and truckers including fuel stations and food establishments on either side of the highway, accessible via the interchange at McKenzie Road. Continuing north the highway again reduces to four lanes, veering left to bypass Red Deer to the west while Gaetz Avenue splits north into the city. West of Red Deer, Highway 2 passes Red Deer College and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame before descending into the valley of the Red Deer River. It crosses the river alongside a railroad bridge, then curves north to interchanges with Highways 11 and 11A, leading west to Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake, respectively. North of 11A, the highway crosses the Blindman River into Lacombe County to an interchange with Highway 597 at Blackfalds, curving slightly northeast to an interchange at Highway 12 at Lacombe. North of Lacombe, Highway 2 is again briefly concurrent with Highway 2A before reaching Highway 53 near Ponoka just after crossing the Battle River. The four lane highway continues approximately through gentle rolling hills of aspen parkland in Ponoka County to an interchange at Highway 611 where it enters Wetaskiwin County. Near Bearhills Lake, the highway meets Highway 13, providing access east to Wetaskiwin and Camrose, and west to Pigeon Lake. North of an interchange with Highway 616 the highway enters Leduc County, bending northeast toward the city of Leduc. After entering Leduc city limits, Highway 2 meets Highway 2A, which proceeds southeast through Leduc's southern suburbs as a four lane arterial road. Highway 2 immediately travels over Highway 39 at a diamond interchange, serving as the main access to central Leduc and ultimately leading west to Drayton Valley. Now six lanes wide, Highway 2 curves slightly to the northeast to pass on the east side of Edmonton International Airport, still south of Edmonton city limits. The grass median significantly widens to over , and access to the airport and Nisku is provided by an interchange at Airport Road. Traffic levels increase as commuters travel to and from the Leduc area to Edmonton, and the highway meets a second interchange at Highway 19/625 which serves the airport. The highway curves slightly to the northeast to an interchange at 41 Avenue SW, marking the Edmonton city limit and the end of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway designation. Edmonton and Sturgeon County Five separately named routes are designated as Highway 2 in the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert,