CANAMEX Corridor

2465-562: A more conventional configuration. The existing bridges on this section of the highway had been constructed in 1962. The project was completed in 2018. Highway 2 from Fort Macleod to south Edmonton is part of the CANAMEX Corridor, a divided highway with a combination of interchanges and several at-grade intersections except for a 50 km (31 mi) fully controlled-access freeway section in Calgary. The only set of traffic lights on this CANAMEX section are in central Claresholm;

2610-417: A partial cloverleaf interchange was approved in south Calgary at 212 Avenue SE, between the Bow River and 192 Avenue. Calgary paid for the project initially, and will later be repaid by Alberta and Brookfield Residential, who are developing the neighbourhood in the vicinity of the interchange. Prior to a firm commitment for a portion of the funding by Brookfield, Alberta had been reluctant to front

2755-482: A planned extension of Ray Gibbon Drive will bypass St. Albert from Anthony Henday Drive to Highway 2. Upon completion of this road, Ray Gibbon Drive would be designated as Highway 2. On June 1, 2020, work began on the first phase to twin Ray Gibbon Drive from 137 Avenue NW to just north of LeClair Way. An interchange at Cardiff Road is also planned, just south of Morinville. North of Morinville, Highway 2

2900-475: A police officer on Deerfoot was the catalyst for the Calgary Police Service's acquisition of a helicopter. 2013 statistics confirmed that Deerfoot Trail had more crashes and traffic jams than any other road in Calgary. Deerfoot has many entrances and exits in close proximity which exacerbates problems, but some have attributed a portion of the congestion to driver error. Constable Jim Lebedeff of

3045-481: A posted speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph) from its origin at Highway 2A until just after the first Bow River crossing, after which the limit is reduced to 100 km/h (62 mph) for the next 34 km (21 mi) through most of Calgary until Beddington Trail in the northeast where the limit returns to 110 km/h. The entire route is paved with asphalt, except for a 12 km (7.5 mi) concrete section in south Calgary. Alberta Transportation,

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3190-487: A safer route that would bypass most of the communities along the way. The plan to bypass Red Deer and Lacombe was presented by minister Gordon Taylor on September 15, 1960 at a meeting in Red Deer. The new $ 7 million divided highway would alleviate congestion on the existing route through Red Deer, splitting from the existing route south of the city and veering west to cross the Red Deer and Blindman Rivers before rejoining

3335-543: A second interchange at Highway 19/625 which serves the airport. The highway curves slightly to the northeast to an interchange at 41 Avenue SW, marking the Edmonton city limit and the end of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway designation. Five separately named routes are designated as Highway 2 in the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert, denoted by varying levels of signage. At the south end of Edmonton,

3480-551: A significant margin over Glenmore Trail, with peak daily congestion lasting as many as four hours. Its most travelled stretch is between Memorial Drive and 16 Avenue NE ( Trans-Canada Highway ) as traffic from Calgary's northern and eastern suburbs converge to travel via Memorial Drive into downtown, in addition to traffic transiting the city and other intra-city trips. The freeway was designed to carry approximately 65,000 vehicles per day but carried 173,500 vehicles between Memorial Drive and Highway 1 in 2019. In late 2013,

3625-466: A specific manufacturer . During installation, the cables are placed on the posts, and then tightened to a specific tension according to temperature . The tensions values range between approximately 2,000 and 9,000lb (9,000 to 40,000 Newtons). Due to this tightening, the cable installations can be of indefinite length. In fact, the lengths of the runs are usually only limited by the presence of obstacles such as median openings or bridge columns. When

3770-417: A two lane highway immediately after Morinville, extending north past Manawan and Haley Lakes into Westlock County and a three-way intersection with Highway 18 near Clyde and Westlock . The highway turns due east, briefly concurrent with Highway 18 for 1 km, before turning northeast through increasingly wooded areas and a short concurrency with Highway 663 to Athabasca . The highway descends through

3915-443: A vehicle impacts the high-tension system under normal conditions, the cable deflects as little as 8 ft (2.4 metres) from its original location. The inherent tension within the system also allows the cables to remain strung, even after an impact that removes several posts, thus allowing the remainder of the run to function normally. A roadside safety hardware feature must undergo rigorous safety testing before it can be used on

4060-409: Is Alberta's busiest road with volume reaching nearly 160,000 vehicles per day at Memorial Drive in 2022, twice that for which it was designed. The province of Alberta has been fiscally responsible for the road since 2000 but now seeks to offload maintenance and future improvement costs to the city of Calgary. The two parties remain at odds over who should operate the road in the long-term but completed

4205-478: Is a core route in the National Highway System of Canada: between Fort Macleod and Edmonton and between Donnelly and Grimshaw. The speed limit along most parts of the highway between Fort Macleod and Morinville is 110 km/h (68 mph), and in urban areas, such as through Claresholm, Nanton, Calgary and Edmonton, it ranges from 50 km/h (31 mph) to 110 km/h (68 mph). During

4350-450: Is a great deal of anecdotal evidence, however, that many of these systems are performing at a higher level in the field capturing vehicles as large as semi truck-trailer combinations . Cable barrier, is intended for use on slopes with a 1:6 vertical to horizontal ratio. The 1V:6H requirement is based in both computer modeling and full-scale crash testing and represents sound theory. In practice, however, slopes as flat as 1V:6H are often

4495-669: Is a lightly travelled two lane highway carrying well under 10,000 vehicles per day, but in 2012 Alberta Transportation completed a study to plan for extension of twinning from Morinville to north of Highway 18 near Clyde. In 2013, a study was completed analyzing possible truck bypasses of Athabasca, to the east and west of the current alignment. A 2010 study assessed twinning of Highway 49 from Valleyview to Donnelly, and Highway 2 from Donnelly to south of Nampa. Cable barrier Because these barriers are relatively inexpensive, as opposed to concrete step barriers to install and maintain, and are very effective at capturing vehicles, their use

Deerfoot Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

4640-688: Is again briefly concurrent with Highway 2A before reaching Highway 53 near Ponoka just after crossing the Battle River . The four lane highway continues approximately 30 km (19 mi) through gentle rolling hills of aspen parkland in Ponoka County to an interchange at Highway 611 where it enters Wetaskiwin County . Near Bearhills Lake, the highway meets Highway 13 , providing access east to Wetaskiwin and Camrose , and west to Pigeon Lake . North of an interchange with Highway 616

