Calgary Trail & Gateway Boulevard
Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard are a pair of major arterial roadways in Edmonton, Alberta. Gateway Boulevard carries northbound traffic while Calgary Trail carries southbound traffic. From south of 31 Avenue, they form a two-way freeway separated by a median; for this portion, the roadway maintains the separate names for northbound and southbound traffic. Near 31 Avenue, Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard separate and become parallel one-way arterial roadways to Saskatchewan Drive, at the edge of the North Saskatchewan River valley. Designated as part of Highway 2 south of Whitemud Drive, it is Edmonton's main southern entrance and is both a major commuter route, connecting to the Edmonton International Airport and Leduc, as well as a regional connection to Red Deer and Calgary.[2]
Former name(s)
Calgary Trail
- Main Street (Strathcona)[1]
- Calgary Trail Southbound
- 1st Street E (Strathcona)[1]
- 103 Street
- Calgary Trail Northbound
14.5 km (9.0 mi)[2]
41 Avenue SW
Ellerslie Road, Anthony Henday Drive, 23 Avenue, 34 Avenue, Whitemud Drive, 51 Avenue, 63 Avenue, Whyte (82) Avenue
Route description[edit]
Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard enter Edmonton from the south along Highway 2, the city's busiest entrance.[3] It is a core route of Canada's National Highway System, and part of the North-South Trade Corridor. Despite the freeway being a two-way roadway, the northbound lanes go by the name Gateway Boulevard and the southbound lanes go by the name Calgary Trail. At the city limits, the northern terminus of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is the interchange with 41 Avenue SW, which opened in 2015,[4] and is the only numbered exit on Highway 2 within Edmonton.[5] The freeway continues north past Gateway Park, a rest area which is marked by the historic Leduc No. 1 oil derrick; originally opened in 1987, it featured a tourist information centre that closed in 2014.[6][7] Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard reach Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216), Edmonton's ring road, which is the northern extent of both National Highway System and trade corridor designations.[8] It continues past South Edmonton Common and the interchange with 23 Avenue. North of 23 Avenue (around 31 Avenue), the freeway portion of the Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard ends and the roadways split into parallel one-way streets.
North of the one-way transition, the Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard become arterial roadways with numerous retail and commercial services located between the two roadways. The first set of traffic signals is at 34 Avenue, and it continues north to Whitemud Drive, where Highway 2 continues along Whitemud Drive west. North of Whitemud Drive and 51 Avenue at 54 Avenue is the transition where southbound 104 Street becomes Calgary Trail. Gateway Boulevard and 104 Street pass through mixed light industrial and commercial areas before entering Old Strathcona and intersects Whyte (82) Avenue. Gateway Boulevard and 104 Street end at Saskatchewan Drive at the edge North Saskatchewan River valley. North of University Avenue, 104 Street is a two-way street with a northbound bus-only lane between University Avenue and 83 Avenue, and a conventional two-way street between 83 Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive.
Calgary Trail (104 Street) and Gateway Boulevard function as the major connection between downtown Edmonton and the Edmonton International Airport; however, they do not directly connect with downtown or cross the North Saskatchewan River. Inbound traffic via Gateway Boulevard and Saskatchewan Drive can be accessed via Queen Elizabeth Park Road which connects with the Walterdale Bridge, or alternatively continuing along Saskatchewan Drive which connects with the James MacDonald Bridge and Low Level Bridge. The main outbound route via 104 Street (Calgary Trail) can be accessed via 109 Street and the High Level Bridge and then following Saskatchewan Drive to connect with southbound 104 Street.
Future[edit]
There have been proposals to improve the Gateway Boulevard connection with the Walterdale Bridge and downtown Edmonton by removing a hairpin turn required to access Queen Elizabeth Park Road. Due to the topography of the river valley, proposals have shown that Gateway Boulevard would have to be realigned in pass under Saskatchewan Drive.[22] There is no finalized alignment or timeline for construction.
List of neighbourhoods Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard run through, in order from south to north.[23]