Province proposes Airdrie bypass to help ease QEII congestion north of Calgary

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNews Province proposes Airdrie bypass to help ease QEII congestion north of Calgary The proposed bypass is not on the current three-year provincial construction program and remains contingent on future funding approval Author of the article: By Scott Strasser Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 2 minute read Join the conversation Highway 2 south viewed from the walking bridge over the roadway in Airdrie on March 29, 2014. The Province is looking at a bypass for east of the highway to alleviate traffic congestion between Calgary and Airdrie. Britton Ledingham/SunMedia Article content The Alberta government is launching a functional planning study to explore options for a future Airdrie bypass, which could help ease worsening traffic congestion on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway north of Calgary. Article content While no design options have been assessed yet, a government web page suggests the bypass could extend from the northeast corner of Stoney Trail, east of Airdrie, to connect to Highway 2 near Carstairs. Article content Article content Article content The proposed bypass would serve as an alternative route around congested areas on Highway 2 and provide a more convenient connection for trucks traveling between the QEII and the Trans Canada Highway, states a government web page devoted to the planning study. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “As Airdrie, Balzac and surrounding areas continue to grow, a future bypass east of Airdrie will be needed to accommodate increasing traffic demand,” the page states. Article content Airdrie currently has a population of more than 90,000 people, according to the city’s latest civic census, making it the fifth most populous city in the province. Article content At the same time, north Calgary continues to expand toward Airdrie, with thousands of Calgarians now living north of Stoney Trail. Article content As the two cities continues to grow toward each other, 125,000 vehicles now pass along the corridor between Calgary and Airdrie every day, according to the province. About 35,000 vehicles travel to and from the Cross Iron Mills…