4785-461: Is also part of Calgary's Primary Goods Movement Network and is identified as a skeletal road in the city's Transportation Plan, a limited-access route important for long distance travellers, and is the only route that stretches the entire length of the city from north to south. From its split with Highway 2A (Macleod Trail) near the hamlet of De Winton in the south, it runs north to Stoney Trail at Calgary's northern city limit where it becomes

4930-485: Is an incomplete cloverleaf interchange ; traffic northbound on Deerfoot does not have direct access to westbound Glenmore and one must first exit to the east, proceed through a traffic light behind Calgary Auto Mall, and enter Glenmore Trail from the north side. At Highway 1, a split diamond interchange significantly slows east-west traffic even outside of peak hours, because all left turn movements must pass through three sets of traffic lights. This outdated interchange

5075-429: Is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. By far, the most popular use of the cable barrier system occurs in the medians of divided highways . Given the opposing directions of traffic on divided highways, cross median crashes are particularly severe. While median width plays a large role in the occurrence of these crashes, increased width alone does not eliminate them and quite often, the median must be shielded with

5220-514: Is briefly concurrent with freeway sections of Highways 216 and 16 before bisecting St. Albert and reverting to two lanes en route to Athabasca . It bends northwest along the south shore of Lesser Slave Lake as the Northern Woods and Water Route into High Prairie , before turning north to Peace River , west to Fairview and finally south to Grande Prairie where it ends at Highway 43 . Originally numbered as Highway 1, Highway 2

5365-426: Is crashed at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) on an impact angle of 20°. Also at this level, a 4,400 pounds (2,000 kg) pickup truck impacts at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and 25°. TL-4 includes both these tests but adds a 17,600 pounds (8,000 kg) single-unit truck impacting at 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and 25°. All cable barrier systems available today are approved at either TL-3 or TL-4. There

5510-707: Is dropped, and the highway carries on north into Rocky View County . Highway 2 exits north Calgary as a six-lane, 261 km (162 mi) freeway called the Queen Elizabeth II Highway , a name it retains until the southern city limit of Edmonton. It passes the major shopping centre of CrossIron Mills , bisecting the city of Airdrie several kilometres later. North of Airdrie, the route extends to Highway 72 before bypassing Crossfield and entering Mountain View County , continuing north past interchanges at Highways 581 and 582 leading to

5655-501: Is indication that the state government agency in charge of highway regulation failed to follow proper installation procedures. Apparently there are internal government documents which show that the Arizona Department of Transportation was aware of cable barrier problems, and they may have also rushed installation of these barriers on state highways. A major problem alleged, that reduces the effectiveness of cable barriers,

5800-556: Is largely a freeway between Okotoks and Edmonton, with improvements underway to eliminate the at-grade crossings that remain. Highway 2 begins at the United States border, as the two lane U.S. Route 89 crosses into Canada at Carway. The road proceeds north through the Rocky Mountain Foothills to a brief concurrency with Highway 501 , before bisecting the town of Cardston . At the north end of town,

5945-415: Is no direct access for traffic turning from northbound Deerfoot to westbound Glenmore. Stage 1 of the proposed improvements would not remedy this problem, but rather correct a pinch point on Deerfoot Trail by constructing a new three lane bridge to carry the northbound lanes over Glenmore. Deerfoot Trail would then be three lanes each way through the interchange. Ultimately, a large cloverstack interchange

Deerfoot Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

6090-434: Is planned with left-turn movements handled by third-level directional flyovers providing free-flowing access to and from Deerfoot Trail. The proposed ultimate configuration would require acquisition of land from adjacent properties for the construction of the flyovers and other modifications to Glenmore Trail. The planning study also calls for the construction of a new bridge alongside the existing Calf Robe Bridge, as part of

6235-631: Is proposed, and new interchanges have been planned at Township Roads 264 and 265 to support future development in the area. Widening of the highway from four to six lanes between Airdrie and Crossfield is planned, and between Highway 42 and Highway 597. Between Edmonton and Leduc, Alberta Transportation has drafted plans to construct a dual freeway system in conjunction with a second ring road approximately 8 km (5 mi) beyond Anthony Henday Drive. The existing interchange at Highway 2A south of Leduc would be closed and reconstructed to modern standards further south. Between Edmonton and 41 Avenue SW,

6380-515: Is the installation below grade, especially around slopes or dips. Without any compensation for a slope in the median, a car can actually jump the top of a barrier, and therefore be exposed to a potential cross-over collision. Litigation has arisen in Arizona regarding the improper installation of cable barriers. One wrongful death suit resulted in a one million dollar settlement with the state. In Washington state, numerous letters were submitted to

6525-554: Is the main artery of the city with a speed limit of 60 km/h (37 mph), and crosses the Sturgeon River before exiting the city to the north into Sturgeon County as a divided highway approximately 5 km (3 mi) beyond the Sturgeon River. North of the city, the highway intersects Highway 37 before an interchange at Highway 642 west of Morinville , the main access for the town. Highway 2 reduces to

6670-892: Is the oldest major highway in Alberta and the first to stretch north into the Peace Country . It was historically known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail , Sunshine Trail, and the Blue Trail. Major changes include the construction of a divided expressway between Calgary and Edmonton in the 1960s, realignment along Deerfoot Trail in the 1980s, and twinning south of Nanton in the 1990s. A Highway 43 realignment in 1998 shortened Highway 2 by nearly 90 km (56 mi) to its current northern terminus in Grande Prairie; it previously extended west to British Columbia Highway 2 at

6815-554: Is visible to the west.. Access to Huntington Hills and Deerfoot Mall are then provided by an interchange at 64 Avenue NE. Beddington Trail splits to the northwest from Deerfoot, following Nose Creek into a large residential area of north Calgary that includes the neighbourhoods of Country Hills , Panorama Hills , and Hidden Valley . The speed limit on Deerfoot increases to 110 km/h as development tapers in an increasingly rural area of north Calgary. After West Nose Creek Park, an interchange with Airport Trail serves as

6960-766: The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame before descending into the valley of the Red Deer River . It crosses the river alongside a railroad bridge, then curves north to interchanges with Highways 11 and 11A , leading west to Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake , respectively. North of 11A, the highway crosses the Blindman River into Lacombe County to an interchange with Highway 597 at Blackfalds , curving slightly northeast to an interchange at Highway 12 at Lacombe . North of Lacombe, Highway 2

