Macleod Trail, also known as Alberta Highway 2A south of the city, is a major urban arterial expressway located primarily in Southwest Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It features 6 to 8 lanes and runs from its northern starting point in the Downtown Core until Anderson Road. Beyond Anderson Road, it continues as an 8-lane arterial expressway until it merges with southern Deerfoot Trail at its terminus. There are plans to upgrade Macleod Trail to a freeway in the future.
Macleod Trail is named after Fort Macleod, which is situated to the south. This fort was established by the former North-West Mounted Police (now known as the RCMP) and is now a town located west of Lethbridge.
Route description[]
Macleod Trail serves as a division between the southwest and southeast quadrants of Calgary and has been pivotal in the development of many communities, both inner-city and suburban. It is one of three major north-south roads in the city, alongside Crowchild Trail and Deerfoot Trail.
Macleod Trail begins in the downtown core as two one-way streets. Southbound traffic follows 1 Street SE, located one block west. The road passes several key landmarks, including Bow Valley College, Olympic Plaza, the Centre Street and City Hall/Bow Valley College C-Train stations, the Calgary Municipal Building, and Arts Commons. As it continues south, northern Macleod Trail marks the western boundary of the Calgary Stampede grounds and the BMO Centre, intersecting the popular road and shopping district of 17 Avenue SW, which runs through the Beltline district. The Red Line (Route 201) of the C-Train predominantly follows Macleod Trail starting at the Victoria Park/Stampede station.
Shortly after crossing the Elbow River, Macleod Trail merges into a single six-lane road. Access to the MNP Community & Sports Centre follows, situated between the Mission business district, Ramsay, and Erlton, leading to an intersection with 25 Avenue.
Continuing south, a commercial strip primarily lines Macleod Trail, with residential neighborhoods such as Parkhill, Elboya, and Windsor Park on the west side and mostly industrial areas on the east. Various hotels can be found along this commercial strip.
The commercial area concludes at the CF Chinook Centre, a major shopping district and mall located immediately to the west of Macleod Trail. Following this is a single-point urban interchange with Glenmore Trail, along with an interchange complex that connects 5 Street and Elbow Drive, as well as several major freeways.
A small commercial district follows the interchange until the intersection with Heritage Drive, which provides access to Heritage Park. A long commercial development strip then begins along Macleod Trail, meeting Southland Drive along the way. This strip features strip malls, big-box stores, and auto malls until reaching Southcentre Mall, another significant mall in Calgary. Here, Macleod Trail converges with Anderson Road at a partial cloverleaf interchange and transitions into an eight-lane expressway heading south. A small strip of commercial development can be found to the east of Macleod Trail, which eventually ends at a parclo interchange with Canyon Meadows Drive, crossing Fish Creek thereafter.
Following this, another long strip of commercial development begins along Macleod Trail, starting with an interchange at James McKevitt Road and a parclo with Shawnessy Boulevard. Several residential neighborhoods, including Shawnessy, Millrise, Midnapore, Sundance, and Somerset, are situated along this strip. Beyond Shawnessy Boulevard, commercial development continues until a diverging-diamond interchange with Sun Valley Boulevard (162 Avenue) is reached, where a large commercial district is located.
Beyond this interchange, the name Macleod Trail concludes as it merges into a free-flowing combination interchange with Stoney Trail. This marks the end of Calgary road maintenance, and the road subsequently becomes Alberta Highway 2A as it exits the city limits, transitioning to management by Alberta Transportation.
Highway 2A continues southward, intersecting residential streets such as 194 Avenue and 210 Avenue, with neighborhoods like Chaparral, Walden, and Legacy nearby. Eventually, Highway 2A reaches De Winton before merging with Alberta Highway 2, marking its southern terminus.
Developments[]
In November of 2007, Calgary City Council had approved a planning study for a portion of Macleod Trail that runs from the downtown core until Anderson Road. Expected recommendations include interchanges at Heritage Drive and Southland Drive, as well as possible traffic signal refinements. In addition, two other interchange locations are planned to be constructed within ten years. They are at the intersection with Lake Fraser Gate and at the intersection with 194 Avenue. This would make Macleod Trail a freeway from Anderson Road to nearly the city limits. On August 13, 2017, the first diverging diamond interchange in Canada was opened at Sun Valley Boulevard.