Delaware Route 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DE Route 2
Length:	16 mi (26 km)
Formed:	1978
West end:	MD 279 near Elkton, Maryland
Major junctions:	DE 2 Business near Newark DE 4 near Newark DE 896 near University of DE DE 72 near University of DE DE 2 Business near University of DE DE 273 near University of DE DE 7 near Stanton DE 41 near Prices Corner DE 141 near Newport DE 48 in Wilmington DE 100 in Wilmington DE 9 in Wilmington
East end:	DE 52 in Wilmington
Routes in Delaware < DE 1 DE 3 >

Delaware Route 2 is a 16 mile long east-west 4 to 6 lane highway located in northern New Castle County, Delaware. It begins at the junction of Delaware Route 52 in Wilmington, and terminates at the Maryland state line near Elkton, Maryland.

Route 2 is known variously as Elkton Road, Christina Parkway, Chestnut Hill Road, South Chapel Street, Library Avenue, Capital Trail, Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington Avenue, Lincoln & Union Streets along its 15.94 mile route.

Route 2 is a very heavily travelled highway, with an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of over 52,509 vehicles in its busiest section from Delaware Route 41 to Delaware Route 141.

[edit] History

The highway first came into existence as early as 1938. Route 2 was widened between Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) and Elsmere by 1944. Expansion of the roadway westward occurred by 1964 to the city of Newark.

[edit] Route Description

Beginning at Canby Park, on State Route 52 (Pennsylvania Avenue) in the city of Wilmington, Route 2 comprises Lincoln Street (eastbound) and Union Street (westbound) through the Hill Top and Little Italy neighborhoods. Leaving the city of Wilmington, the highway crosses the railroad line between Delaware Route 100 (Dupont Road) and Prospect Road. The crossing was built in the late 1980s to replace an older two-lane bridge.

At Elsmere, Route 2 becomes Wilmington Avenue and New Road. New Road composes the original Route 2 between Sanders Road and the Wilmington city line at Canby Park. Route 2 crosses the CSX Railroad via a four-lane bridge.

Leaving the town of Elsmere, Delaware Route 2 becomes the Robert W Kirkwood Highway, named for Revolutionary War hero Major Robert W. Kirkwood. A four-lane divided highway, the Kirkwood Highway meets with State Route 41 State Route 141 in a partial-cloverleaf interchange at Prices Corner. The limited-access highway joins Kirkwood Highway with Interstate 95 and New Castle via U.S. Route 202 and Delaware Route 141 (Basin Road).

A six lane bridge replaced a four-lane span over the Red Clay Creek in the late 1980s. At the east end of the bridge is the merge with Delaware State Route 41 (Newport Gap Pike), which shares a half-mile overlap with State Route 2 through Prices Corner to the Exit 6 interchange of Delaware Route 141.

Delaware State Route 2 meets Delaware Route 72 at the south end of Possum Park Road. Route 72, Polly Drummond Hill Road, Upper Pike Creek Road, Milltown Road, Delaware Route 7 (Limestone Road), and Duncan Road all provide north-south routes from the Kirkwood Highway into the Pike Creek Valley. Almost all of Kirkwood Highway is developed with commercial strip malls and shopping centers, as well as numerous residential subdivisions and apartment complexes.

At Main Street in Newark, Route 2 becomes Chestnut Hill Road between State Route 72 (South Chapel Street) and Delaware Route 896 (South College Avenue).

Until about 1990 Delaware Route 2 however continued through town via Elkton Road and the one-way couplet of Main Street (westbound) and Delaware Avenue (eastbound). The relocation was undertaken in an effort to reroute through traffic away from the central business district and University of Delaware campus. Delaware State Route 2 Business now takes the place of the original mainline through downtown Newark.

Delaware State Route 2 terminates at the Maryland state line along Maryland Route 279 (Elkton Road). Elkton Road provides a four-lane surface arterial between the city of Elkton, Maryland, Interstate 95 Exit 109, and west Newark.