7105-624: The Bow River valley and southeast Calgary. From its split with Macleod Trail, Highway 2 becomes a major 46 km (29 mi) freeway named Deerfoot Trail that descends to cross the Bow River before entering Calgary city limits. In the city it crosses the river twice more, jogging back and forth between its east and west bank. The freeway intersects the Stoney Trail ring road at the south end of Calgary, with signage recommending that traffic en route to Calgary International Airport , Edmonton, and Medicine Hat use eastbound Stoney Trail as

7250-584: The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor created by Highway 2. U.S. Route 89 enters Alberta from Montana and becomes Highway 2, a two-lane road that traverses the foothills of southern Alberta to Fort Macleod where it intersects Highway 3 and becomes divided . In Calgary, the route is a busy freeway named Deerfoot Trail that continues into central Alberta as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, bypassing Red Deer . In Edmonton, it

7395-521: The Canada–United States border through Calgary and Edmonton to Grande Prairie . Running primarily north to south for approximately 1,273 kilometres (791 mi), it is the longest and busiest highway in the province carrying more than 180,000 vehicles per day near Downtown Calgary . The Fort Macleod —Edmonton section forms a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links Alaska to Mexico. More than half of Alberta's 4 million residents live in

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7540-693: The Mackenzie Highway . Highway 2 turns south to Grimshaw , while Highway 35 turns north, following the Peace River to High Level . Highway 2 bisects Grimshaw as 51 Street, then exits the town before turning west shortly thereafter, winding through the aspen parkland of the Peace Country to the town of Fairview , in which a campus of Grande Prairie Regional College is immediately south of the highway. The road continues west out of Fairview as Highway 64A, while Highway 2 turns south to exit

7685-614: The Municipal District of Willow Creek . Less than 1 km before meeting Highway 3 southeast of Fort Macleod, Highway 2 becomes a divided highway. Highway 3 splits east to Lethbridge, and the combined Highways 2 and 3 turn due west through town as a divided highway at a speed limit of 50 km/h. West of town, the highways diverge at an interchange; Highway 3 continues west as the Crowsnest Highway to Pincher Creek and British Columbia , and Highway 2 turns north across

7830-593: The National Highway System (NHS) in the United States. Most states have adopted the same testing criteria for highways that are not on the NHS. The standard by which all roadside safety features are measured is contained within the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report No. 350 ( NCHRP 350 ). NCHRP 350 evaluates safety hardware according to three general factors: The system must contain and redirect

7975-536: The Oldman River as a divided highway. It continues approximately 25 km (16 mi) north to Granum from which Highway 519 splits to the east. In tandem with Highway 23 , Highway 519 is often used by CANAMEX traffic to bypass Fort Macleod. Further north on Highway 2, the towns of Claresholm and Nanton are each bisected at a reduced speed limit of 50 km/h. The highway is concurrent with Highway 533 for its brief distance through Nanton. North of Nanton,

8120-628: The Stoney Trail ring road . Crisscrossing twice more with the river, it intersects Glenmore Trail and Memorial Drive; the former is a major east–west expressway while the latter is a freeway spur into downtown . In north Calgary, it crosses Highway 1 and passes Calgary International Airport before ending at a second interchange with Stoney Trail. Highway 2 becomes the Queen Elizabeth ;II Highway as it continues north into Rocky View County towards Red Deer and Edmonton. Originally called Blackfoot Trail Freeway upon

8265-796: The 1960s it was not until the mid-1990s that many departments of transportation began to deploy them with any regularity. In many countries of the European Union these cable barriers are not allowed to be used along highways as they are perceived to be especially hazardous for motorcyclists. However, a study of motorcyclist injury rates for several types of highway barrier did not find an appreciable difference in fatal and severe injuries between cable and W-beam barriers. Both were significantly more hazardous than concrete barriers but less hazardous than none. There are two types of cable barrier systems in use today, low-tension and high-tension. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages, but in general,

8410-466: The 1960s, Highway 2 had been realigned to follow Macleod Trail until turning east at Glenmore Trail before continuing north on Blackfoot Trail, veering to the northeast, and crossing the Bow River to join Barlow Trail to the north city limit. The former Edmonton Trail was re-signed as Highway 2A. As the airport continued to expand, 48 Avenue was reduced to an airport service road after

8555-472: The Blindman River between Blackfalds and Red Deer. In northern Alberta, 1966 saw work begin on initial grading for Highway 2 in the vicinity of Peace River. The section from Hondo to Slave Lake was completed and opened to traffic on October 18, 1966. The 8-span, 125-metre (410 ft) bridge over the Peace River was completed in 1968. An interchange at the highway's DeWinton turnoff south of Calgary

8700-628: The Bow River turns west towards downtown. In north Calgary, the freeway climbs along the east side of Nose Creek, a tributary of the Bow River. From Memorial Drive, it passes the Vista Heights neighbourhood to 16 Avenue NE (Highway 1/ Trans-Canada Highway ); this section has been largely unchanged since its completion in 1975. The six lane freeway enters light commercial development north of 32 Avenue NE and passes McKnight Boulevard , providing access to airport-related light industrial areas as well as Nose Hill Park , which

8845-431: The Calgary Police Service stated, "a lot of people don’t understand, or don’t want to understand, how to merge properly." 30% of respondents to a 2016 poll stated that the main reason they avoid Deerfoot Trail is because they do not feel safe on the freeway. In 2015, plans for improvements to Deerfoot Trail near Southland Drive were cancelled and a study was initiated to determine the best course of action to begin improving

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8990-560: The Calgary area as a great talent and won races against runners from as far away as Europe. Controversy arose when Deerfoot won a race but his opponent was credited with the victory. At a rematch to settle the dispute, the same result occurred. Unhappy with the result, his attitude began to change; he committed theft from a cabin, and was later the subject of a massive manhunt. He spent time in and out of police custody for various crimes, before dying of tuberculosis while in prison for assault. He had reportedly been receiving medical treatment for

9135-474: The Deerfoot project. Highway 2 was realigned in Calgary to follow Macleod Trail north to Anderson Road, then east on Anderson Road to the new interchange at Deerfoot Trail where it turned north to follow Deerfoot to the city limit near the airport. Plans to add a third level flyover at Memorial Drive by 1987 did not come to fruition. The original configuration of the interchange was modified in 1983 to add

