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 marker
West Virginia Route 2
Map
Route information
Maintained by WVDOH
Length230.6 mi[1] (371.1 km)
Existed1920s–present
Major junctions
South end US 60 in Huntington
Major intersections
North end US 30 in Chester
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
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.

Route

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Huntington to Parkersburg

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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

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

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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

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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]

Notes

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  • 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

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CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
CabellHuntington  
 
US 60 to I-64 – Downtown Huntington, Proctorville
Southern terminus of WV 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
WV 193 south to I-64 / US 60 – Barboursville
Northern terminus of WV 193
MasonHenderson  US 35 – Chillicothe, Ohio, CharlestonInterchange
HendersonPoint Pleasant lineBartow Jones Bridge over Kanawha River
Point Pleasant 
 
To Viand Street north / WV 62 – Point Pleasant, Mason
 
 
WV 62 north – Mason
Southern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
 
 
WV 62 south – Buffalo
Northern terminus of first WV 62 concurrency
 
 
WV 87 east – Evans
Western terminus of WV 87
JacksonMount Alto 
 
 
 
WV 62 south / WV 331 east – New Haven, Cottageville
Southern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
 
 
WV 62 north – Ripley
Northern terminus of second WV 62 concurrency
Ravenswood 
 
 
 
US 33 west / WV 68 north – Ravenswood, Columbus, OH
Southern terminus of US 33 concurrency
Silverton 
 
 
 
 
 
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 
 
 
 
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
 
 
WV 31 south – Deerwalk
Southern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
 
 
  WV 31 north – MOV Regional Airport, Williamstown
Northern terminus of WV 31 concurrency
Pleasants 
 
To SR 7 / Carpenter Memorial Bridge (WV 807) – Newport, OH
St. Marys 
 
WV 16 south – Ellenboro, Pleasants County Park
Northern terminus of WV 16
TylerSistersville 
 
WV 18 south – Middlebourne
Northern terminus of WV 18
  Charles Street – Sistersville Ferry
Wetzel 
 
WV 180 south – Middlebourne
Northern terminus of WV 180
New Martinsville 
 
 
 
WV 7 east to WV 20
Southern 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 12th Street / Moundsville Bridge (WV 2 Spur) / SR 7 – Bellaire, OH, Powhatan Point, OH
 
 
US 250 south – Central Business District, Cameron, Grand Vue Park
Southern terminus of US 250 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
 
 
To 7th Street south / US 250 – Grand Vue Park
Glen Dale 
 
WV 86 north
Southern 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, Washington
Interchange; 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, Washington
Southern terminus of US 40 concurrency; I-70 exit 1A
 
 
 
 
 
US 40 east (National Road) to I-70 east
Northern terminus of US 40 concurrency
BrookeWellsburg 
 
WV 67 east – Bethany, West Liberty University, Bethany College
Western 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 BridgeSteubenville
 
 
US 22 west – Steubenville, Ohio
Interchange; southern terminus of US 22 concurrency; WV 2 south follows exit 1
Weirton Junction 
 
US 22 east – Pittsburgh
Interchange; 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 Manchester
Southern terminus of WV 8
NewellWayne Six 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

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  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 [1]
  4. ^ "Panhandle Archaic." West Virginia Department of Culture. Nov. 1, 2006
  5. ^ THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2006 The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media. [2]