West Virginia Route 2

Last updated

WV-2.svg
West Virginia Route 2
West Virginia Route 2
Route information
Maintained by WVDOH
Length230.6 mi [1]  (371.1 km)
Existed1920s–present
Major junctions
South endUS 60.svg US 60 in Huntington
Major intersections
North endUS 30.svg US 30 in Chester
Location
Country United States
State West Virginia
Counties Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Jackson, Mason, Cabell
Highway system
WV-972.svg WV 972 WV-3.svg WV 3

West Virginia Route 2 is a state highway in the US state of West Virginia. It generally parallels the Ohio River along the western border of the state, from U.S. Route 60 in Huntington (just west of the East End Bridge) northeasterly to U.S. Route 30 in Chester (just south of the Jennings Randolph Memorial Bridge).

Contents

WV 2 leaves the shores of the Ohio River in two places: between Point Pleasant and Mount Alto (where West Virginia Route 62 follows the river) and between Ravenswood and Waverly (where West Virginia Route 68 mostly follows the river). The entire route is included as a part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense. The highway is also somewhat parallel with Ohio Route 7, which can be spotted from the Ohio River.

Route

Huntington to Parkersburg

WV 2 crosses the Kanawha River over the Bartow Jones Bridge at Point Pleasant, West Virginia Bartow Jones Bridge 2022.jpg
WV 2 crosses the Kanawha River over the Bartow Jones Bridge at Point Pleasant, West Virginia
1909 stone masonry rail bridge crossing WV-2 near Point Pleasant Rail Crossing on West Virginia SR 2.JPG
1909 stone masonry rail bridge crossing WV-2 near Point Pleasant

WV 2 was reconstructed from Lesage to Glenwood as an improved two-lane highway with shoulders on a four-lane right-of-way in the mid-1980s.

Parkersburg to Wheeling

View north along WV 2 at WV 16 in St. Marys 2017-07-23 08 31 11 View north along West Virginia State Route 2 (Second Street) at West Virginia State Route 16 (High Street) in Saint Marys, Pleasants County, West Virginia.jpg
View north along WV 2 at WV 16 in St. Marys

WV 2 follows the Ohio River from Parkersburg to Wheeling. Portions have been upgraded to four and five lanes, with eventual plans to upgrade the entire corridor. [2]

Wheeling to Chester

WV 2 is a variable two-lane and four-lane highway from Wheeling to its northern terminus at Chester.

For a time, Route 2 deviated from its current alignment to follow a more northeasterly route from New Cumberland to US 30 via the unincorporated area of New Manchester. The current alignment of WV 2 passing the Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort to US 30 was formerly numbered WV 66 and is reflected as such in many of the county highways in the area. The former routing of WV 2 is now WV 8.

On June 23, 2000, work began on a project that widened WV 2 from two to four lanes from Weirton at US 22 (Robert C. Byrd Expressway) south to CR 8 near Follansbee. The project length was just 0.9 miles. Work was supposed to be complete by June 2001, however, construction wrapped up on October 31 at a cost of $21,444,875. [3] The project entailed stabilizing the hillside by reshaping the highwall, widening the roadway with four 12-foot (3.7 m) lanes, creating 10-foot (3.0 m) outside shoulders, and 8-foot (2.4 m) interior shoulders. 3.9 million cubic yards of earth were removed during the excavation process.

A roadside hot dog stand, Hillbilly Hot Dogs, located along WV 2 in Lesage. HillbillyHotDogs.jpg
A roadside hot dog stand, Hillbilly Hot Dogs, located along WV 2 in Lesage.

One year later, the highway widening project progressed further south for 2.5 miles (4.0 km). [4]