9280-554: The Queen Elizabeth II Highway where the 110 km/h speed limit is enforced by aircraft. The program is conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , and was relaunched in 2013 after being on hiatus due to budget concerns. Several aircraft are used including the Eurocopter AS350 helicopter. The number of tickets written during the operation is generally not enough to negate the cost of operating

9425-484: The Queen Elizabeth ;II Highway. The freeway roughly bisects the city, though it lies entirely east of Centre Street which officially marks the boundary between the east and west side of the city. From its southern terminus until Memorial Drive, Deerfoot approximates the course of the Bow River. Initially the freeway is on the east side, then crosses to the west bank, and finally back to the east before

9570-631: The Quesnell Bridge. It then turns back west to meet Anthony Henday Drive again, now in the vicinity of West Edmonton Mall . Henday assumes the designation of Highway 2 for a 6.7 km (4 mi) stretch to Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16), though the concurrency is unsigned. Yellowhead Trail continues east into Edmonton as a six lane freeway, again unsigned as Highway 2, until St. Albert Trail which proceeds northwest through light industrial and commercial areas before crossing Anthony Henday Drive to exit Edmonton into St. Albert . The six lane road

9715-471: The Seton neighbourhood will be hampered until the 212 Avenue interchange is completed. A study was completed by Alberta in 2007 to determine the best course of action for upgrades to the incomplete interchange of Glenmore Trail and Deerfoot Trail. The interchange carries 130,000 vehicles per day on Deerfoot Trail and 100,000 vehicles on Glenmore making it one of the busiest interchanges in Alberta, but there

9860-579: The Sunshine Trail. It was a gravelled highway that ran from the US border at Carway directly through Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton to Clyde where it became a dirt road. North of Clyde, it was the only highway that extended north into the Peace Country, bending east to Athabasca then northwest to Peace River. A secondary dirt road proceeded southwest to Dunvegan and the current terminus at Grande Prairie. When Alberta highways first received numbers,

10005-468: The aircraft, but police have stated that they are catching drivers committing infractions over a longer stretch of the road. In 2016, Leduc proposed photo radar speed enforcement on Highway 2 between the south end of the city and Edmonton's southern limit to catch excessive speeders, pending provincial approval. It is already in use within Edmonton and Leduc limits, but it would be the first implementation on Highway 2. Some residents complained that revenue

10150-410: The alignment of Highway 2 at the south end of Red Deer. The project included demolition of an existing bridge and construction of four new bridges for Highway 2. A substandard curve was removed and straightened, and a left entrance to Highway 2 for southbound traffic from Gaetz Avenue was reconstructed to crossover to the west side of the highway before joining the southbound lanes from the right side in

10295-443: The border. Several projects including median widening and interchange upgrades have been undertaken in the 2010s to increase the safety of the highway's busier sections, with further improvements either under construction or awaiting funding. Bypasses of Fort Macleod, Claresholm , and Nanton are planned as part of Alberta's effort to make its portion of the CANAMEX Corridor free-flowing from border to border. Much of Highway 2

10440-401: The border. Several projects including median widening and interchange upgrades were completed in the 2010s that increased the safety of the highway's busier sections. In the early morning hours of December 15, 2011, a Lethbridge man killed three people on Highway 2 immediately north of Claresholm. The man turned the gun on himself in a murder–suicide . Work began in 2016 to straighten

10585-410: The branch of the Alberta government who operate and maintain all highways in the province, signed a contract with Carmacks Enterprises for maintenance of Deerfoot Trail from Stoney Trail in south Calgary to the northern city limit. The province intends to return control of the freeway to the city, but it is desirable for the city to avoid the significant maintenance and rehabilitation costs associated with

10730-482: The cable run are compressed (according to temperature) to maintain the tension in the system. When a vehicle impacts the low-tension system under normal conditions, the cable moves as much as 12 ft (3.7 metres) from its original location. This movement is known as the dynamic deflection. Given the lack of tension in the system, individual installations, or “runs”, of cable are limited to 2,000 ft (600 metres) with an anchor assembly at each end. Due to

10875-435: The communities of Carstairs and Didsbury , respectively. The highway meets Highway 27 at a cloverleaf interchange near Olds , approximately halfway between Calgary and Red Deer. Highway 2 enters Red Deer County and proceeds to interchanges with Highway 587 at Bowden , Highways 54 and 590 at Innisfail , and Highway 42 near Penhold prior to the city of Red Deer. South of the city, from McKenzie Road to 19 Street,

11020-574: The construction of McKnight Boulevard. Long after the completion and opening of Deerfoot Trail and its signing as Highway 2, the segment of Barlow Trail north of McKnight Blvd was closed in 2011 to allow construction of a new 14,000-foot (4,300 m) runway at Calgary International Airport. Due to its quickly rising population in the 1960s, Calgary initiated planning for the construction of an extensive freeway and expressway network that included numerous north–south and east–west routes. Many of these routes were ultimately not developed into freeways, but

11165-478: The disease since his arrival to the prison. In December 1974, Premier Peter Lougheed reiterated his opposition to the planned routing for the southern portion of Deerfoot Trail, which would take the freeway along the west side of the Bow River through Fish Creek Park. Lougheed acknowledged that diverting the freeway to the east would be significantly more expensive, but was firm on protecting and preserving Fish Creek as an urban park. The revised alignment took

11310-515: The drop in traffic is brisk, increasingly so after Morinville where the highway is no longer divided. Volume remains very light through most of the Peace Country before briefly exceeding 20,000 vehicles per day near the northern terminus in Grande Prairie. Alberta Transportation publishes yearly traffic volume data for provincial highways. The table compares the annual average daily traffic (AADT) at several locations along Highway 2 using data from 2019, expressed as an average daily vehicle count over

11455-458: The entire length of the freeway is being assessed, though changes are not anticipated for the two major interchanges at Stoney Trail, completed in 2009 and 2013. The study aimed to address Deerfoot's problems overall, as opposed to localized solutions that could simply shift traffic bottlenecks to another section of the freeway. Five short-term options were presented in May ;2017; they included

11600-485: The entry angle. Within NCHRP 350 there are six separate test levels (TL) representing different vehicles, impact angles, and speeds. Test level three (TL-3) is probably the most common as it establishes safety criteria for both small cars and pickups at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). This category of traffic accounts for the majority of all vehicle traffic in the United States. At TL-3, an 1,800 pounds (820 kg) car

