U.S. Route 2 in Vermont

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 2 in Vermont. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 2.

U.S. Route 2 (US 2) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that is split into two segments. Its eastern segment runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine. In Vermont, US 2 extends 150.518 miles (242.235 km) from the New York state line in Alburgh to the New Hampshire state line in Guildhall. West of Vermont, US 2 continues into New York for another 0.87 miles (1.40 km) to an intersection with US 11 in Rouses Point. US 2 passes through the cities of Burlington and Montpelier as it traverses the state. The highway parallels Interstate 89 (I-89) between these two cities. The Burlington to Montpelier route was first laid out as a toll road in the early 19th century. It was later incorporated into the transcontinental auto trail known as the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 before being designated as part of US 2 in 1926.

U.S. Route 2
Theodore Roosevelt Highway[1]
US 2 highlighted in red, VT 2A highlighted in blue, and VT 2B highlighted in purple
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT and VTrans
Length	150.518 mi[2] (242.235 km) US 2 continues west into New York for 0.87 mi (1.40 km)[3]
Existed	1926[4]–present
Major junctions
West end	US 11 in Rouses Point, NY
Major intersections	I-89 in Colchester US 7 from Colchester to Burlington VT 100 in Waterbury VT 12 in Montpelier US 302 in Montpelier I-91 / US 5 in St. Johnsbury
East end	US 2 at the VT-NH state line near Guildhall
Location
Country	United States
State	Vermont
Counties	Grand Isle, Chittenden, Washington, Caledonia, Essex
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided State highways in Vermont
New York Highways Interstate US State Reference Parkways
← VT F-10A → VT 3
← VT 116 VT 116A → VT 117 ← VT 346 VT F-1 → VT F-2 ← NY 1X NY → NY 2

Although the portion of the road from Alburgh to Burlington follows a north–south alignment, US 2 is continuously signed east (heading south during this portion) and west (heading north) to match its overall alignment, making it the longest east–west signed route in the state. At a nearly 460-mile (740 km) overall length, US 2 is also the longest highway of any designation (Interstate, U.S. Route, or state highway) that enters the state of Vermont.

Route description

US 2 in Vermont

The eastern segment of US 2 begins in New York at an intersection with US 11 just one mile (1.6 km) south of the Canadian border in Rouses Point. From there, it crosses Lake Champlain into Grand Isle County, traversing the length of the county and crossing Lake Champlain over several bridges until it reaches the mainland in Milton and Chittenden County. From there, it travels south to Burlington, where it begins to closely parallel I-89 and the Winooski River all the way to Montpelier and Washington County. In Montpelier, the main route bypasses the downtown area using Memorial Drive, while a business loop using State Street serves downtown. After leaving Montpelier, the road turns northeastward, crossing into Caledonia County and passing through St. Johnsbury. It then passes into rural Essex County and eventually crosses the Connecticut River from Guildhall into Lancaster, New Hampshire.

History

An improved road between the main settlements of Burlington and Montpelier was first established from old footpaths in 1805, when the 36-mile (58 km) Winooski Turnpike was chartered by the state of Vermont. The old turnpike road utilized the relatively flat banks of the Winooski River to connect the two major towns and opened to traffic several years after the company was chartered. The road ceased operating as a toll road several decades later in 1852, when the road became publicly owned.^[5] The route of the old Winooski Turnpike between Burlington and Montpelier was later incorporated into the old Theodore Roosevelt International Highway. This cross-country auto trail, named in honor of recently deceased ex-president and naturalist Theodore Roosevelt, was organized in February 1919 to connect Portland, Maine, with Portland, Oregon.^[6] Within Vermont, the auto trail used what is now US 2 from Vermont Route 129 (VT 129) south of Alburgh center to VT 18 east of downtown St. Johnsbury.^[7]

Before being designated as US 2, the current alignment was part of several interstate routes of the 1922 New England road marking system. From Danville eastward to the state line, the US 2 alignment was part of Route 15; it was part of Route 18 between Montpelier and Danville; it used Route 14 between Burlington and Montpelier; and it used Route 30 between Alburgh and Burlington.^[8] When the plans for the U.S. Highway System were first drawn up in 1925, US 2 began in Alburgh and was routed along the Roosevelt Highway from Alburgh to Montpelier. Both US 2 and the Roosevelt Highway connected Montpelier to St. Johnsbury; however, the Roosevelt Highway used a direct path along former Route 18 while US 2 was initially assigned to then-Route 25 (modern US 302) to Wells River, where it overlapped proposed US 5 north to St. Johnsbury. From St. Johnsbury, the Roosevelt Highway turned southeast toward Portland along modern VT 18 while US 2 continued east along former Route 15 to Bangor.^[9] No changes were made to US 2 in the final system plan approved on November 11, 1926.^[4] US 2 was relocated onto its modern alignment along the original Roosevelt Highway route between Montpelier and St. Johnsbury in the mid-1930s. The original alignment of US 2 became part of the newly designated US 302.^[10][11]

