What’s In a Name? Alberta’s Hwy. 2 gets Royal treatment
EDMONTON, (May 24, 2005) — Depending on the point-of-view and location, the 300-km stretch of road between Calgary and Edmonton has nearly half-a-dozen names.
While commonly referred to as Hwy. 2, the road is also known as Deerfoot Trail heading north out of Calgary; In Edmonton going south it’s called Calgary Trail, and even turns into Gateway Blvd. through the heart of that city.
Now the Province of Alberta has bestowed another name: The Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Premier Ralph Klein announced the new designation May yesterday during a dinner to honour The Queen’s visit and Alberta’s Centennial. “This highway’s new designation will be a lasting legacy from the Royal Visit and Alberta’s Centennial celebrations,” Klein said.
Highway 2, which links Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary is Alberta’s most-travelled highway, and a transport artery for Alberta truckers. Approximately 20,000 to 54,000 vehicles travel Hwy. 2 each day, depending on location.
The highway becomes the longest continuous stretch of road named after a monarch in Canada and is the only Canadian highway named for Her Majesty. (The Queen Elizabeth Way in Ontario is named for The Queen Mother).
New highway signs were placed along the road this morning, so that The Queen could view them on her way to the airport.
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