11745-471: The estimated $ 50 million in funding required for the project, though the city of Calgary had offered to pay for it in the interim as long as the money was paid back by the province. The city had also considered contributing $ 20 million in tandem with Brookfield, with the province paying for the remaining $ 30 million. City councillor Shane Keating stated in August ;2016 that development of

11890-578: The exception. In these cases, there are three TL-4 systems available that function as TL-3 on slopes as steep as 1V:4H. Rigid barriers such as concrete and semi-rigid barriers such as steel guardrail, exhibit impact deflections of 0 to 4 ft (1.2 metres), respectively. Flexible systems such as cable barriers deflect between 8 and 12 ft (2.4 and 3.7 metres) upon impact. Given these relatively large deflections, cable barrier systems are not usually considered appropriate to shield fixed objects closer than 8 ft (2.4 metres) offset of

12035-430: The existing interchange at Deerfoot Trail and Airport Trail. It provided an alternative to Beddington Trail and Country Hills Boulveard for access to the neighbourhood of Harvest Hills. The project included a controversial $ 470,000 piece of public art, a 17-metre (56 ft) tall blue ring called "Travelling Light" that lies on the north side of 96 Avenue between the railway and Nose Creek. Highly visible from Deerfoot,

12180-500: The final segment, extended Deerfoot to Highway 22X (now Stoney Trail) on the altered alignment east of the river. It opened on 22 November 1982 at a cost of $ 165 million. It featured interchanges at Southland Drive and Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail. A second crossing of the Bow River on the Ivor Strong Bridge took Deerfoot to an at-grade intersection with 24 Street, and a signalized intersection at Barlow Trail which had been extended south from Glenmore Trail as part of

12325-467: The first to stretch north into the Peace Country as it long predates Highways 43 and 63 . The intermittent sections of two-lane road between Calgary and Edmonton now designated as Highway 2A previously comprised the primary route between Calgary and Edmonton, Passing through Carstairs, the heart of Red Deer, Blackfalds, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. Plans were developed in the late 1950s for a new four-lane superhighway to connect Calgary and Edmonton, creating

12470-489: The freeway and have the road remain under provincial control for as long as possible. Former Calgary mayor Rod Sykes said, "I wouldn’t take on the problems of the Deerfoot if I were at City Hall now." Deerfoot Trail begins as a rural freeway near De Winton where two lanes fork to the northeast from Macleod Trail and descend across Dunbow Road toward the Bow River. It crosses the river on twin 236-metre (774 ft) bridges constructed over an environmentally sensitive area of

12615-454: The freeway approximately 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the river through present-day Douglasdale, McKenzie Towne, and McKenzie Lake. Bow Bottom Trail, a major arterial road, was built in the wide right of way that had been reserved for Deerfoot Trail. A second section extending the road further south to 17 Avenue SE opened on 20 January 1975, at a cost of $ 35 million. The new pavement continued south alongside Nose Creek and

12760-407: The freeway. The Calf Robe Bridge is also prone to collisions as its concrete deck becomes slick in cold weather, and large curves precede and follow the bridge. A 1996 crash on the bridge claimed the life of a teenager when her northbound car struck the rear of a fire truck parked in the left shoulder attending to an accident in the southbound lanes. Poor visibility due to the curve prior to the bridge

12905-428: The grass median in north Calgary, the installation of high tension cable barriers was completed in the first half of 2007. In 2009, modifications were made to the interchange of Peigan, Barlow, and Deerfoot Trails, built in 1979. The existing westbound to southbound ramp left little distance for traffic to merge, causing bottlenecks. The ramp was modified to first curve north and then loop back underneath itself, extending

13050-642: The highway continues into the Foothills County to a major junction with Highways 23 and 2A at High River , after which it veers northwest to cross the Highwood River . On the other side of the river, a second interchange provides access to Okotoks via Highways 7 and 2A, and Highway 2 continues north across the Sheep River to De Winton where Highway 2A splits into southwest Calgary as Macleod Trail , and Highway 2 veers northeast toward

13195-605: The highway enters Blood Indian Reserve No. 148 and Highway 5 splits west to Waterton Lakes National Park ; it is briefly concurrent with Highway 2 before splitting east to cross the St. Mary River en route to Magrath and Lethbridge . Highway 2 continues north to another short concurrency with Highway 505 during which it crosses the Waterton River to Stand Off , continuing across the Belly River to Fort Macleod in

13340-449: The highway enters Leduc County , bending northeast toward the city of Leduc . After entering Leduc city limits, Highway 2 meets Highway 2A, which proceeds southeast through Leduc's southern suburbs as a four lane arterial road. Highway 2 immediately travels over Highway 39 at a diamond interchange, serving as the main access to central Leduc and ultimately leading west to Drayton Valley . Now six lanes wide, Highway 2 curves slightly to

13485-415: The highway significantly widens to five lanes each way. The northbound lanes become Gateway Boulevard and the southbound lanes Calgary Trail , and the two carriageways diverge to pass Gateway Park, located in the median of the highway and accessible from both directions. North of the park, the two directions of travel come back together, now at a reduced speed limit of 90 km/h (56 mph), to meet at

13630-490: The highway turns north past Winagami Lake to the town of McLennan on the south shore of Kimiwan Lake. It carries on west to a junction with Highway 49 , locally known as ' Donnelly Corner'. The two lane highway proceeds north through aspen parkland past Lac Magloire to the town of Nampa , after which it crosses the Heart River , a tributary of Peace River . The highway then curves to the northwest and descends along

13775-463: The highway widens to six lanes through an area known as Gasoline Alley . It is a popular stop for travellers and truckers including fuel stations and food establishments on either side of the highway, accessible via the interchange at McKenzie Road. Continuing north the highway again reduces to four lanes, veering left to bypass Red Deer to the west while Gaetz Avenue splits north into the city. West of Red Deer, Highway 2 passes Red Deer College and

13920-500: The highway would be realigned several hundred metres to the west to facilitate construction of a large interchange with the outer ring road. The existing bridges at Airport Road, Highway 19, 41 Avenue SW, and Ellerslie Road have all been constructed with sufficient width to allow for construction of two additional sets of lanes. In 2015, a planning study was completed outlining a new interchange at 65 Avenue in Leduc. In northwest Edmonton,

14065-427: The initial fixes presented by the study, Alberta Transportation did not include any of the proposed projects on the list of unfunded capital projects. In 2017, the City of Calgary began work to construct a 2-lane bridge for bus rapid transit over Deerfoot Trail south of 17 Avenue SE. As part of Calgary Transit 's developing network of bus-only routes, the new bridge does not interchange with Deerfoot Trail and

14210-404: The interchange of Highway 2 and Highway 23 near High River. The existing cloverleaf interchange was built in 1967 and does not meet the current standards in Alberta's Highway Design Guide. In Calgary, where Highway 2 (Deerfoot Trail) experiences heavy congestion at peak hours, a major planning study is underway to determine the best course of action for upgrades to the freeway. In 2007, a study

14355-400: The interchange, up from two. Planning is underway to convert the Queen Elizabeth II Highway between Calgary and Edmonton to a freeway. Near Red Deer, traffic levels are close to 50,000 vehicles per day, and Alberta Transportation begins consideration of widening to six lanes when levels exceed 30,000 vehicles per day. South of Airdrie, reconstruction of an existing interchange at Highway 566

14500-406: The low tension of the system, the cables tend to lie on the ground in the event that an impact damages multiple posts. As such, there is no residual safety value within the undamaged remainder of the 2,000 ft (600 metres) installation and that entire section of barrier will remain nonfunctional until repaired. Despite these perceived shortcomings, low-tension cable barrier, until recently,

14645-452: The major east–west arterial of Ellerslie Road , providing access to Edmonton's southern residential areas of Heritage Valley , Ellerslie , and Summerside . This diamond interchange is intertwined with the major cloverstack interchange at Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) which immediately follows. Henday is a ring road that surrounds Edmonton, connecting Highway 2 to Highway 16 . Signage directs traffic destined for Lloydminster to use

14790-502: The merge distance before the three southbound lanes crossed Ogden Road and then the Bow River. In November 2009, construction of a major interchange at the northern terminus of Deerfoot Trail was completed, connecting it to the northeast and northwest sections of Stoney Trail. In August 2013, 96 Avenue NE was extended to the east across West Nose Creek and the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to meet

14935-402: The northeast to pass on the east side of Edmonton International Airport , still 13 km (8.1 mi) south of Edmonton city limits. The grass median significantly widens to over 100 m (330 ft), and access to the airport and Nisku is provided by an interchange at Airport Road. Traffic levels increase as commuters travel to and from the Leduc area to Edmonton, and the highway meets

15080-453: The old highway north of Lacombe. The routing was somewhat of a surprise to residents, who had expected the new bypass to pass east of the city. The previous route had been carrying 5,000 vehicles per day. The bypass opened on November 21, 1962. The previous segment of two-lane highway to the east, which had been carrying 5,000 vehicles per day prior to the opening of the expressway, was renamed Highway 2A and now carries commuter traffic over

15225-604: The opening of the first section in 1971, it was renamed in 1974 to honour Deerfoot , a late-19th-century Siksika Nation (Blackfoot) long-distance runner known for his exceptional speed. Subsequent sections opened in 1975, 1980, 1982 and 2003. Deerfoot was not entirely a freeway until 2005 when the final of four at-grade intersections in southeast Calgary was converted to an interchange . Well known for its frequent rush hour congestion and collisions, traffic levels have steadily increased as Calgary's population has tripled to over 1.3 million since 1971. The mostly six-lane freeway

15370-461: The original bridge built in 1974 carries the eastbound lanes. Interchanges were constructed at Barlow Trail, 130 Avenue SE, McKenzie Towne Boulevard, Cranston Avenue, and Dunbow Road between 2000 and 2004. The last set of traffic lights was removed in 2005 upon completion of the interchange at Douglasdale Boulevard, making the entire length of Deerfoot Trail a freeway. In an effort to reduce head-on collisions caused by vehicles crossing over

15515-486: The present-day Highway 2 was originally designated as Highway 1. When the major east—west route through Calgary that had been previously designated as Highway 2 was assigned to the Trans-Canada Highway, the province's major north—south route became Highway 2. A review of historical Alberta official road maps shows this to be the case prior to 1941. Highway 2 is one of the oldest major highways in Alberta, and

15660-421: The primary access for Calgary International Airport , and to the west, the neighbourhood of Harvest Hills via 96 Avenue NE. North of Airport Trail, the freeway curves northeast through light commercial areas across Country Hills Boulevard and ends at an interchange with Stoney Trail. It continues north to Airdrie as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Deerfoot Trail is Alberta's busiest highway by

15805-411: The rest of Highway 2. Traffic continuing south to Fort Macleod proceeded west on a two lane bridge carrying Highway 22X over the Bow River, before turning south onto Macleod Trail, which was then designated as Highway 2. The section of Highway 22X over the river became Stoney Trail (Highway 201) in 2013, and a second bridge was completed in 2007 to carry the westbound lanes, while

15950-457: The ring received national attention and was called "awful" and "terrible" by Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi , and "an example of bureaucracy run amok" by Councillor Jyoti Gondek. The mostly negative feedback prompted Calgary to review its allocation of funds to public art on infrastructure projects. As part of Stoney Trail construction in 2013, Deerfoot Trail was upgraded between the most southerly Bow River crossing north and McKenzie Lake Boulevard. It

16095-478: The river and Memorial Drive veer west at Inglewood towards downtown. Most of the road's northern half parallels Nose Creek, a tributary of the Bow. Deerfoot is a divided freeway for its entire 46.4-kilometre length, ranging from four to eight lanes wide. The northbound and southbound lanes are separated by an approximately 15-metre (49 ft) wide depressed grass median near De Winton, which narrows and becomes

16240-406: The river, Deerfoot merges with the major routes of Anderson Road and Bow Bottom Trail, often a point of congestion at rush hour. In both directions, traffic through the outdated interchange is reduced from three lanes to two. The freeway curves north along the river's west bank to cross Southland Drive, paralleling Blackfoot Trail near the community of Acadia . North of Acadia, the freeway bisects

16385-555: The route between Calgary and Edmonton was traveled by David Thompson in 1800. The more modern trail was blazed by John McDougall in 1873 as far as Morley and extended to Calgary two years later. Development of the trail allowed mail service between Calgary and Edmonton in July 1883. By 1930, the entire present-day alignment of Highway 2 through to the British Columbia west of Grande Prairie had already been established as

16530-415: The same as the original. It is now a busy expressway connecting Midnapore and other southwestern suburbs to downtown. The southernmost portion of the route from Highway 22X to De Winton would continue to serve as Highway 2 until completion of a Deerfoot Trail extension from its then southernmost point at the neighbourhood of Cranston to De Winton in 2003. In north Calgary, Highway 2

