Connecticut Route 2

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For the Route 2 that existed in the 1920s, see U.S. Route 5
Route 2
Length: 58.03 mi (93.39 km)
Formed: 1932
North end: State Street (near I-91) in Hartford
Major
junctions:
I-84 in East Hartford
I-395 in Norwich
I-95 in North Stonington
South end: US 1 in Stonington
Routes in Connecticut
< Route 1A Route 2A >
MinorService RoadsState Roads

Route 2 is a state highway in Connecticut and is 58.03 miles in length. It is a primary state route, with a freeway section connecting Hartford to Norwich and a non-freeway section extending up to Stonington.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Route 2 begins as a continuation of State Street (just east of Columbus Blvd) near Interstate 91 in downtown Hartford. It crosses the Connecticut River on the Founders Bridge. It has a partial interchange with Interstate 91 at the crossing. Right after crossing into East Hartford, there is a complex interchange with Interstate 84 and then a partial interchange with Route 15 about 0.75 miles further. After East Hartford, Route 2 goes through the towns of Glastonbury, Marlborough, Colchester, Lebanon, Bozrah, and Norwich.

In Norwich, just west of the interchange with Interstate 395, Route 32 joins Route 2, then the freeway section of Route 2 ends just after the I-395 interchange. Route 32 then separates in downtown Norwich after overlapping with Route 2 for 3.9 miles, following the west bank of the Thames River. Route 2 continues southeast into Preston, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Stonington.

The Foxwoods Resort Casino can be found off Route 2 in Ledyard. There is also a roundabout with Route 184 and a partial interchange with Interstate 95 in North Stonington. In Stonington, Route 2 is reduced to a minor arterial road. It has an interchange with Route 78 and terminates at the junction with U.S. Route 1 just west of the Rhode Island state line.

[edit] Special designations

The entire length of Route 2 is also known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Highway.

[edit] History

  • 1800s: The alignment was used by two early toll roads: The Hartford-New London Turnpike and the Colchester-Norwich Turnpike.
  • 1922: The alignment becomes part of New England Interstate Route 17 (NE-17)
  • 1932: The New England routes were decommissioned. The eastern half of NE-17 was designated as a state highway called Route 2. The western half of NE-17 will become part of U.S. Route 44.
  • 1950s-1960s: Freeway construction along the Route 2 alignment. The Route 2 freeway opened in sections, with the oldest segment (between Exits 5A and 7) opening in 1952, and the latest segment (between Exits 20 and 22) opening in 1971. Some parts of the old, surface alignment are still state-maintained but not signed as state routes, while the rest were handed over to town jurisdiction.

[edit] Notes

Several other Connecticut freeways terminate at Route 2. Route 3 ends at Route 2 near the East Hartford-Glastonbury town line; Route 17 ends at Route 2 in Glastonbury; and Route 11 ends at Route 2 in Colchester.

[edit] Exit list

Town Number Mile Destinations Notes
Hartford   0.0 Columbus Boulevard Western terminus of Route 2
At-grade intersection
Road continues as State Street
  0.1 I-91 South – New Haven Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Founders Bridge (Connecticut River crossing)
East Hartford 3 0.5 Pitkin Street, East River Drive Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Milepost at off-ramp
2 0.5 I-84 East – Boston Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Milepost at off-ramp
2NEW 0.9 2N: East Hartford (SR 500)
2E: I-84 East – Boston
2W: I-84 West to I-91 North
Westbound exits and eastbound entrances
Milepost at off-ramp
3 1.0 Pitkin Street Westbound exit only (no entrance)
Milepost at off-ramp
4 1.5 East River Drive (SR 502) to US 5/Route 15 South to I-91 South Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Milepost at Route 15 junction
5 2.0 Willow Street (SR 516) Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
5A 2.8/2.9 High Street (EB)
Main Street (WB)
SR 517
5B 3.3 Sutton Avenue Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
5C 3.7 Maple Street eastbound exit only
5D 4.0 Route 3 South – Glastonbury, Wethersfield (EB)
Glastonbury 6 4.7 Griswold Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
7 5.1 Route 17 South – Portland Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
8 5.6 Route 94 (Hebron Avenue)
9 7.1 Neipsic Road Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
10 9.9 Route 83 – East Glastonbury, Manchester
11 ~11.0 Thompson Street, Wassuc Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Marlborough 12 13.6 West Road, Marlborough Business Route Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
13 15.4 Route 66 – Marlborough, Willimantic
15 17.9 South Main Street – Marlborough Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Colchester 16 20.4 Route 149 – Westchester, Moodus
17 22.4 Colchester Business Route Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
18 23.7 Route 16 – Colchester, Middletown (WB)
19 24.4 Route 11 – New London Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
20 25.0 Route 354 (Parum Road) to Route 11 and Route 85 Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
21 ~26.1 Chestnut Hill Road (EB), Colchester Business Route (WB) SR 616
Lebanon 22 30.9 Gillman, Lebanon
Bozrah 23 33.3 Route 163 – Bozrah, Montville
24 34.5 Fitchville Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
SR 608
Norwich 25(WB)
27(EB)
35.9 Route 32 North – Willimantic, Yantic (EB), Franklin (WB) Route 32 joins eastbound and leaves westbound
SR 642
27 36.3 Yantic Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Eastbound Exit 27 is the same interchange as Exit 25
Milepost at off-ramp
28NS 37.0 28S: I-395/Route 2A South – New Haven
28N: I-395 North – Providence
29 37.7 Norwichtown New London Turnpike
  38.2 Route 169 End of freeway; at-grade intersection

Junctions on non-freeway section

  • Norwich (Washington St, Chelsea Harbor Dr, Water St, East Main St)
  • Preston (Norwich-Westerly Road)
    • Mile 43.0: Route 2A / Route 117
    • Mile 45.7: Route 164
  • Ledyard (Norwich-Westerly Road)
  • North Stonington (Norwich-Westerly Road)
    • Mile 48.0: Route 214
    • Mile 51.1: Route 201 (0.8 mile overlap)
    • Mile 54.4: Route 184
    • Mile 55.3: I-95
  • Stonington (Liberty Street)

[edit] References