Route 2 (Massachusetts)

Route 2
Route information
Length:	142.29 mi (228.99 km)
Existed:	1927, 1971 (current alignment) – present
Major junctions
West end:	NY 2 in Petersburgh, NY
	US 7 in Williamstown I‑91 / US 5 in Greenfield US 202 from Orange to Phillipston I‑190 in Leominster I‑495 in Littleton I‑95 / Route 128 in Lexington US 3 / Route 16 in Cambridge US 20 in Boston
East end:	Beacon Street in Boston
Location
Counties:	Berkshire, Franklin, Worcester, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk
Highway system
Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State ← Route C1 Route 2A → ← Route 6B N.E. Route 8 →

Route 2 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with Route 9 and U.S. Route 20 to the south, these highways are the main alternatives to the Massachusetts Turnpike/I-90 toll highway. Route 2 runs the entire length of the northern tier of Massachusetts, beginning at the New York border, where it connects with New York State Route 2, and ending near Boston Common in Boston.

Route 2 proceeds east from the New York state line on a winding, scenic path in Berkshire County through Williamstown, where it serves the Williams College area and through North Adams, where it serves the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. East of North Adams, Route 2 ascends via a hairpin turn into the Hoosac Range along what is known as the Mohawk Trail.

Route 2 then enters Franklin County, meeting Interstate 91 at an interchange in Greenfield and briefly runs concurrently with I-91. While the old Route 2 becomes Route 2A and goes through downtown Greenfield, Route 2 exits off I-91 as a short expressway before becoming a two-lane freeway. Outside Greenfield, Route 2A temporarily ends and merges with Route 2. Route 2 remains a regular two-lane surface road in Gill and through Erving though it has some grade-separated interchanges in Millers Falls at its intersection with Route 63. There is another gap in the two-lane expressway in the Erving area. Recently, the road in Erving was routed to the north and straightened to avoid the paper mill next to the river. This rerouting led to the road being shortened by less than a tenth of a mile.

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Wikipedia