West Virginia Route 2

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).

West Virginia Route 2
Route information
Maintained by WVDOH
Length230.6 mi[1] (371.1 km)
Existed1920s–present
Major junctions
South end US 60 in Huntington
  US 35 near Pt. Pleasant

US 50 near Parkersburg
I-77 concurrent between Silverton and Parkersburg
US 250 concurrent between Moundsville and Wheeling
I-470 in Wheeling
I-70 in Wheeling
US 40 in Wheeling

US 22 in Weirton
North end US 30 in Chester
Location
CountiesHancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Jackson, Mason, Cabell
Highway system
← WV 972→ WV 3

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.

History
A stretch of WV 2 located in northeastern Cabell County

Huntington to Parkersburg

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.

View north along WV 2 at WV 16 in St. Marys

Parkersburg to Wheeling

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.

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

1909 stone masonry rail bridge crossing WV-2 near Point Pleasant

Notes
  • The state route is the subject of Driving Up the Ohio River on Route 2 in Late Fall, a poem by Larry Smith. The poem was featured on the October 26, 2006 edition of The Writer's Almanac radio program.[5]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
CabellHuntington US 60 to I-64 – Downtown Huntington, ProctorvilleSouthern terminus of WV 2
​ WV 193 south to I-64 / US 60 – BarboursvilleNorthern terminus of WV 193
MasonHenderson US 35 – Chillicothe, Ohio, CharlestonInterchange
Henderson–Point Pleasant lineBartow Jones Bridge over Kanawha River
Point Pleasant To WV 62 north / Viand Street – Point Pleasant, Mason
WV 62 north – MasonSouthern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
​ WV 62 south – BuffaloNorthern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
​ WV 87 east – EvansWestern terminus of WV 87
JacksonMount Alto WV 62 south / WV 331 east – New Haven, CottagevilleSouthern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
​ WV 62 north – RipleyNorthern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
Ravenswood US 33 west / WV 68 north – Ravenswood, Columbus, OHSouthern terminus of US 33 concurrency
Silverton I-77 south / US 33 east / CR 56 east (Green Hills Road) – Ripley, CharlestonNorthern terminus of US 33 concurrency; southern terminus of I-77 concurrency; WV 2 south follows exit 146
see I-77
Wood​ I-77 north / WV 68 south (Emerson Avenue) – Marietta, OH, Vienna, Ohio Valley UniversityNorthern terminus of I-77 concurrency; WV 2 north follows exit 179
​ WV 31 south – DeerwalkSouthern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
​ WV 31 north – MOV Regional Airport, WilliamstownNorthern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
Pleasants​ To SR 7 / Carpenter Memorial Bridge (WV 807) – Newport, OH
St. Marys WV 16 south – Ellenboro, Pleasants County ParkNorthern terminus of WV 16
TylerSistersville WV 18 south – MiddlebourneNorthern terminus of WV 18
Charles Street – Sistersville Ferry
Wetzel​ WV 180 south – MiddlebourneNorthern terminus of WV 180
New Martinsville WV 7 east to WV 20Southern terminus of WV 7 concurrency
SR 7 / New Martinsville Bridge (WV 7 west) – OhioInterchange; northern terminus of WV 7 concurrency
Proctor CR 89Western terminus of CR 89; formerly WV 89
Marshall​
WV 2 Alt. north (Round Bottom Hill Road)		Southern terminus of Alternate WV 2
​
WV 2 Alt. south / CR 21 (Roberts Ridge Road) – Airport		Northern terminus of Alternate WV 2
Moundsville To SR 7 / 12th Street / Moundsville Bridge (WV 2 Spur) – Bellaire, OH, Powhatan Point, OH
US 250 south – Central Business District, Cameron, Grand Vue ParkSouthern terminus of US 250 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
To US 250 south / 7th Street – Grand Vue Park
Glen Dale WV 86 northSouthern terminus of WV 86
McMechenEast Baltimore Street – McMechenNorthbound exit only
12th Street – McMechen
3rd Street – McMechenNorthbound access only; Southern terminus of freeway
BenwoodSouth Marshall Street – Benwood, McMechen
Bellaire BridgeFormer interchange
4th Street – Benwood
CR 1 (Boggs Run Road)
OhioWheeling I-470 / 26th StreetI-470 exit 1
US 250 north to I-70 – Columbus, WashingtonInterchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus of US 250 concurrency; northern terminus of freeway
10th Street (Wheeling Suspension Bridge)
I-70 / US 40 west – Columbus, WashingtonSouthern terminus of US 40 concurrency; I-70 exit 1A
US 40 east (National Road) to I-70 eastNorthern terminus of US 40 concurrency
BrookeWellsburg WV 67 east – Bethany, West Liberty University, Bethany CollegeWestern terminus of WV 67
WV 27 east (10th Street)Western terminus of WV 27
Follansbee
WV 27 Alt. east		Western terminus of Alternate WV 27
​Market Street Bridge – Steubenville
​ US 22 west – Steubenville, OhioInterchange; southern terminus of US 22 concurrency; WV 2 south follows exit 1
Weirton Junction US 22 east – PittsburghInterchange; northern terminus of US 22 concurrency; WV 2 north follows exit 2
HancockWeirton CR 507 west (Freedom Way)Western terminus of CR 507 concurrency
CR 507 east (Cove Road)Eastern terminus of CR 507 concurrency
WV 105 east (Penn Avenue)Western terminus of WV 105
New Cumberland WV 8 north – New ManchesterSouthern terminus of WV 8
NewellNewell Toll Bridge
Chester US 30 – East Liverpool, PittsburghInterchange; 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.
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