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U.S. Route 2 is an east-west U.S. Route. US 2 is the designation of two very distinct routes along the northern edges of the country -- but while some routes were truncated because of encroaching Interstate highways, US 2 has been split since it was commissioned in the original 1926 highway plan. However, a route through Canada used to be marked, connecting the routes; see the section on Canada.
Eastern segment
The eastern segment of US 2 traverses the northern reaches of the New England states.Endpoints of US highways: Eastern Segment
Termini
As of April 2006, the highway's eastern terminus is in Houlton, Maine at its interchange with Interstate 95 about one mile shy of the Canadian border. Interstate 95 then takes traffic to the Canada border, and the route continues as New Brunswick Highway 95. Five miles (eight kilometres) into Canada, this route intersects with Trans-Canada Highway (New Brunswick Highway 2). Its western terminus is in Rouses Point, New York, at US 11, again about one mile shy of the Canadian border. US 11 continues from there to the border; US 2 does not.Historic information
Before being designated as US 2, most of the current alignment was called New England Interstate Route 15 or NE-15 (from St. Johnsbury, Vermont eastward to Maine). Other segments in Vermont were also parts of other former New England Interstate routes: Route 18 between Montpelier and St. Johnsbury; Route 14 between Burlington and Montpelier; and Route 30 between Alburgh and Burlington.Alternate routes
US 2A (marked on some maps as Alternate US 2) has an eastern terminus in Houlton, Maine, just two miles (3 km) from the start of the main line route. It rejoins US 2 in Macwahoc. While the main line of US 2 runs parallel to Interstate 95 for a while before heading south, Alternate US 2 veers to the south and east to serve an isolated area of the state. There is also another US 2A connecting Old Town and Orono, Maine, primarily serving the University of Maine campus.States traversed
The highway passes through the following states:| Miles | km | state | |
| 273 | 439 | Maine | |
| 35 | 58 | New Hampshire | |
| 151 | 241 | Vermont | |
| 1 | 2 | New York | |
| 460 | 740 | Total | |
Cities
Notable cities along the route include:Western segment
The western segment of US 2 extends from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan across the northern tier of the lower 48 states.Endpoints of US highways: Western Segment
Termini
As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in St. Ignace, Michigan at an intersection with Interstate 75. Its western terminus is in Everett, Washington at an intersection with State Route 529 (former U.S. Route 99). However, signage is unclear between there and the intersection with Interstate 5.Historic information
US Route 2 was built in 1957 and coincided with the construction of other present-day segments of I-75 (Fenton-Clio Expressway and Detroit-Toledo Expressway). It never had an official name.
The original termini of this expressway were Castle Rock (near St. Ignace) and M-123 (near Moran). As I-75 closed its discontiguous gaps along with the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, this segment of freeway became part of I-75 and the national freeway system. US 2 ran concurrent with I-75 until 1984 when US 2 was truncated to the south end to avoid duplication of signage.
When the US-2 freeway and the Mackinac Bridge had a gap present, the end of the highway feeding to/from the Mackinac Bridge had a simple trumpet junction at US-2. When that freeway gap was filled in, the ramp from the trumpet that headed from US 2 westbound to southbound converted to a ramp for (present-day I-75) northbound to reduce contrete/asphalt obliteration.
In 1971, US 2 was realigned on a new eight mile expressway bypassing Escanaba, Michigan. MDOT documents show that it was originally intended to be a full freeway, but the grade separations were never built.
States traversed
The highway passes through the following states:Cities
Notable cities along the route include:- Duluth, Minnesota
- Bemidji, Minnesota
- Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Minot, North Dakota
- Williston, North Dakota
- Kalispell, Montana
- Spokane, Washington
- Everett, Washington
Notes
At the crossing between Wisconsin and Minnesota, the highway crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, about 8,300 feet (2,500 m) in length—roughly 11,800 feet (3,600 m) in length when the above land approaches are included.Canada
Currently, the east end of the west segment is on I-75 south of the Canadian border, and the west end of the east segment is at the border. Until the 1960s at the latest, a route marked as TO US 2 was minimally signed along the Trans-Canada Highway and other roads through Ontario and Quebec, linking the two segments. The connection used roughly followed Highway 17 in Ontario and Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 15 in Quebec.
Related US routes
- U.S. Route 102 (decommissioned)
- U.S. Route 202
- U.S. Route 302
- List of U.S. Routes
References
"U.S. Route 2"