16675-470: The short and long-term improvement options that had been presented throughout the study period. Work began in 2023 to widen and improve the freeway by adding a fourth lane in both directions for most of the freeway length, interchange improvements, and bridge widening. Alberta Highway 2 Highway 2 (also known as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway ) is a major highway in Alberta that stretches from

16820-500: The southbound lanes of Highway 2 approximately 225 m (738 ft) to the west of Gateway Boulevard. The designation of Highway 2 turns west onto Whitemud Drive and it becomes a freeway once again, though now only at 80 km/h (50 mph), unlike the 100 km/h limit of the highway through Calgary. Whitemud Drive descends to cross Whitemud Creek before curving north to span the North Saskatchewan River on

16965-453: The southeast portion of Henday to reach Highway 16 north of Sherwood Park . Traffic destined for Jasper , Cold Lake , and Fort McMurray are directed onto the southwest portion of Henday to reach Highway 16 at Edmonton's west end. The freeway ends as three lanes of Gateway Boulevard eventually widen to four, travelling north past South Edmonton Common through south Edmonton as a busy urban street to Whitemud Drive . Calgary Trail carries

17110-483: The southeastern segment of Stoney Trail was opened to traffic. In conjunction with the northeast portion which opened in 2009, it formed a full eastern bypass of Calgary providing an alternate route for traffic transiting the city. Traffic levels on Deerfoot Trail decreased in the year following the opening, but have since risen to pre-Stoney levels. In a 2016 study, Calgary ranked tenth in traffic congestion among major Canadian cities, with drivers spending nearly 16 hours of

17255-580: The southern suburbs of the city reaching more than 170,000 vehicles per day at Memorial Drive near downtown, making that stretch of Highway 2 the busiest roadway in western Canada. Volume swiftly drops north of Beddington Trail in Calgary, but remains moderate on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway until Edmonton where it again increases to nearly 100,000 vehicles per day south of the city. Whitemud Drive, Anthony Henday Drive, Yellowhead Trail, and St. Albert Trail are all busy expressways carrying large volumes of local traffic, especially at peak hours. North of St. Albert

17400-486: The span of a year (AADT). The Queen Elizabeth II Highway between Calgary and Edmonton is prone to collisions in the winter, sometimes resulting in hours of delay, closures, and redirection of traffic onto sections of the adjacent Highway 2A. Deerfoot Trail in Calgary is also prone to a higher than average number of collisions due to its high volume and concentration of interchanges within a relatively short distance. Alberta Transportation has established several zones on

17545-526: The state Department of Transportation complaining of cable barrier installation. Tension – High tensioned WRSB are generally tensioned to app. 2.5t during installation (subject to weather conditions, type of WRSB, and other factors). Low tensioned WRSB are not as common as they used to be, the tension is generally very low and close to 0. Containment or Deflection – based WRSB. Deflection aimed WRSB could be tensioned to slightly higher tension and will most probably use 4 wires (ropes). The overall length of

17690-598: The steep east bank of the Heart River into the town of Peace River . A passing lane aids eastbound traffic climbing from the valley. The two lane highway continues west through the town of Peace River before crossing the river of the same name. Climbing on the west bank of the river, it widens to four lanes and meets Alberta Highway 684 (Shaftesbury Trail) before exiting Peace River, reducing to two lanes, and passing north of Peace River Airport . 5 km (3.1 mi) east Cardinal Lake , Highway 2 meets Highway 35 ,

17835-570: The town at 50 km/h as 50 Street toward the Athabasca River valley, before turning west to parallel the river as 50 Avenue. From this point until its split with Highway 49 over 200 km (120 mi) to the west, Highway 2 is designated as the Northern Woods and Water Route. The speed limit returns to 100 km/h as the highway climbs from the valley toward Baptiste Lake . At the lake, the two lane Highway 2 turns north to follow

17980-506: The town of Rycroft , where Highway 49 splits west carrying the remainder of the Northern Woods and Water Route to the British Columbia border. Highway 2 continues south to Highway 59 where it becomes a divided highway before bisecting Sexsmith and continuing to Highway 43 north of Grande Prairie, its northern terminus from 1998 to 2019. Prior to 1998, Highway 2 followed Highway 43 into British Columbia , where it became British Columbia Highway 2 to Dawson Creek . In 2019, when Highway 43

18125-466: The town, curving west then south again toward the Peace River valley. It again curves west to descend along the river's steep north bank. The highway crosses the Peace River on the Dunvegan Bridge , a suspension bridge over 700 m (2,300 ft) long. Passing lanes assist traffic climbing from the valley on both sides of the river. The highway continues 20 km (12 mi) south to

18270-431: The travelled way. Even when the available clearance exceeds 8 ft (2.4 metres), the public seems to have a greater level of confidence in a more robust barrier. Median Cable Barriers have been studied for safety, and they are arguably effective deterrents to serious highway accidents. However, a lack of proper installation and testing has led to severe collisions and even death. In places, such as Arizona , there

18415-546: The valley. Rising from the river, the freeway enters Calgary limits and its southern suburban neighbourhoods of Cranston and Seton to which access is provided by a partial cloverleaf interchange . A major junction at the Stoney Trail ring road immediately follows, with signage recommending that traffic destined for the International Airport , Edmonton, and Medicine Hat use eastbound Stoney Trail as

18560-406: The vehicle with no underriding, overriding, or penetration. Fragments of the system cannot penetrate the passenger compartment, the vehicle must remain upright during and after the collision, and the passenger must not undergo excessive impact or deceleration. After the impact, the vehicle should not intrude into adjacent traffic lanes nor should it exit the system at an angle greater than 60% of

18705-522: The west bank of the Athabasca River for approximately 35 km (22 mi) before turning west at Lawrence Lake toward the unincorporated community of Hondo . There, it meets the northern terminus of Highway 44 before crossing the river and continuing northwest for 50 km to the southern terminus of Highway 88 in Slave Lake . Highway 88 follows the east bank of Lesser Slave Lake before

18850-421: The winter, accidents are common on the stretch of the highway between Calgary and Edmonton as the weather can change rapidly and drivers underestimate the conditions, overwhelming emergency services attempting to respond. As the main north–south access in Alberta, Highway 2 is the preferred path of the CANAMEX Corridor. Between Fort Macleod and Morinville, Highway 2 maintains no fewer than four lanes of traffic and

18995-493: The year in standstill traffic. The excessive volume of traffic on Deerfoot Trail is a contributing factor to the 10,000 collisions recorded between 2002 and 2007, including 24 fatalities. Constable Jeff Klatt of the Calgary Police Service stated that there is a "consensus among police officers that it’s dangerous to do traffic stops" on Deerfoot Trail. A 1993 incident in which a stolen vehicle struck and killed

19140-475: Was Calgary's most dangerous road junction in 2011, with 234 crashes recorded. Prior to the completion of Deerfoot Trail, the historic alignment of Highway 2 in south Calgary was along Macleod Trail as an extension of 4 Street, parallel to a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway from Calgary to Macleod . Macleod Trail has since been designated Highway 2A, on a routing largely

19285-752: Was a contributing factor in a successful lawsuit by the girl's family against Calgary. The freeway features 21 interchanges of varying design. The most recent interchanges to be constructed at the north and south ends of the freeway are more consistently of the partial cloverleaf type, a design highly used in Alberta as it is a desirable compromise between cost and capacity. The two interchanges with Stoney Trail are cloverstack interchanges, where high capacity directional flyovers carry traffic turning left for movements with more traffic, and loop ramps service lesser used left turn movements. Older and less efficient designs are used at Deerfoot's intersections with both Glenmore Trail and Highway 1. The junction with Glenmore

19430-476: Was a factor in almost 50% of injury collisions. Trails in the vicinity of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor long predate the province of Alberta itself, which was not split from the Northwest Territories until 1905. The Calgary and Edmonton Trail was established as several trails ran south from a fur trade post that had been established at Fort Edmonton prior to 1800. The northern portion of

19575-420: Was advertised as an alternative north–south route to the nearby Blackfoot Trail. Construction of the $ 70 million 6.5 km (4.0 mi) extension took more than two years, and was described as "badly needed" by mayor Ralph Klein . The new concrete road included the Calf Robe Bridge over the Bow River and an interchange at 43 Avenue SE, now called Peigan Trail. The next section, then intended to be

19720-449: Was arguably the workhorse of the industry. Thousands of miles of the generic system remain in use today in countries worldwide. In appearance, high-tension cable is very similar to low-tension. In most other aspects, the two systems are very different. High-tension cable consists of three or four pre-stretched cables supported by weak posts. Currently, all high-tension systems are proprietary , that is, marketed under exclusive right of

19865-483: Was completed by Alberta outlining plans for upgrades to the partial cloverleaf interchange of Glenmore Trail and Deerfoot Trail, one of the busiest road junctions in the province. Stage 1 of the proposed improvements would correct a pinch point on Deerfoot Trail by constructing a new three lane bridge to carry the northbound lanes over Glenmore. The southbound lanes would then be realigned on the existing bridges, such that Deerfoot Trail would be three lanes each way through

20010-433: Was completed in late 2018. In March 2019, Transportation Minister Brian Mason announced plans for $ 478 million worth of improvements to a 21-kilometre (13 mi) stretch of Deerfoot between Beddington Trail in the north and Anderson Road in the south. The United Conservative Party later reduced this commitment to a total of $ 210 million. The joint Deerfoot Trail study was completed in early 2021, summarizing

20155-597: Was moved to Highway 43X and bypassed Grande Prairie, Highway 2 was extended 2.4 km (1.5 mi) south to Grande Prairie city limits along its former, pre-1998 alignment; in Grande Prairie it becomes 100 Street. Highway 2 has a wide range of traffic levels along its length. At the south end, the highway is a lightly travelled two-lane road from the United States border to Fort Macleod. It then doubles to four lanes and volume progressively increases until De Winton north of Okotoks, but remains relatively light. Within Calgary, volume climbs exponentially on Deerfoot Trail through

20300-616: Was named after a historic route that approximated the location of present-day Memorial Drive across Nose Creek, between Barlow Trail and the community of St. George's Heights, now the location of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. This trail appears on Calgary maps as early as 1891. In 1974, signs were unveiled renaming the road after a Siksika Nation long-distance runner nicknamed Deerfoot. Several namesakes had been considered, including James Gladstone , Old Sun, and Walking Buffalo. In 1884, Deerfoot became known in

20445-503: Was originally composed of four present-day routes: Edmonton Trail, 41 Avenue, 48 Avenue, and Barlow Trail. Edmonton Trail is now a busy urban street on the west bank of Nose Creek through the neighbourhood of Highland Park , but its alignment in the 1920s had it curving to the northeast across the creek along present-day 41 Avenue to 48 Avenue where it continued east past the airport to Barlow Trail and north to Edmonton as Highway 1, later renamed to Highway 2. By

20590-452: Was originally to carry on straight across the river into Inglewood, but residents of the neighbourhood fought adamantly against construction of the freeway in their community. City Hall conceded, resulting in the present-day alignment that keeps the freeway east of the Bow River as it passes downtown. On 2 December 1980, an extension of Deerfoot Trail south to Glenmore Trail was opened, able to handle up to 80,000 vehicles per day. It

20735-643: Was planned for 1974. On May 23, 2005, the section between Calgary and Edmonton was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Highway in honour of the Queen's visit to Alberta as part of the province's centennial celebrations; the first road sign was personally unveiled by the Queen. It was the first highway in Canada to be named for her. Twinning south of Calgary continued in the 1990s. A Highway 43 realignment in 1998 shortened Highway 2 by nearly 90 km (56 mi) to its current northern terminus in Grande Prairie; it previously extended west to British Columbia Highway 2 at

20880-538: Was the main objective of the project. Leduc mayor Greg Krischke said that the project is not a "cash cow" and the primary objective is to reduce excessive speed and increase safety for first responders. An Alberta Transportation study shows that 100,000 vehicles exceeded 140 km/h (87 mph) on the stretch in 2015, and Krischke said that drivers who do not want tickets should abide by the speed limit. However, in 2014, less than 10% of injury collisions in Alberta involved drivers travelling at unsafe speeds. Tailgating

21025-525: Was widened to six through lanes from Stoney Trail to the Bow River at Calgary's southern limit, and elevated directional ramps were added to the major interchange at Deerfoot and Stoney Trail to support significantly higher traffic levels. A braided ramp was constructed northbound between Cranston Avenue and Stoney Trail, preventing northbound traffic exiting to eastbound Stoney Trail from conflicting with Auburn Bay and Cranston traffic merging onto northbound Deerfoot Trail. In March 2017, construction of

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