West Virginia Route 2

West Virginia Route 2 marker

West Virginia Route 2
Route information
Maintained by WVDOH
Length: 230.6 mi[1] (371.1 km)
Existed: 1920s – present
Major junctions
South end: US 60 in Huntington
 

US 35 near Pt. Pleasant
US 50 near Parkersburg
I77 concurrent between Silverton and Parkersburg
US 250 concurrent between Moundsville and Wheeling
I470 in Wheeling
I70 in Wheeling
US 40 in Wheeling

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

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).

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).

History

Chester to Wheeling

WV 2 is a variable two-lane and four-lane highway from its northern terminus at Chester to Wheeling.

A stretch of WV 2 located in northeastern Cabell County

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 31, 2001, however, construction wrapped up on October 31 at a cost of $21,444,875.[2] 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 located along WV 2

One year later, the highway widening project progressed further south for 2.5 miles (4.0 km).[3]

There are currently plans to widen WV 2 from two to four lanes from US 22 north to Chester at a cost of $463,900,000; this would include a bypass of New Cumberland and would also correct rockfall hazards along the entire length.[4] Likewise, a project to widen WV 2 from two to four lanes from Follansbee south to Wheeling is projected to cost $489,500,000. This would connect to an incomplete interchange at Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 250 and include a northern bypass of Wheeling. The projects are ranked 45th and 48th, respectively.

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

Wheeling to Parkersburg

Within the six-year plan produced by the West Virginia Department of Transportation is a four-lane upgrade for WV 2 between McKeefrey and Parkersburg. Ranked 55th, this project has an estimated price tag of $432,000,000.[4]

Parkersburg to Huntington

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. Currently, there are long-range plans to widen WV 2 from WV 193 near Barboursville northeast to Point Pleasant to four lanes at a cost of $237,300,000.[4] Even further down the road is WV 2 widening from Point Pleasant to Interstate 77 at a cost of $207,300,000. The projects are ranked 86th and 98th,respectively.

Notes

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
CabellHuntington US 60 to I64 Downtown Huntington, ProctorvilleSouthern terminus of WV 2
  WV 193 south to I64 / US 60 BarboursvilleNorthern terminus of WV 193
MasonHenderson US 35 Chillicothe, Ohio, CharlestonInterchange
Henderson
Point Pleasant
Bartow 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 I77 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  I77 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 I470 / 26th StreetI-470 exit 1
US 250 north to I70 Columbus, WashingtonInterchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus of US 250 concurrency; northern terminus of freeway
10th Street (Wheeling Suspension Bridge)
I70 / US 40 west Columbus, WashingtonSouthern terminus of US 40 concurrency; I-70 exit 1A
US 40 east (National Road) to I70 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

References

  1. Distance calculated using Microsoft MapPoint mapping software.
  2. "WV 2 Project Follansbee-Weirton Road II." West Virginia Department of Transportation. Nov. 1, 2006
  3. "Panhandle Archaic." West Virginia Department of Culture. Nov. 1, 2006
  4. 1 2 3 "Sheet1." West Virginia Department of Transportation. Nov. 1, 2006
  5. THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2006 The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media.
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