Delaware Route 2
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by DelDOT | ||||
Length | 10.81 mi[1] (17.40 km) | |||
Existed | 1936[2]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | DE 72 / DE 273 in Newark | |||
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East end | DE 52 in Wilmington | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Delaware | |||
Counties | New Castle | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Delaware Route 2 (DE 2) is a 10.81-mile-long (17.40 km) east–west state highway located in the northern part of
What would become DE 2 was paved by 1924 and became a state highway in 1927, receiving the DE 2 designation by 1936. At this time, the western terminus of the route was at the
Route description
DE 2 begins at an intersection with
After the road crosses
Past this intersection, DE 2 continues past businesses and passes south of the Delaware State University Wilmington campus, crossing Duncan Road. The road comes to a bridge over Red Clay Creek and the Wilmington and Western Railroad before reaching Prices Corner and an intersection with Newport Gap Pike, which heads northwest as DE 41 and southeast as DE 62. At this point, DE 2 passes to the north of the Prices Corner Shopping Center and has a junction with Albertson Boulevard; this road heads north to provide access to Greenbank Road which in turn leads east to Centerville Road. The road comes to a bridge over Centerville Road and heads north of a park and ride lot along Centerville Road before reaching a partial cloverleaf interchange with the DE 141 freeway. The DE 141 interchange includes a ramp from Centerville Road that merges with the ramp from northbound DE 141 to eastbound DE 2.[3][4]
Following this interchange, DE 2 narrows to four lanes and continues east through a mix of homes and businesses, crossing Little Mill Creek and passing to the south of the Wilmington VA Medical Center before it heads across Chestnut Run. At this point, the route enters the town of Elsmere and briefly turns southeast before curving back to the east and reaching an intersection with DE 100 (Dupont Road). Past this intersection, the road comes to a bridge over a junction between CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision and an East Penn Railroad line and then CSX's Market Street Industrial Track line and South Grant Avenue before running past homes and businesses as South Union Street.[3][4]
DE 2 leaves Elsmere and crosses into the city of
DE 2 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 49,116 vehicles at the DE 141 interchange to a low of 19,009 vehicles at the DE 9 intersection.[1] The entire length of DE 2 is part of the National Highway System.[5]
History
The portion of present-day DE 2 between Prices Corner and Wilmington was built in 1881 as New Road, connecting
In 1936, DE 2 was designated to run from the Maryland state line southwest of Newark, where it connected to MD 279, east to DE 52 in Wilmington, following Elkton Road, Main Street, Capitol Trail, New Road, and Union Street.[2] In 1938, construction began on widening DE 2 into a divided highway between Prices Corner and Elsmere, with plans to extend the divided highway westward to bypass the two-lane section through Marshallton to the north along a new alignment.[14] In 1939, the divided highway alignment of DE 2 was completed between DE 7 and Elsmere, with the exception of the bridge over the Red Clay Creek in Cranston Heights.[15] This bridge was finished in 1940, completing the improvement of DE 2 into a divided highway between DE 7 and Elsmere.[15][16] The new divided highway routing of DE 2 was extended west from DE 7 to Pike Creek Road in 1941. The bypassed former alignment of the route between Pike Creek Road and Prices Corner became known as Old Capitol Trail. On May 9, 1941, the new alignment of DE 2 between Pike Creek Road and the east end of New Road in Elsmere was named the Robert Kirkwood Highway in honor of Robert Kirkwood, an American Revolutionary War soldier from Newark. The portion of the route between DE 273 and Pike Creek Road retained the name Capitol Trail.[6]
In 1940, plans were made to eliminate the grade crossing with the railroad junction in Elsmere by replacing it with a bridge over the tracks along with a new alignment for DE 2 between the end of the divided highway in Elsmere and Union and Lincoln streets in Wilmington.[16] Due to World War II and steel shortages, construction of the bridge was delayed until after the war.[17] In December 1949, the bridge carrying the route over the Reading Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Elsmere was opened to traffic, with final work on the bridge finished in 1950.[18]
In 1956, DE 2 and DE 273 were routed onto the one-way pair of Delaware Avenue eastbound and Main Street westbound in downtown Newark following an eastward extension of Delaware Avenue to the intersection between DE 2 and DE 273 east of the city.[19] In 1957, work began to widen DE 2 into a four-lane divided highway between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision) bridge in Newark and DE 7.[20] The divided highway was extended west from DE 7 to Red Mill Road by 1959. Also by this time, the route was split into a one-way pair in Wilmington on Union Street and Lincoln Street.[21] The road between Newark and Red Mill Road became a divided highway by 1964.[22] The portion of DE 2 along Elkton Road between the Maryland state line and Newark was widened into a divided highway in 1972.[23]
The Christiana Parkway around the southern edge of Newark was completed in September 1983.
Major intersections
The entire route is in New Castle County.
Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western terminus; west end of DE 72 overlap | |||||
1.21 | 1.95 | DE 72 north (Possum Park Road) | East end of DE 72 overlap | ||
Marshallton | 5.17 | 8.32 | DE 7 (Limestone Road) – Stanton, Christiana, Dover | ||
Prices Corner | 6.92 | 11.14 | DE 41 north / DE 62 east (Newport Gap Pike) – Avondale, Lancaster | Southern terminus of DE 41; western terminus of DE 62 | |
7.50 | 12.07 | Fairfax | DE 141 exit 6 | ||
Elsmere | 9.19 | 14.79 | DE 100 (Dupont Road) | ||
I-95 | West end of westbound overlap with DE 48 westbound | ||||
DE 48 west (West 2nd Street) | East end of westbound overlap with DE 48 westbound | ||||
10.43 | 16.79 | DE 9 south (West 4th Street) | Northern terminus of DE 9 | ||
10.81 | 17.40 | DE 52 (Pennsylvania Avenue) | Eastern terminus | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Delaware Route 2 Business
Location | Newark |
---|---|
Length | 2.91 mi[1] (4.68 km) |
Existed | 1990[26]–2013[27] |
Delaware Route 2 Business (DE 2 Bus.) was a 2.91-mile (4.68 km)[1] long business route of DE 2 that ran through the city of Newark. The business route ran northeast from its western terminus at an intersection with DE 2/DE 4/DE 896 southwest of downtown Newark along four-lane divided Elkton Road, concurrent with DE 896. From this point, DE 2 Bus./DE 896 crossed the Christina River and headed into residential areas. The road changed names to South Main Street and became undivided as it passed businesses before reaching downtown Newark. Here, DE 2 Bus./DE 896 intersected DE 273, with the road splitting into a one-way pair. Eastbound DE 2 Bus./northbound DE 896 ran concurrent with eastbound DE 273 on West Delaware Avenue, heading to the east, while westbound DE 2 Bus./southbound DE 896 remained along South Main Street, also concurrent with eastbound DE 273. The one-way pair carried two lanes in each direction. Westbound DE 2 Bus. entered South Main Street from West Main Street, which also carried the westbound direction of DE 273 and the northbound direction of DE 896. At the intersection with South College Avenue, the concurrency in both directions with northbound DE 896 ended. DE 2 Bus./DE 273 passed through the University of Delaware campus and continued through the commercial downtown as East Delaware Avenue eastbound and East Main Street westbound. Farther east, the one-way pair crossed the Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail and passed the Newark Transit Hub serving DART First State buses, which is located between East Main Street and East Delaware Avenue. East Delaware Avenue shifted farther to the south of East Main Street, with the one-way streets running between a residential neighborhood and East Delaware Avenue heading to the north of Newark High School. Past here, the route came to an intersection with DE 2/DE 72. At this point, DE 2 Bus. ended and eastbound DE 273 headed north with DE 2/DE 72 to rejoin westbound DE 273.[30][31]
The business route was created by 1990 when DE 2 was routed to bypass Newark to the south.[26] In 2012, the Newark city council voted in favor of renaming the portion of Elkton Road carrying DE 2 Bus./DE 896 between West Park Place and West Main Street to South Main Street in order to promote businesses along this stretch of road. The change went into effect January 1, 2013.[32] DE 2 Bus. was decommissioned in 2013 as part of changes that also truncated the western terminus of DE 2 to the intersection with DE 72 and DE 273 in the eastern part of Newark.[27]
Major intersections
The entire route was in Newark, New Castle County.
mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00 | 0.00 | DE 2 / I-95 south | Western terminus; west end of DE 896 overlap | ||
1.52 | 2.45 | DE 273 west (West Main Street) DE 896 north (New London Road) | West end of DE 273 overlap | ||
1.71 | 2.75 | DE 896 (South College Avenue) | East end of DE 896 overlap | ||
2.91 | 4.68 | DE 2 / DE 72 (Capitol Trail/Library Avenue) DE 273 east (Ogletown Road) | Eastern terminus; east end of DE 273 overlap | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
See also
- U.S. Roads portal
References
- ^ a b c d e f Staff (2018). "Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1936). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1936–1937 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Google (December 27, 2013). "overview of Delaware Route 2" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ National Highway System: Delaware (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781439645444. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1920). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Named highways of the United States". HathiTrust. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1924). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1925 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1925: 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
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(help) - ^ a b "Delaware State Highway Department Report" (PDF) (1926 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1926: 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
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(help) - ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1927 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1927: 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
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: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1931 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1931: 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1938 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 1, 1939: 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ a b "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1939 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 1, 1940: 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ a b "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1940 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 1, 1941: 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
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(help) - ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1941-42 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1942: 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ "Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1950 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1950: 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
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(help) - ^ "Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1956 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1956: 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1957 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1957: 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
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(help) - ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1959). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1959–1960 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1964). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ Maryland State Highway Administration (1972). Maryland: Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration.
- ^ "Newark council says truckers evade tolls". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. November 15, 1983.
- ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1984). Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Delaware Department of Transportation (1990). Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Shannon, Josh (July 1, 2013). "A route to less clutter: DelDOT to consolidate Newark route numbers". Newark Post. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "Proposed Route Designation Changes – DE Route 41 and DE Route 2". Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ "Routes 2 and 41 Separation Study" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (2012). Delaware Transportation & Tourism Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
- ^ Google (January 8, 2012). "overview of Delaware Route 2 Business" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ Andrew, Theresa (June 29, 2012). "Portion of Elkton Road will be renamed 'South Main Street' Jan. 1". Newark Post. Retrieved July 21, 2013.