Initially, Rouses Point, New York, and Alburgh were connected by way of a ferry across the Richelieu River. The ferry ran from the center of Rouses Point to Vermont's Windmill Point, where it connected to VT F-1, an east–west route linking Windmill Point to Alburgh.^[12] When US 2 was assigned, it was overlaid on the preexisting VT F-1, following the route and the ferry to the New York state line, where US 2 initially ended.^[13] In 1937, a new tolled swing bridge across the Richelieu River opened, carrying an extended US 2 between US 11 in Rouses Point and Alburgh. The swing bridge was replaced with a toll-free permanent bridge on September 22, 1987.^[14]

Major intersections

The short continuation of US 2 into New York is included below.

State	County	Location	mi[2][3]	km	Destinations	Notes
New York	Clinton	Rouses Point	0.00	0.00	US 11 to NY 9B / I-87 / A-15 – Rouses Point, Canada, Montreal	Western terminus of US 2; serves Rouses Point station
Lake Champlain			0.87 0.000	1.40 0.000	Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge[1] (New York–Vermont state line)
Vermont	Grand Isle	Alburgh	3.152	5.073	VT 225 north – Noyan, QC	Southern terminus of VT 225
			6.234	10.033	VT 78 east – Swanton	Western terminus of VT 78
			11.633	18.721	VT 129 west – Isle Lamotte	Eastern terminus of VT 129
		Grand Isle	25.609	41.214	VT 314 south – Grand Isle Station, NY State via Ferry	Northern terminus of VT 314
		South Hero	28.504	45.873	VT 314 north – Lake Champlain Islands, NY State via Ferry	Southern terminus of VT 314
	Chittenden	Colchester	38.658– 38.921	62.214– 62.637	I-89 – Winooski, Burlington, Georgia, St. Albans, Montreal	Exit 17 on I-89
			39.011	62.782	US 7 north – Milton	Western end of concurrency with US 7
			41.901	67.433	VT 2A south – Essex Junction	Northern terminus of VT 2A
			42.095	67.745	To VT 2A south – Essex Junction	Unsigned VT 127
			43.542	70.074	VT 127 south (Blakely Road)	Northern terminus of VT 127
			45.286– 45.358	72.881– 72.997	I-89 – St. Albans, Champlain Islands, Burlington	Exit 16 on I-89
		Winooski	46.369	74.624	VT 15 east (East Allen Street) to I-89 south – Essex Junction	Western terminus of VT 15; Roundabout
		Burlington	47.672	76.721	US 7 Alt. south (Riverside Avenue at Hyde Street)	Northern terminus of US 7 Alt.
			48.612	78.233	US 7 south (South Willard Street) – Shelburne	Eastern end of concurrency with US 7
		South Burlington	49.619– 49.920	79.854– 80.338	I-89 – Montpelier, Winooski, St. Albans	Exit 14 on I-89
			50.447	81.187	VT 116 south (Hinesburg Road)	Northern terminus of VT 116
		Williston	53.777	86.546	VT 2A – Essex Junction, Hinesburg
		Richmond	59.201	95.275	VT 117 west – Essex Junction	Eastern terminus of VT 117
			59.234– 59.399	95.328– 95.593	I-89 – Burlington, Waterbury, Montpelier	Exit 11 on I-89
	Washington	Waterbury	74.080	119.220	VT 100 north to I-89 – Stowe, Morrisville	Western end of concurrency with VT 100
		Moretown	75.395	121.336	VT 100 south – Waitsfield, Warren	Eastern end of concurrency with VT 100
		Middlesex	79.819	128.456	VT 100B south – Moretown, Waitsfield, Warren	Northern terminus of VT 100B
		Montpelier	85.767	138.029	US 2 Bus. (State Street)	Western terminus of US 2 Bus.
			85.942	138.310	Montpelier State Highway (Memorial Drive) to I-89 – Burlington, White River Junction	Exit 8 on I-89
			86.368	138.996	US 2 Bus. / VT 12 – Worcester, Northfield	Eastern terminus of US 2 Bus.
			88.092	141.770	US 302 east	Western terminus of US 302; roundabout
		East Montpelier	92.781	149.317	VT 14 south – Barre	Western end of concurrency with VT 14
			92.988	149.650	VT 14 north – North Montpelier, Hardwick	Eastern end of concurrency with VT 14
		Plainfield	95.831	154.225	VT 214 north – North Montpelier	Southern terminus of VT 214
		Marshfield	103.213	166.105	VT 215 north – Lower Cabot, Cabot	Southern terminus of VT 215
			104.350	167.935	VT 232 south – Groton	Northern terminus of VT 232
	Caledonia	Danville	112.554	181.138	VT 15 – Walden, Hardwick	Eastern terminus of VT 15
			118.219	190.255	VT 2B east	Western terminus of VT 2B
		St. Johnsbury	121.625– 122.252	195.736– 196.746	I-91 / US 2 Truck – White River Junction, Newport	Exit 21 on I-91
			122.569	197.256	VT 2B west	Eastern terminus of VT 2B
			123.558	198.847	US 5 south (Railroad Street)	Western end of concurrency with US 5
			123.672	199.031	US 5 north (Railroad Street)	Eastern end of concurrency with US 5
			126.506	203.592	VT 18 south to I-91 / I-93 – Waterford, Littleton NH	Northern terminus of VT 18
	Essex	Guildhall	150.416	242.071	VT 102 north – Guildhall, Bloomfield	Southern terminus of VT 102
			150.518	242.235	US 2 east – Lancaster, Bangor ME	Continuation into New Hampshire
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Suffixed routes