Notes

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Cabell Huntington 0.00.0US 60.svgTo plate blue.svg
I-64.svg
US 60 to I-64  Downtown Huntington, Proctorville
Southern terminus of WV 2
South plate.svg
WV-193.svg
To plate blue.svg
I-64.svg
To plate.svg
US 60.svg
WV 193 south to I-64  / US 60  Barboursville
Northern terminus of WV 193
Mason Henderson US 35.svg US 35  Chillicothe, Ohio, Charleston Interchange
HendersonPoint Pleasant line Bartow Jones Bridge over Kanawha River
Point Pleasant To plate.svg
WV-62.svg
To Viand Street north / WV 62  Point Pleasant, Mason
North plate.svg
WV-62.svg
WV 62 north Mason
Southern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
South plate.svg
WV-62.svg
WV 62 south Buffalo
Northern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
East plate.svg
WV-87.svg
WV 87 east Evans
Western terminus of WV 87
Jackson Mount Alto South plate.svg
WV-62.svg
East plate.svg
WV-331.svg
WV 62 south / WV 331 east New Haven, Cottageville
Southern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
North plate.svg
WV-62.svg
WV 62 north Ripley
Northern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
Ravenswood West plate.svg
US 33.svg
North plate.svg
WV-68.svg
US 33 west / WV 68 north Ravenswood, Columbus, OH
Southern terminus of US 33 concurrency
Silverton South plate blue.svg
I-77.svg
East plate.svg
US 33.svg
East plate.svg
Circle sign 56.svg
I-77 south / US 33 east / CR 56 east (Green Hills Road) Ripley, Charleston
Northern terminus of US 33 concurrency; southern terminus of I-77 concurrency; WV 2 south follows exit 146
see I-77
Wood North plate blue.svg
I-77.svg
South plate.svg
WV-68.svg
I-77 north / WV 68 south (Emerson Avenue) Marietta, OH, Vienna, Ohio Valley University
Northern terminus of I-77 concurrency; WV 2 north follows exit 179
South plate.svg
WV-31.svg
WV 31 south Deerwalk
Southern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
North plate.svg
WV-31.svg
Airport Sign.svg WV 31 north MOV Regional Airport, Williamstown
Northern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
Pleasants To plate.svg
OH-7.svg
To SR 7  / Carpenter Memorial Bridge (WV 807) Newport, OH
St. Marys South plate.svg
WV-16.svg
WV 16 south Ellenboro, Pleasants County Park
Northern terminus of WV 16
Tyler Sistersville South plate.svg
WV-18.svg
WV 18 south Middlebourne
Northern terminus of WV 18
Ferry Sign.svg Charles Street – Sistersville Ferry
Wetzel South plate.svg
WV-180.svg
WV 180 south Middlebourne
Northern terminus of WV 180
New Martinsville East plate.svg
WV-7.svg
To plate.svg
WV-20.svg
WV 7 east to WV 20
Southern terminus of WV 7 concurrency
OH-7.svg SR 7  / New Martinsville Bridge (WV 7 west) Ohio Interchange; northern terminus of WV 7 concurrency
Proctor Circle sign 89.svg CR 89 Western terminus of CR 89; formerly WV 89
Marshall North plate.svg
Alt plate.svg
WV-2.svg
WV 2 Alt. north (Round Bottom Hill Road)
Southern terminus of Alternate WV 2
South plate.svg
Alt plate.svg
WV-2.svg
Circle sign 21.svgAirport Sign.svg WV 2 Alt. south / CR 21 (Roberts Ridge Road) Airport
Northern terminus of Alternate WV 2
Moundsville To plate.svg
OH-7.svg
To 12th Street / Moundsville Bridge (WV 2 Spur) / SR 7  Bellaire, OH, Powhatan Point, OH
South plate.svg
US 250.svg
US 250 south – Central Business District, Cameron, Grand Vue Park
Southern terminus of US 250 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
To plate.svg
US 250.svg
To 7th Street south / US 250  Grand Vue Park
Glen Dale North plate.svg
WV-86.svg
WV 86 north
Southern terminus of WV 86
McMechen East Baltimore Street – McMechen Northbound exit only
12th Street – McMechen
3rd Street – McMechen Northbound access only; Southern terminus of freeway
Benwood South Marshall Street – Benwood, McMechen
Bellaire Bridge Former interchange
4th Street – Benwood
Circle sign 1.svg CR 1 (Boggs Run Road)
Ohio Wheeling I-470.svg I-470  / 26th StreetI-470 exit 1
North plate.svg
US 250.svg
To plate blue.svg
I-70.svg
US 250 north to I-70  Columbus, Washington
Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus of US 250 concurrency; northern terminus of freeway
10th Street (Wheeling Suspension Bridge)
I-70.svgWest plate.svg
US 40.svg
I-70  / US 40 west Columbus, Washington
Southern terminus of US 40 concurrency; I-70 exit 1A
East plate.svg
US 40.svg
To plate blue.svg
East plate blue.svg
I-70.svg
US 40 east (National Road) to I-70 east
Northern terminus of US 40 concurrency
Brooke Wellsburg East plate.svg
WV-67.svg
WV 67 east Bethany, West Liberty University, Bethany College
Western terminus of WV 67
East plate.svg
WV-27.svg
WV 27 east (10th Street)
Western terminus of WV 27
Follansbee East plate.svg
Alt plate.svg
WV-27.svg
WV 27 Alt. east
Western terminus of Alternate WV 27
Market Street BridgeSteubenville
West plate.svg
US 22.svg
US 22 west Steubenville, Ohio
Interchange; southern terminus of US 22 concurrency; WV 2 south follows exit 1
Weirton Junction East plate.svg
US 22.svg
US 22 east Pittsburgh
Interchange; northern terminus of US 22 concurrency; WV 2 north follows exit 2
Hancock Weirton West plate.svg
Ellipse sign 507.svg
CR 507 west (Freedom Way)
Western terminus of CR 507 concurrency
East plate.svg
Ellipse sign 507.svg
CR 507 east (Cove Road)
Eastern terminus of CR 507 concurrency
East plate.svg
WV-105.svg
WV 105 east (Penn Avenue)
Western terminus of WV 105
New Cumberland North plate.svg
WV-8.svg
WV 8 north New Manchester
Southern terminus of WV 8
Newell Wayne Six Toll Bridge
Chester 230.6371.1US 30.svg US 30  East Liverpool, Pittsburgh Interchange; northern terminus of WV 2
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •        Concurrency terminus

References

  1. Distance calculated using Microsoft MapPoint mapping software.
  2. "Route 2 | I-68 Authority".
  3. "WV 2 Project Follansbee-Weirton Road II." West Virginia Department of Transportation. Nov. 1, 2006
  4. "Panhandle Archaic." West Virginia Department of Culture. Nov. 1, 2006
  5. THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2006 The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media.