Alberta Highways - AB 2A



The shield above is the first reassurance on AB 2A, heading west from 10 St. (pre-expressway AB 2) in High River. Of course, AB 2A itself is all pre-expressway AB 2.


This is the first bridge on AB 2A, crossing the Highwood River in High River (I think they're named for the same body of water) and now turned north. It was built in 1963 so saw some service as AB 2 (bypass built around 1967).


This was the first really cool sight on AB 2A, but the Highwood River railway bridge and all of the connecting railway was ripped out after my visit. It seems like every time I find a cool truss bridge in Alberta, they either remove it or a flood sends it careening into the next bridge. Okay, remove the tracks, but could you have kept the bridge for pedestrians and roadgeeks?


Both of these signs are on AB 2A. Why am I junctioning the highway I'm on? Furthermore, the second assembly is also on AB 7 WB. Why is it not included under the junction umbrella? What makes it better than AB 2A?


Obviously, AB 2 continued straight, but AB 2A NB now takes a right turn and meets AB 2 at the west end of AB 552.


The end of AB 552 WB at this intersection, or the resumption of AB 2A SB, however you will.


Now I've entered Calgary, the land of windmills. I don't think that's how it goes. The speed limit warning sign is indeed warning, but since it represents a change in regulation, it should still be white. (Or white on a yellow diamond, the USA has learned, but Canada isn't there yet.)


The southern segment of AB 2A abruptly ends at AB 22X. It could have stayed on M a c l e o d   T r a i l a bit longer (though not longer than that name is spread out), at least following the "To TCH 1 West" signs. (Click through to Macleod Trail via the link at bottom to follow that saga.) It could even have joined AB 22X to get back to AB 2, though that would have resulted in an unwieldy triplex once AB 201's southeastern quadrant was completed in late 2013 (after I visited, so click there to see cool construction photos... but then come back here!), because for some reason 201 was extended over AB 22X to also end at this interchange. It ends here because this is where AB 2 turned off of Macleod Trail to get to Blackfoot Trail way back when. This is a very popular interchange for killing off highways, but for some reason that doesn't affect AB 22X, which extends several km in either direction from the suddenly imposed concurrency.


AB 2A begins again south of Crossfield, and I'm on the case at dawn coming in from Dickson Stevenson Trail (itself old AB 2).


Just like before, the straight ahead roadway shifts from AB 2A to AB 2 approaching Carstairs. AB 2A follows the old road curving to the left in the distance, but the stretch until then was overlaid by AB 2's expressway.


Old shields by dawn, confusing junctions be warned. AB 2A jogs east on AB 595 through the AB 2 interchange, so it shouldn't be "TO" 2A to the right, especially since 2A is primary but 595 is secondary. The first left is a ramp onto AB 2 NB. The second right is a ramp to the AB 2 SB frontage road, as AB 2A resumes its northward journey.


North into Red Deer, where the numerals are wide and AB 2A disappears. Don't worry, it's ahead.


At the Red Deer River, I spy an old alignment of this old alignment. All except a pair of bridges is intact, so it can be driven in pieces. In fact, the part south of the river is still used as a driveway.


NB at AB 597, which used to be a turn but is now a roundabout.


AB 2A is getting ready to rejoin AB 2 north of Lacombe. You would typically only see a speed limit warning sign when the speed is dropping, not rising.


Just like the NB sign we just saw, the SB counterpart 5 km away near Morningside has the old outlined shield BGS, and this one even features a semi-diagrammatic arrow! My guess is AB 2A does not exist for the length of the AB 2 de facto concurrency.

Onto parent AB 2

To TCH 1
Continue into Calgary on Macleod Trail
AB 2 (and 2A) Non-Roads
Back to Alberta Roads
Back to Roads