Vermont Route 2A

Vermont Route 2A
Location	St. George–Colchester
Length	13.853 mi[2] (22.294 km)

Vermont Route 2A (VT 2A) is a largely 13.853-mile (22.294 km) alternate route of US 2 between St. George and Colchester. It begins at VT 116 in St. George and continues north and west through Williston and Essex Junction before ending at US 2 and US 7 in Colchester.^[2] Much of the portion of VT 2A that runs through Williston has been expanded from two to four lanes, particularly the stretch between US 2 and I-89, to accommodate the many restaurants, offices, and stores that have been developed there.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Chittenden County.

Location	mi[2]	km	Destinations	Notes
St. George	0.000	0.000	VT 116 – Hinesburg, Bristol, South Burlington
Williston	4.911– 4.994	7.903– 8.037	I-89 – Montpelier, Burlington	Exit 12 on I-89
	5.703	9.178	US 2 – Burlington International Airport, South Burlington, Williston
Essex Junction	8.591	13.826	VT 15 (Pearl Street / Main Street) / VT 117 east (Maple Street) – Five Corners, Winooski	Western terminus of VT 117
	8.740	14.066	Central Street – Essex Junction station
Essex	10.624	17.098	VT 289 east – Essex Susie Wilson Road to VT 15 west	Exit 7 on VT 289; current western terminus of VT 289
Colchester	13.626	21.929	To US 2 east / US 7 south (to VT 127) – Malletts Bay, Winooski, Burlington	Unsigned portion of VT 127
	13.853	22.294	US 2 west / US 7 north – Colchester, Milton
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Vermont Route 2B

Vermont Route 2B
Location	Danville–St. Johnsbury
Length	3.459 mi[2] (5.567 km)

Vermont Route 2B (VT 2B) is an alternate route of US 2 between Danville and St. Johnsbury. The route begins across the street from the intersection of US 2 and Jamieson Road in Danville, first running south, then curving east at Parker Road, which began west of there at US 2 near a local restaurant. The rest of the road runs through rural Caledonia County and crosses a bridge over I-91 with no access, just south of exit 21 before finally terminating at US 2 in St. Johnsbury.

See also

• U.S. Route 2 Business (Montpelier, Vermont)
• U.S. Route 2 Truck (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)

References

1. State of Vermont Board of Libraries (April 28, 2008). "Vermont Named State Highways and Bridges" (PDF). Department of Libraries, State of Vermont. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
2. Traffic Research Unit (May 2013). "2012 (Route Log) AADTs for State Highways" (PDF). Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development Division, Vermont Agency of Transportation. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
3. "2014 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. July 22, 2015. p. 80. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
4. Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
5. Wood, F.J. (1919). The Turnpikes of New England. Boston: Marshall Jones Company. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
6. Skidmore, Max J. (2006). Moose Crossing: Portland to Portland on the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway. Hamilton Books. ISBN 0-7618-3510-5.
7. United States Touring Map (Map). Automobile Club of America. 1924. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
8. Automobile Blue Book (Vol. 1), 1926 and 1927 eds., (Automobile Blue Book, Inc., Boston)
9. Joint Board on Interstate Highways (1925). "Appendix VI: Descriptions of the Interstate Routes Selected, with Numbers Assigned". Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways, October 30, 1925, Approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, November 18, 1925 (Report). Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture. p. 49. OCLC 733875457, 55123355, 71026428. Retrieved November 14, 2017 – via Wikisource.
10. Texaco Road Map – New England (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Texas Oil Company. 1933.
11. Thibodeau, William A. (1938). The ALA Green Book (1938–39 ed.). Automobile Legal Association.
12. Road Map of New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Standard Oil Company of New York. 1930.
13. Weingroff, Richard (January 9, 2009). "U.S. 2: Houlton, Maine, to Everett, Washington". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
14. Faber, Harold (September 21, 1987). "New York and Vermont Get New Toll-Free Bridge". The New York Times. p. B2. Retrieved January 18, 2010.

External links

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U.S. Route 2
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